What we learned as Wiggins rejoins Warriors in preseason win over Lakers initially appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The Warriors’ excellent preseason continued Tuesday evening in Las Vegas, as they beat the Los Angeles Lakers 111-97 to enhance to 5-0.
The groups will play one another once more Friday evening at Chase Heart to wrap up the exhibition schedule.
Andrew Wiggins knocked off some rust in his Warriors preseason debut, scoring 11 factors in 21 minutes, and that added one other wrinkle to the questions on what Golden State’s Opening Evening beginning lineup will likely be.
Steph Curry scored 16 factors on simply 6-of-18 capturing and three of 11 from 3-point vary, however he additionally had 5 rebounds, six assists and two steals, giving the followers in Sin Metropolis many causes to get out of their seats.
The Warriors’ preseason 3-point barrage continued, too, as they put up 45 long-distance photographs however made simply 14. Nevertheless, they outrebounded the Lakers 55-50, had 12 extra factors within the paint (52-40) and took higher benefit of turnovers (20 Golden State factors off 12 LA turnovers, in comparison with 11 off 14).
Brandin Podziemski didn’t play due to a damaged nostril that he sustained in Golden State’s earlier recreation, and De’Anthony Melton was dominated out due to his again tightening up Tuesday morning.
Listed here are three takeaways from the Warriors’ win over the Lakers at T-Cellular Area.
Wiggs is again
Earlier than the preseason started, Warriors coach Steve Kerr raved about the kind of shape Wiggins showed up in and publicly lauded him to be the workforce’s No. 2 scoring choice. Then an sickness sidelined Wiggins for all of training camp and the primary 4 preseason video games till this contest in Vegas.
Instantly inserted into Golden State’s beginning lineup, Wiggins’ first shot try was a missed floater that fell quick. In his subsequent scoring alternative, he took benefit of an open lane and a few porous protection by Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell, who fouled Wiggins on his strategy to the basket. He drained each free-throw makes an attempt, which represented his solely two factors within the first quarter, in addition to the primary half.
Wiggins sat the ultimate seven minutes of the primary quarter and returned at first of the second. He solely took one shot within the second quarter, lacking a 3-point try, and he additionally missed two photographs inside the first minute of the third quarter, earlier than an uncontested dunk gave him his first make.
Whereas Wiggins began sluggish offensively, with 3-of-9 capturing, he was 5 of 5 on the free-throw line and, extra importantly, had a number of sturdy defensive stretches.
Switching up the starters … once more
The trickle-down impact of Wiggins’ return was one more new beginning lineup.
The Warriors now have performed 5 preseason video games and used 5 totally different beginning fives. This one had Wiggins at a distinct place than standard, too.
As an alternative of his typical function at small ahead, Wiggins moved right down to capturing guard, becoming a member of Curry within the backcourt. They had been joined by Jonathan Kuminga, Draymond Inexperienced and Trayce Jackson-Davis. That group by no means was on the courtroom collectively final season.
If Kuminga actually will transition into extra of a 3, it is actually attainable these 5 gamers will see time collectively — whether or not they’re all beginning or not.
The spacing feels extra just like the mid-Nineties than 2024, however that’s not taking into consideration the capturing enhancements that Kuminga has proven, and crossing your fingers that final season was an outlier of poor capturing for Wiggins. Primarily, the group surrounds Curry with extra size, athleticism and protection.
When Kerr made his first substitution, bringing Buddy Hield in for Wiggins, the Warriors trailed 16-14 on the 6:10 mark. The group didn’t share the courtroom collectively once more till the beginning of the second half, when Golden State led 58-51. The rating then was 67-59 within the Warriors’ favor when Hield entered for Wiggins.
Total, the Curry-Wiggins-Kuminga-Inexperienced-TJD beginning 5 performed 11 minutes and eight seconds collectively, and had been a minus-1.
Moody Mania
Wiggins’ return was assured to be the sport’s prime storyline. Kerr switching up his starters but once more was one other simple subject of dialogue.
He’ll let his play do all of the speaking for him, however someway Moses Moody keeps finding ways to deserve extra recognition.
Moody, by three quarters, was a plus-20. His last plus/minus was a plus-17 in 19 minutes, second to solely Kyle Anderson’s plus-22 in 17 minutes.
The longer the preseason performs on, the extra apparent it’s that Moody must receive rotation minutes. He has earned them. For his fifth act of the preseason, he got here off the bench and effectively scored a team-high 21 factors on 7-of-13 capturing and 5 of seven from deep, with 5 rebounds and two assists.
Moody now’s capturing 44.8 % behind the 3-point line this preseason.
Kerr’s choices will not be simple with such a deep rotation. His determination on Moody ought to be a straightforward one, although, if the guard retains enjoying like this.