With long homestand ahead, Warriors need ex-All-Star to return to form

Golden State's Andrew Wiggins, the team's second-best player during its 2022 NBA title run, is off to a terrible start.

Through nine games, he is averaging 10.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 0.7 assists. If maintained through the end of the season, the scoring figure would represent a career low. The rebound figure would tie a career low.

Wiggins' efficiency, meanwhile, also has taken a nosedive, standing at 40 percent from the field and 15 percent from three. His defense, a career calling card, has slipped, too. He's getting beat off the dribble a lot more than usual.

Last season, Wiggins averaged 17.1 points, five rebounds and 2.3 assists and shot 47.3 percent from the field and 39.6 percent from deep. 

"You watch [Wiggins] right now and sometimes he looks preoccupied," NBC Sports Monte Poole said recently on Bay Area radio station 95.7 The Game. "When you say 'slow start,' that's an understatement. He's not been anywhere near the player he is and can be. There have only been flashes so far. I think this homestand is going to be bigger for [Wiggins] than anyone on the team."

Head coach Steve Kerr, though, isn't worried about his one-time All-Star.

"Wiggs is coming," Kerr said on 95.7 The Game. "Wiggs will be fine. Just so happens that the struggle he's going through is at the very beginning of the season when everybody's paying attention ... If you go through this in February, it's not nearly as big of a deal."

At 28, Wiggins stands out as one of the few Warriors in the prime of his career. With expectations high, he is expected to perform at the best level of his career. As the season progresses, the Warriors will lean on Wiggins' defensive prowess and the rim pressure he provides on offense.

The Warriors play eight of their next 10 games at home, so it's imperative for Wiggins to start rolling. For Golden State to win its fifth championship in a decade, it must have him return to an All-Star level.