Dallas — Dunk will, of course, get most of the attention. In the fourth quarter, Andrew Wiggins received a right-wing kickout pass from Stephen Curry while driving, was blown away by a close-out defender, saw the rim in front of him, and came at the expense of Luka Doncic. Tomahawk dunk has started. .. The slam was clearly impressive (the consensus that the Warriors agreed after the game was Wiggins’ favorite), but it wasn’t just a highlight. It was also an exclamation point. The Golden State is on the verge of returning to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2019 after winning 109-100 against the Mavericks. And with the advent of Wiggins-first bust, then overpaid role players, now the perfect situation-that’s a big reason.
“Everyone in the organization is happy that he is here,” Klay Thompson said of Wiggins after Game 3.
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The first place overall in the former is to put together the best playoff series in his career into the biggest playoff series in his career. Wiggins averaged 20.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game in his first conference finals. On Sunday, he scored the highest postseason career of 27 points, adding 11 rebounds in 40 minutes. He led the team plus and minus, and also undertook the task of defending the emerging world destroyer Doncic for a massive stretch of the game.
“He’s just doing a great run,” Carr said after the match. “He was an all-star for some reason. He’s a great two-way player. Without a guy like Wiggs, he wouldn’t be able to win the playoffs.”
Until now, it has not been the most beautiful road for Wiggins. He was drafted by Cleveland and sent out before playing the game for a team he didn’t think he could now be part of the winning group. He spent more seasons in Minnesota than the wolf playoff game (5) (6). And at that time, he built a reputation as a person who, even if the numbers looked good on the surface, did not fully realize his potential. Finally, he joined the Warriors team, leaving Kevin Durant after losing in the 2019 final and two years to completely reorganize after Thompson’s injury out of two end-of-season injuries. It took.
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Wiggins is demonstrating what he can do for a team that is now in a position to compete for the championship again, as Curry said he was asked for an “impact victory.” In the playoffs, there is no more qualifying that players can aim for. Simply put, when your stakes are highest, does your presence give your team a better chance to win? For Wiggins, the answer was certainly yes.
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Against Dallas, Kerr mainly reflects the minutes of Doncic’s Wiggins because of his defensive presence. According to NBA.com’s (albeit incomplete) match stats, Wiggins played against Doncic in 29 minutes and 51 seconds throughout the three games. Wiggins defended Luka in a partial possession of 134.2, with Dallas earning only 133 points, or 0.99 points per possession.
In the attack, Wiggins shoots 3 to 41.5% and uses his defensive attention to dub shooters to find himself open looks, cuts to hoops, and even lanes to aggressive glasses. I’m good at it. (Shortly after Doncic’s poster, he had six offensive boards in Game 3, including a smooth putback dunk.)
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No one confuses Wiggins with Kevin Durant, but his play brings a certain dynamism to the Warriors. He is more than just a 3D player. And while he’s certainly in an enviable situation (many players will look better playing Steph, Clay, and Dray), Wiggins’ acceptance of his role makes him the number one choice. I was able to grow in a way that was not possible.
That’s what the Warriors needed as they entered a new era of conflict. Yes, the core remains one of the best sports ever seen. But the support cast was primarily a question mark for the season, even more so after many injured left the fluid rotation towards the playoffs. Certain players (Wiggins, Kevon Looney, Jordan Poole) have proven to be the result of success as the game progresses and only stakes are raised. And they’ve helped the Warriors, but despite the awkward combination of old and new, they’re aiming for the sixth final since 2015, so they’re better than some of last year’s candidates and rivals. Will last a long time.
“It’s just proof of the fit vision he’ll be when a trade happens,” Curry said of Wiggins after the match. “We all need to step up to win one playoff series, to get us back to this stage, and to where we are now.”
Wiggins may never reach the height of the Maple Jordan nickname given to him when he entered the NBA. And the Warriors have certainly not yet achieved their number one goal. But when Wiggins joined the team in February 2020, both parties were in the place they expected. Golden State is at the forefront of another final. And Wiggins is the undeniable catalyst for the team’s current success.
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