Honorary Warrior For Life? Vote on Andrew Wiggins

we finally address the important issues

The index article for Honorary Warriors For Life lists everyone already polled.

Introducing Honorary Warriors For Life

The concept is simple. You get to vote on the question “Is X an Honorary Warrior For Life?”

What does that phrase mean? I once tried to define it, and people found it more fun to bring in their own definitions, so it is now back to being kept vague, like “Most Valuable Player” or “Greatest Of All Time” or “sandwich”.

“Is X an Honorary Warrior For Life?”

I now only poll players who have played more than 1 year with GSW. This isn’t a rule I wanted, but the people have spoken and I made the unwritten rule a formal rule. The link at the top links to an index for all previous player votes.

And now for our nominee…

Andrew Wiggins

Andrew Wiggins’s reputation before the Warriors trade was as a loafing un-winner who got the least out of his physical talents, had the worst contract in the league, and was one of the worst defenders in the league by analytics.

So even though I didn’t follow Wiggins closely pre-GSW, I “knew” enough in 2020 to reject in DNHQ Slack a trade of D-Lo for Wiggins plus THREE first round draft picks. In retrospect I completely overestimated D-Lo’s market value and underestimated what Wiggins could become. And in fairness to myself, GSW also asked for 3 first rounders.

I remember when Kerr introduced Wiggs, he said, don’t expect Wiggins to be a star. We just need him to be a role player. I thought that was an insulting, low-expectations thing to say about a player, even if it was true. But Wiggins never complained and maybe even needed that kind of pressure release. And he became exactly the player that the Warriors needed.

I was upset about Wiggins not vaccinating, but he did eventually get the shot. Wiggins had personal reasons for his big dropoff after 2022 and if GSW players and management were okay with it, then I can go along with that too.

In the end, his outstanding play in the 2022 title run made his mark in the NBA history books. He landed in exactly the right place for him to reclaim his reputation and career. Who would have thought that one of the most dumped on players in the league would grow to get serious discussion as Finals MVP? Who would have thought that he’d become so beloved that most of Dub Nation would be angered that he would be traded – more or less straight up – for one of the best players in NBA history?

Farewell, Andrew Wiggins, Honorary Warrior For Life.

The DNHQ roundtable

Patrick: I was wrong about the Wiggins trade. He grew and proved himself to absolutely be a championship player. He will forever be a Warriors legend for embedding a piece of Luka’s soul horcrux-style into the hardwood in Dallas. Plus that defense on Tatum.

My big worries swapping out Wiggins with Butler are Wiggs availability, athleticism and constant defense for 82 games, and his spacing. But that’s because we’ve had good two-way Wiggs this season. There were real, genuine, life reasons for it but he was not great last year and was part of the Warriors very real struggles. Still I do worry who is going to be guarding the other team’s best perimeter player 40-minutes a night in a playoff game. 30-year-old Jimmy Butler, no problem. 35-year-old Butler who is also being relied on to get you the big buckets too? Hm. Feels like a gap.

Still I’m glad Wiggins gets to go to another professional organisation and good basketball situation. He rehabilitated his career and reputation, won a ring, and was an all-round good guy in his time with the Warriors. Nothing but love for two-way Wiggs.

Ivan: Look – amongst the DNHQ crew, I can’t tell you how many investment properties on Wiggins Island have been bought, sold, rented, devastated by hurricane, left dormant until season’s change.

It has always been hard for myself and others to accept that the exceptionalism we were blessed to experience in the 2022 playoffs was ultimately a tantalizing promise of his enduring potential rather than a sign of his true self. Even still, his contributions and role on this team have gone less heralded than deserved, and quietly had become this team’s rock. Ultimately, it’s always hard to see a Good Guy move on. Wishing nothing but the best for him.

Dr. Tom: As, along with Daniel, the owner of the most property on Wiggins island, there’s an odd mix of sadness and appreciation. It cannot be overstated how integral he was to that 2022 championship. His defense on Luka and Tatum was… the stuff of legends. For those of us (aka me and Daniel) who thought that the trade for Wiggins was a sound basketball decision and that he only needed to be in an environment that could allow him to shine. But for what the Warriors are now and how they have to play (really, post-2022 title and with a struggling and then playing-on-another-team Klay Thompson), I just don’t think Wiggins worked; thus, he’s a prime guy to be moved. It’s tough because he’s been playing his best basketball since 2022, but he’s just not the offensive creator the Warriors need alongside Steph right now. But I think he’s going to a good situation (jokes about Heat culture aside, Erik Spoelstra is a great coach) and will continue to be a solid-to-very good NBA player and I wish him nothing but the best. But let it never be forgotten that Daniel and I, on February 7th 2020, looked into the future and saw what Wiggins could achieve with the Warriors. We knew. We proclaimed it. And now he will always be identified as an NBA champion and Warriors legend.

Daniel: Well said Dr. Tom, my co-Mayor of Wiggins Island. Andrew Christian Wiggins is a man who went from "worst contract in the league" to embedding pieces of Luka's soul into the Dallas hardwood. His 2022 playoff run wasn't just good, it was legacy-defining. While losing his constant defense and spacing hurts, getting Butler's playoff intensity in return feels like trading in your reliable Toyota for a Ferrari that occasionally threatens to drive itself off a cliff... but man, what a ride. Miami's getting a good one - a certified Warrior-for-life who proved the Minnesota doubters wrong and helped deliver banner #4 of the Splash Bros-era.

Some classic DNHQ pieces on Wiggs

Your Vote

You can vote by poll and/or by comment (which counts as ten poll votes) with an explanation and a single #YES or #NO. A straight 75% vote will qualify the player for HWFL status.

Bonus Poll

Dub Nation, imagine you see Andrew Wiggins in a game with no practical implications for the Warriors. (So not against GSW, ignore draft picks, playoff seeding, etc.) Do you want them to do well or poorly?