Andrew Wiggins, Warriors receive tough rebounding lesson in loss to Suns – NBC Sports Bay Area & California

In the 2023-24 NBA season opener, the Golden State Warriors faced the Phoenix Suns with three key areas of focus set by coach Steve Kerr: turnovers, fouls, and rebounding. Despite succeeding in two of these areas, the Warriors’ downfall was rebounding, resulting in a four-point defeat.

The Warriors demonstrated significant improvement in ball control, committing only 11 turnovers compared to an average of 15.7 turnovers per game last season. They capitalized on the Suns’ 19 turnovers, scoring 22 points off them. While they were called for one more foul than the Suns, the Warriors took advantage of 11 more free throws and scored nine additional points from the line. However, their struggle with rebounding was reminiscent of last season.

Size has always been a point of discussion for the Warriors, and the Suns outrebounded them by 11, securing 60 rebounds to the Warriors’ 49. This disparity in rebounding proved to be the deciding factor in the season opener.

The Suns started strong, leading by 10 points in the first quarter. However, the Warriors fought back and ended the quarter tied at 28 points each. The Suns continued to dominate the rebounding game with a five-rebound advantage in the first quarter, followed by a four-rebound advantage in the second. This gave them a 15-point lead at halftime.

Kevon Looney, the Warriors’ leading rebounder with 11 boards, acknowledged the team’s improved rebounding efforts in the second half but emphasized the need for a collective team effort. He also noted that the Suns set the tone early in the game with their aggressive rebounding.

In the third quarter, the Warriors showcased their dominance, outscoring the Suns 40-19. They capitalized on free throws, scoring 14 points from the line. Additionally, they outrebounded the Suns by five in that period.

However, the fourth quarter saw a resurgence from the Suns, as they rallied back and secured the win. They outrebounded the Warriors by seven in the final period and scored 10 second-chance points compared to the Warriors’ three.

Although several Warriors contributed to rebounding, with six players gathering five or more rebounds, Andrew Wiggins fell short in this area. He only managed to grab one rebound and was outplayed by Suns forward Josh Okogie, who had 17 points and five rebounds.

Steve Kerr highlighted Okogie as “the difference tonight” and commended his relentless pursuit of offensive rebounds. The Warriors acknowledged the challenge of stopping players like Okogie but expressed the need to be more proactive in discouraging their offensive rebounding efforts.

Wiggins, who scored 10 points, had a significantly lower impact on the glass. Last season, he had multiple rebounds in all but two games, whereas the previous season saw him falling short three times.

The Warriors accomplished two of their three goals for the season opener and anticipate the return of Draymond Green, which will uplift their rebounding efforts. To defeat strong teams like the Suns, the Warriors must establish their dominance in rebounding from the beginning and have consistent contributions from players like Wiggins.

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