SAN FRANCISCO — Draymond Green, sidelined with a sore right heel, didn’t play in the Warriors’ Nov. 8 game in Minnesota, so he couldn’t do anything but watch as Andrew Wiggins scored 40 points to lead the Timberwolves to a win over his Warriors.
Though the experience was frustrating, Green had grown to appreciate Wiggins’ game from afar.
“He’s always historically played well against us,” Green said after shootaround Monday morning. “He can take his guys to the post, shoot the three, can play in the pick and roll, get out in transition. He’s a very well-rounded player.”
In the days following Thursday’s trade that sent D’Angelo Russell and two others to Minnesota for Wiggins and a pair of future draft picks, the Warriors held an energetic practice and shootaround. On Monday night against the Heat, Green will play alongside Wiggins for the first time after missing Saturday’s loss to the Lakers.
The trade also marks a fresh start for the Warriors during a lottery-bound season and for Wiggins who, in his first five seasons, failed to live up to the expectations of being selected No. 1 overall in the 2014 NBA Draft, and only once made the postseason.
“I think bringing him into the fold and making that equate to wins, that’s what we’re trying to do,” Green said.
With 29 games left in the season, the Warriors will have some time to get Wiggins acclimated before a pivotal off-season. That was part of the motivation of swapping Russell for the 24-year-old small forward midseason, as opposed to waiting until the summer. After the first 50 games, Golden State had determined Russell was not a long-term fit.
“D’Angelo played great,” Green said. “But I think when you look long-term, and you see his style of play, you kind of question if it will fit with Steph (Curry) and Klay (Thompson). You know, the [expletive] part is, we never got a chance to see — obviously, due to the injuries and all that — so that’s the part that really sucks.
“But on the flip side of that, I’m happy for D’Angelo. You get to go to a city that seems as if they’re really going to embrace him.”
With Wiggins, meanwhile, the Warriors feel as though they have added a piece who will complement Green, Curry and Thompson. Slotting in at small forward next to Green, he’s a more natural positional fit than Russell was at guard.
In Golden State, Wiggins won’t be asked to lead an offense like he was in Minnesota. Instead, he will be tasked with running the floor, making spot-up 3-pointers and playing earnest defense.
“I think he’ll fit right in,” Green said. “He’s athletic, can run the wing, he’s a pretty good defender. So I think he’ll definitely fit in with this core for a long time.”
