Steve Kerr: “Wolves needed Andrew Wiggins to be a star, we’re not asking him to be one”

The Golden State Warriors hope Andrew Wiggins will come closer to fulfilling his potential than he did with the Minnesota Timberwolves as he fills a lesser role with fewer expectations.

“There’s a difference in the role that we’re gonna ask him to play, too,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “Minnesota needed him to be a star. And we’re not asking him to be a star. We’re asking him to play a role on a team that already has some star players. There’s a huge difference there. When you have to play that role, it means bringing energy every night more than it means putting up numbers. He’s very capable of giving us numbers, but what we need is energy and the commitment defensively and sprinting the floor.”

Wiggins also plays a position of need for the Warriors more than D’Angelo Russell: “It’s a positional fit when we’re healthy,” Kerr explained. “The big hole in the roster really is at the three. Wings are really hard to come by, both in the draft and in free agency. Positionally, this makes a lot of sense. Wiggins is an electric athlete and we want to play fast. He’s gonna be on the wing  and we’re gonna ask him to sprint the wing every time down the floor. He’s got the length and the speed to fill that role as a small forward. There’s a lot to like.