Andrew Wiggins joined this weeks Dubs Talk and sat down with Grant Liffmann to talk about what it’s like playing with and against Draymond Green and why what Draymond brings to the Warriors ‘can’t be replaced.’
The Warriors have definitely missed the presence of Draymond Green since he went down with a back injury in early January. Golden State has struggled considerably on the defensive end lately, and the Warriors' offense has also stalled at times.
Green's 2022 All-Star teammate Andrew Wiggins could not stress enough how significant Green is to the Warriors.
"Draymond is a very vocal leader," Wiggins said on the latest episode of the Dubs Talk podcast. "He brings a lot of energy, and what he brings to the game, it can't be replaced. He's a special piece."
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Wiggins spent nearly six full seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves before coming to Golden State. So Wiggins knows what it's like to face Green, and he made it clear how little fun it was playing against the four-time All-Star.
"It is definitely tough playing against Draymond when he's on the opposite team, for sure," Wiggins said. "Because you know, he can defend one through five; he's talking the whole game, he's active, he's everywhere on the court. He's making the game difficult for you."
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That all changed in February of 2020 when Wiggins was traded to the Warriors and became teammates with Green, and he could not be happier with the pairing.
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"But being on his team, he makes everything easier," Wiggins explained. "On the defensive side or the offensive side, he is going to get you easy baskets. You play hard, you know he is going to get you easy buckets. Defensively, if you make a mistake, you look behind you, and he's there to cover it up."
In the end, Wiggins has a very simple description of Draymond Green as leader and teammate, on and off the court.
"He's special."
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