Stephen Curry isn’t the only player on the Golden State Warriors capable of knocking down a whole bunch of 3-pointers in a game. During Golden State’s 126-95 win over the Orlando Magic on Monday night, Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins did his best Curry impression, as he knocked down eight of his ten attempts from long range. It was an impressive shooting display, to say the least. The eight made triples represent a career-high for Wiggins, who finished the game with 28 points, three rebounds and three assists.
While Wiggins led the way for Golden State with eight 3-pointers, Curry wasn’t too far behind as he connected on seven of his own. Together, Wiggins and Curry combined for 59 points and 15 made 3s against Orlando. They also added 11 assists.
As a team, the Warriors shot 50 percent from long range as they connected on 20 of their 40 total attempts. It’s tough for an opponent to overcome a team that is collectively that hot from deep, and the Magic were unable to do so on Monday.
Wiggins was a streaky shooter from outside during his first few years in the league in Minnesota, but he has become much more consistent as a member of the Warriors, as he has knocked down 38 percent of his 3-point attempts over the past two seasons. Warriors coach Steve Kerr has seen specific improvement in Wiggins’ ability in catch-and-shoot situations.
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“He’s just catching and shooting,” Kerr said of Wiggins after the victory over Orlando. “He’s always been a good 3-point shooter, but the thing he’s gotten better at is when he’s open, he’s catching and shooting. There’s better rhythm to the offense when the ball doesn’t stop.”
Obviously, the Warriors won’t expect eight 3-pointers out of Wiggins on a nightly basis, but his improved ability to stretch the defense with his shot has definitely been a factor in Golden State’s hot start this season. As a player capable of providing solid perimeter defense on one end, and reliable floor-spacing on the other end, Wiggins appears to be growing into a prototypical wing in today’s NBA.
