PORTLAND, Ore. – Of the many impressions the Warriors left in their 139-104 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night, two were particularly encouraging, certainly for coach Steve Kerr and perhaps even more so for franchise headliner Stephen Curry.

The first was that Andrew Wiggins, Curry's new backcourt partner, scored an efficient 20 points while adding four rebounds and two assists. Wiggins was active and dedicated, his determination evident. He acted like he was on a mission.

The second point was Buddy Hield coming off the bench and scoring a team-high 22 points, including 5 of 7 long-range shooting, in under 15 minutes. It's early, but not too early, to believe Hield could score more than anyone to come off Golden State's bench in recent years.

Wiggins and Hield were so productive and efficient that Jonathan Kuminga's forgettable night – 10 points on 3 of 9 shooting, four turnovers, three fouls in less than 20 minutes – became insignificant. He could afford to play an ugly game.

It appears that for the first time since 2019, the Warriors have at least three viable candidates for the job left vacant when Klay Thompson was traded to the Dallas Mavericks: the second scorer position behind Curry.

The candidates: Wiggins, Kuminga and Hield. The order can change in each game.

Wiggins took over the starting shooting guard position vacated by Thompson and wasted no time in making his presence felt. He missed four of his first five shots in seven minutes of the first quarter before tying the score and making seven of his next 10 shots. He was 4 of 7 from deep.

“Wiggs was great,” Kerr said. “That’s about what we’re expecting this year, honestly. (He has) peace of mind, is in great shape and is at the peak of his career. I think Wiggs is in for a great season.”

Thompson is averaging 8.1 3-point attempts per game since entering the NBA in 2011. Wiggins averages about 4.1 per game. Kerr wants two or three more. He got it against the Trail Blazers.

“He shot seven of them tonight,” Kerr said. “But he also attacked the rim and had some layups in transition. That’s what we love about Wiggs, his ability to score from different spots on the field.”

Wiggins averaged 19.7 points per game during his first six seasons with Minnesota, although that number has dropped to 16.6 since arriving at Golden State. This is likely to increase in Klay's absence. This was the first time Wiggins opened a game and shared the backcourt with Curry, but there were no significant complications.

“Just fluid within the offense,” Wiggins said. “I’m not trying to force anything, but at the same time I’m trying to stay aggressive.”

Hield, who shot 40 percent from deep on 3-pointers in his eight-year career, has the ability to average about 20 points per game as the team's sixth man. The last reserve player to average 20 points per game for the Warriors was Cazzie Russell with 20.5 in 1974.

“He’s immediately offensive,” Kerr said. “The way he designs the floor in transition opens it up to other people. His energy, his joy, his juice. Buddy is an incredible asset to our team and everyone loves him. He just brings it every day.”

The remaining question about Hield has to do with developing chemistry between his new teammates. Wiggins has been a Warrior for four years, Hield for less than four months. When it became apparent that Thompson would be leaving, general manager Mike Dunleavy targeted Hield and completed a sign-and-trade deal that brought him to the Bay.

“Without Klay, we had to shoot; “We had to shoot anyway,” Curry said. “And me and (Hield) were 1-2 in the last eight years, with Klay right there, shooting 3s. We know his abilities. We know what he's capable of. So far the transition has been seamless.”

It doesn't matter that the spirit and efficiency of Curry's new scorers came against one of the worst teams in the league. Crucially, both Wiggins and Hield have a combined 484 games with 20 or more points.

Hield is new to the offense, but he's just as well built for it as Thompson.

“Tonight was my night,” said Hield, who shot 8 of 12 from the field in his Golden State debut. “The next night it can be JK. Steph is always Steph. He is world class. I just want to take advantage of my opportunities, run the field and try to keep the field open for Steph and other guys to be special.”

Golden State's offseason priority was finding a reliable No. 2 scorer who could adequately support Curry. These attempts were unsuccessful. They opened the season with the guys that, combined, could be enough to fill the void.

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