After battling a series of consecutive defeats to start the season, the Golden State Warriors rose again to 0.500.
Andrew Wiggins had his best game since joining the Dubs, finishing with 27 points and seven rebounds in the Golden State’s victory over the Detroit Pistons 116-106.
Stephen Curry had another strong exit, leading the way with 31 points in victory.
The Warriors finishes their journey of four season opener games 2-2 and plays the next seven games at home.
Here are four lessons from the victory over Detroit:
Andrew Wiggins plays his game better as a warrior
This performance was what we expected since overall choice # 1 in 2014. Wiggins scored 17 of his 27 points just in the fourth period, helping Golden State to move away from the Pistons.
It is still a work in progress, but Wiggins began to impose his will on Detroit in the last 12 minutes. He hit five out of eight 3-point attempts and was more aggressive in attacking the ledge instead of settling for contested jumpers.
“We are improving with every game,” said Wiggins. “Every game we are learning. Learning to play with each other. “
James Wiseman leads the race that led the Dubs to victory
The rookie did not complete the status sheet this time, but it had a big impact on the game. It was tied at 89-89 with 7:41 remaining and here’s what Wiseman did during the following 1:22 game action:
- Recovers the error of Svi Mykhailiuk, which leads to a tray by Brad Wanamaker.
- Blocks Sekou Doumbouya’s attempted shot, which leads to a Wiggins jumper.
- Block Mason Plumlee’s jump on the track, catch the ball and go to the end of the court for an unpleasant throw.
There is a lot to deviate from this clip. Notice how quickly Wiseman recovers from the plate and closes the space to contest Plumelee’s shot. So he doesn’t hesitate to take off and run across the floor like a gazelle.
This bucket helped the Dubs to build a six-point, and they never looked back. Wiseman had six points, six rebounds in 22 minutes, before falling at the end of the fourth period. The 19 year old showed his potential, and with Draymond Green coming back soon, I hope to see him take his game to another level.
A tale of two halves in the glass
Golden State was being killed on the boards during the first two quarters. Detroit had a 31-21 lead on the rebound and accumulated 12 second chance points on 12 offensive rebounds in the interval.
The Dubs came back on top in the last 24 minutes, overtaking the Pistons by 19-15 in the second half. The Warriors’ defensive positioning allowed them to corner more boards in the second half. Their spins were faster, which allowed players to take a stand against their man.
Defense will need to continue to improve
After earning an average of 130 points in the first three games, Golden State managed to push things along the defensive line, albeit against one of the worst teams in the league. The Warriors started slowly, but held Detroit with just 55 points in the second half. Coach Steve Kerr lost his balance in the third quarter, which helped to calm things down in defense.
“We turned a complicated trip into a good one,” said Kerr. “Our most solid game in terms of defense and intensity. Great victory. “
Continuity will help Golden State improve on the defensive end, which will be aided by Green’s return. The Dubs’ schedule will be much more difficult in the next two weeks, with several clashes against teams playing in the playoff. If the Warriors want any chance of being in the postseason, they need to continue to become more difficult to score in the middle of the court.