Warriors’ No. 2 options behind Steph emerge in season-opening win originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
PORTLAND – Of the many impressions made by the Warriors in their 139-104 rout of the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday, two were particularly encouraging, certainly to coach Steve Kerr and perhaps even more to franchise headliner Stephen Curry.
The first was seeing Andrew Wiggins, Curry’s new backcourt partner, put up an efficient 20 points, adding four rebounds and two assists. Wiggins was active and engaged, his determination evident. He carried himself as if on a mission.
The second was seeing Buddy Hield come off the bench and in less than 15 minutes produce a team-high 22 points that included 5-of-7 shooting from distance. It’s early but not too soon to believe Hield might provide more buckets than anyone coming off Golden State’s bench in recent years.
Wiggins and Hield were so productive and efficient that Jonathan Kuminga’s forgettable evening – 10 points on 3-of-9 shooting from the field, four turnovers, three fouls in less than 20 minutes – was rendered insignificant. He could afford to have an ugly game.
It appears the Warriors, for the first time since 2019, have at least three viable candidates for the job that came open when Klay Thompson left to join the Dallas Mavericks: The position of secondary scorer behind Curry.
The candidates: Wiggins, Kuminga and Hield. With the order subject to change in any given game.
Wiggins inherited the starting shooting guard position vacated by Thompson and wasted no time trying to make his presence felt. He missed four of his first five shots in seven first-quarter minutes before resetting to make seven of his next 10. He was 4-of-7 from deep.
“Wiggs was great,” Kerr said. “This is kind of what we’re expecting this year, honestly. (He has) peace of mind, is in great shape, in the prime of his career. I think Wiggs is poised to have a great season.”
Thompson is averaging 8.1 3-point attempts per game since entering the NBA in 2011. Wiggins is averaging about 4.1 per game. Kerr wants to two or three more. He got them against the Trail Blazers.
“He shot seven of them tonight,” Kerr said. “But he also attacked the rim and had some layups in transition. That’s what we love about Wiggs, his ability to score from different from spots on the floor.”
Wiggins averaged 19.7 points per game during his first six-plus seasons with Minnesota, with that number declining to 16.6 since arriving at Golden State. That should bump up in Klay’s absence. This was the first time Wiggins opened a game sharing the backcourt with Curry, but there were no substantial complications.
“Just flowing within the offense,” Wiggins said. “Not trying to force anything, but at the same time trying to stay aggressive.”
Hield, a 40-percent 3-point shooter from deep over his eight-year career, has the goods to average around 20 points per game as the team’s Sixth Man. The last reserve to average 20 points per game for the Warriors is Cazzie Russell at 20.5 in 1974.
“He’s instant offense,” Kerr said. “The way he runs the floor in transition, he opens it up other people. His energy, his joy, his juice. Buddy’s an incredible addition to our team and everybody loves him. He just brings it every day.”
The lingering question about Hield has to do with developing chemistry with his new teammates. Wiggins has been a Warrior for four years, Hield for less than four months. Once it became apparent that Thompson was leaving, general manager Mike Dunleavy targeted Hield and navigated a sign-and-trade deal that brought him to the Bay.
“Without Klay, we needed shooting; we needed shooting anyway,” Curry said. “And me and (Hield) have been 1-2, with Klay right there, in shooting 3s for the last eight years. We know what his skill set is. We know what he’s capable of doing. It’s been a seamless transition so far.”
It matters little that the spirit and efficiency of Curry’s new scoring sidekicks came against one of the league’s worst teams. What matters is that both Wiggins and Hield have between them 484 games with 20 or more points.
Hield is new to the offense, but he’s built for it in much the same way as Thompson.
“Tonight was my night,” Hield who shot 8-of-12 from the field his Golden State debut. “The next night it can be JK. Steph is always Steph. He’s world class. I just want to take advantage of my opportunities, run the floor and try to keep the floor open for Steph and other guys to be special.”
Golden State’s offseason priority was finding a reliable No. 2 scorer, someone who could provide adequate support for Curry. Those attempts were futile. They opened the season with the guys who combined might be plenty to fill the void.
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