As the Golden State Warriors continued their road trip in a matchup against the Miami Heat, all eyes were on Jimmy Butler after a very public falling-out with Pat Riley and the front office earlier this season.
Leading up to his return, Butler consistently downplayed the hype and animosity, treating it essentially like a regular game in his conversations with the press.
The Warriors simply did not bring the requisite intensity on either end of the floor, ultimately falling to the Heat 112-86 in their second-straight loss. Butler had just two points in the first-half, before finishing with 11 points, six rebounds and two assists.
This is another crushing defeat for Golden State after Saturday's loss to the Atlanta Hawks, with the franchise now standing only a half game above the Los Angeles Clippers and Minnesota Timberwolves for the sixth-seed in the Western Conference.
While Butler's return was the main storyline of the game, former Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins' role in promulgating his former team's backslide should not go unnoticed.
Andrew Wiggins gets his "revenge" game against Warriors
Wiggins, who played a major role in Golden State's 2022 title run, was traded away by the team in a group of four players used to acquire Butler from the Heat. Since the trade, the two teams have taken diverging paths. While Butler's presence has transformed the Warriors from a fringe play-in team to a sneaky championship contender in the loaded Western Conference, the Heat have gone 7-16 and almost fallen out of the play-in in the East.
Yet Wiggins has seemingly found his offensive form again with the Heat, averaging 21 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game since the trade. While the Warriors certainly do not regret including Wiggins in the trade, since the fit between him and Butler would have been questionable at best, the Canadian has indeed shown how he can flourish when given a larger offensive role.
While Wiggins scored only ten points against Golden State, his intensity throughout the night was notable, with his three steals and two blocks all presenting eye-popping displays of his hustle and athleticism.
In fact, Wiggins' display was made more concerning by the fact that the Warriors were out-hustled throughout the entire game, losing the rebound battle and shooting only 39.8% from the field in a woeful offensive display.
With star guard Stephen Curry expected to return from injury on Friday against the New Orleans Pelicans, Golden State has failed to take advantage of a rare chance to gain separation from the play-in teams breathing down their neck.
If the standings in the Western Conference stay tight throughout the rest of the season, Wiggins may have effectively left his mark on the Warriors' chances of a bona-fide playoff berth thanks to a strong defensive performance on Tuesday.
