SAN FRANCISCO — It’s hard to say right now if the Warriors’ new supercharged lineup will lead them to another championship this season.
But we can say, with confidence, that it will lead them to four wins over the Denver Nuggets.
It’s simply a matter of time before Golden State dispatches its first-round opponent. For a second straight game, the Warriors’ small-ball lineup — The Lineup — of Steph Curry, Jordan Poole, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, and Draymond Green torpedoed the Nuggets and brought about a blowout victory.
For a five-man unit that didn’t play a single second together before the postseason, the immediate success and chemistry of this lineup has Warriors fans’ imaginations rightfully in hyperdrive.
Poole looks like a superstar. Curry, coming off the bench, is even more lethal in smaller doses. Thompson looks like the second greatest shooter to ever live, and Green is orchestrating everything on both ends of the court.
Something special might be brewing here.
And it’s made possible because of the fifth man — the often forgotten man — in that lineup: Andrew Wiggins.
It’s only been 11 total minutes of action, but The Lineup has posted numbers that are truly difficult to believe.
Offensively, they’re averaging more than two points per possession — 2.04. That’s absurd.
Defensively, they’re only allowing 0.75 points per possession. Equally absurd.
At that output, if The Lineup were to play 100 possessions, they would outscore the Nuggets by 129 points.
Could that five-man unit be successful if it were Otto Porter, Andre Iguodala, or Gary Payton II playing in place of Wiggins?
Perhaps.
But this incredible, possibly game-breaking lineup truly hums because of No. 22.
He’s the linchpin.
Yes, the box score numbers look good, but it’s the little things that Wiggins is doing that have made the difference for the Warriors through two games this postseason.
Warriors players and coaches have highlighted Wiggins’ rebounding as a necessity for The Lineup to be successful. If the Warriors are going to play small, they cannot be beaten on the glass.
Wiggins has answered the challenge. His rebounding has been marvelous in the first two games. He has 17 total rebounds and countless effective box-outs.
Offensively, Wiggins is doing more with less. He’s affecting the game with well-timed cuts and drives, and when he does get the ball, he’s knocking down shots.
In this and Warriors’ other five-outside-the-arc lineups, Wiggins — an infrequent passer — is even showing off some nifty dishes as well.
“He’s a really complementary part of that group,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said after Game 2. “If you think about that unit with Jordan, Steph, Klay — they draw so much attention that Andrew is going to get some hoops, some space to drive. You saw it in Game 1. Not as much tonight because the guys were making shots and they were letting it fly before Wiggs even touched the ball.
But I think he understands that it’s a great spot for him. … He’s doing his job and I think he’s really enjoying it, too.”
“The one weak shooter around me out there is Wiggins, and I think he shoots 37 percent from three,” Green said Monday. And while it’s actually 39% this season, the point is made. “I’m going to live with Wiggins shooting that three. … For me, you can’t ask for anything more on the offensive end, more options. I like it a lot.
On the defensive end, what Wiggins is providing is absolutely necessary for the Warriors’ best lineup to be successful. Green is guarding reigning MVP Nikola Jokic, but Wiggins is guardian bigger players as well. In fact, Wiggins is guarding everyone — one through five — in the Warriors’ switch-everything unit. He’s more than held his own.
The wing’s engagement on the defensive end over the last two games is admirable. He’s active in a way we saw only in spurts in the regular season — he’s moving around the court with impressive fluidity, but his head is constantly moving, scanning for threats. That intensity, paired with his enviable physical skills both on the perimeter and inside makes him a lock-down defender — someone opponents don’t even try.
And here’s the really good news: There’s no reason to believe this isn’t sustainable. Wiggins had a mercurial season, no doubt, but his great play so far this postseason seems to be a matter of effort and fit. The latter will remain in place, so as long as the former does, too, Wiggins and the Dubs are in business.
It’s all reminiscent of a former Warriors’ small-ball linchpin: Harrison Barnes, whose professional play and ability to defend larger players was generally unheralded during the Warriors’ 2015 title run, but was critical to the Dubs claiming their first title in 40 years.
If the Warriors are going to win their first title since 2018, they’ll need this lineup — The Lineup — to lead the way. And that means they’ll need Wiggins to keep playing as he has through the first two games.
Wiggins can furnish a new reputation: playoff ace.
This is the best version of Wiggins, right here.
It, in turn, is bringing out the best version of the Warriors.
That’s a combination that could go far this spring.
