If everyone on the Golden State side has commented a lot on the arrival of Chris Paul this summer, others consider that the main “reinforcements” are Andrew Wiggins and Gary Payton II.
That’s what Mike Dunleavy Jr. and Steve Kerr seem to think. “We have confidence. They are in good shape, in good health”comments first for NBC Sports. ” It is important “confirms the second.
The two 2022 champions were indeed greatly missed by the Californians last season. Wiggins only played 37 games, sidelined for personal reasons when Payton II returned, after his transfer from Portland, with an abdominal injury and never regained his sensations.
Avoiding a disastrous start to the season outside
Valuable in winning the title in 2022, they did not perform at their best level in the spring of 2023 and that changes everything in defense.
“We know what we are capable of defensively with these players, given what they have already done,” continues Steve Kerr. “Two seasons ago, we were one of the five best defenses in the league, second even behind Boston (the first to be effective in reality), it seems to me. So having Gary from the start of the season will boost us. Knock on wood to keep us healthy. »
Andrew Wiggins and the Warriors had finished the 2022/23 season with the 17th defense in the league, experiencing the worst difficulties to exist away, with 30 defeats in 41 matches…
“We weren’t good defensively at the start of last season and that’s why we lost our first five away matches,” remembers the coach. “We have to make sure we are at the level in defense, to win at home and at home. »
| Shots | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Bp | Int | Ct | Party | Pts |
| Stephen Curry | 56 | 34.7 | 49.3 | 42.7 | 91.5 | 0.7 | 5.4 | 6.1 | 6.3 | 3.2 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 2.1 | 29.4 |
| Klay Thompson | 69 | 33.0 | 43.6 | 41.2 | 87.9 | 0.6 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 2.4 | 1.8 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 1.9 | 21.9 |
| Jordan Poole | 82 | 30.0 | 43.0 | 33.6 | 87.0 | 0.4 | 2.4 | 2.7 | 4.5 | 3.1 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 2.6 | 20.4 |
| Andrew Wiggins | 37 | 32.2 | 47.3 | 39.6 | 61.1 | 1.6 | 3.4 | 5.0 | 2.3 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 2.9 | 17.1 |
| Jonathan Kuminga | 67 | 20.8 | 52.5 | 37.0 | 65.2 | 1.0 | 2.4 | 3.4 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 2.3 | 9.9 |
| Donte Divincenzo | 72 | 26.3 | 43.5 | 39.7 | 81.7 | 1.1 | 3.4 | 4.5 | 3.5 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 0.1 | 1.8 | 9.4 |
| Draymond Green | 73 | 31.5 | 52.7 | 30.5 | 71.3 | 0.9 | 6.3 | 7.2 | 6.8 | 2.8 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 3.1 | 8.5 |
| Kevin Looney | 82 | 23.9 | 63.0 | 0.0 | 60.6 | 3.3 | 5.9 | 9.3 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 2.7 | 7.0 |
| James Wiseman | 21 | 12.5 | 62.8 | 50.0 | 68.4 | 0.9 | 2.6 | 3.5 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 1.9 | 6.9 |
| Ty Jerome | 45 | 18.1 | 48.8 | 38.9 | 92.7 | 0.2 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 3.0 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 1.4 | 6.9 |
| Anthony Lamb | 62 | 19.3 | 47.1 | 36.7 | 76.7 | 0.9 | 2.6 | 3.5 | 1.5 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 2.2 | 6.7 |
| Jamychal Green | 57 | 14.0 | 54.0 | 37.8 | 77.6 | 1.3 | 2.3 | 3.6 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 1.8 | 6.4 |
| Gary Payton II | 7 | 16.1 | 60.7 | 44.4 | 66.7 | 2.0 | 2.3 | 4.3 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 2.0 | 5.7 |
| Moses Moody | 63 | 13.0 | 47.6 | 36.3 | 69.8 | 0.4 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.9 | 4.8 |
| Patrick Baldwin, Jr. | 31 | 7.3 | 39.4 | 38.1 | 66.7 | 0.0 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 3.9 |
| Lester Quinones | 4 | 4.5 | 40.0 | 50.0 | 66.7 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.5 |
| Andre Iguodala | 8 | 14.1 | 46.7 | 11.1 | 66.7 | 0.4 | 1.8 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 1.4 | 2.1 |
| Ryan Rollins | 12 | 5.2 | 35.0 | 33.3 | 100.0 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 1.9 |
