Klay Thompson was rehabilitating the torn Achilles. Draymond Green has been removed from his last All-Star selection for three years. Stephen Curry then lost to LeBron James and Ja Morant in the 2021 play-in tournament, and the Warriors missed the playoffs for the second year in a row.
But the biggest source of uncertainty was Andrew Wiggins, a small forward essential to the Warriors’ hopes for a playoff. The former overall No. 1 gradually adapted to his new home following him. Transactions by Minnesota Timberwolves in February 2020.. However, like Kyrie Irving, Wiggins has a strict appointment for coronavirus vaccination and is not eligible to play full-time according to San Francisco’s local obligations unless he is shot.The decision was dragged in for weeks throughout the training camp Wiggins finally forgave just before the preseason..
“The only option was to vaccinate or not play in the NBA,” Wiggins quoted at the time as his desire to provide financially to his family. “It was a difficult decision. Hopefully there are a lot of people who are stronger than me, keep fighting and support what they believe.”
The Warriors are the fourth time since 2015, as Wiggins had been held as tightly as Irving, as Irving had not been vaccinated and could only fully participate after the local mission in New York was lifted in March. Will not be in a position to win the title of.
For Wiggins, who was hesitant about the fear of potential side effects and the desire for physical independence, his ultimate desire to get a shot of Johnson & Johnson was in the most successful season of his career. I set what was easily found to be. For the past eight months, Wiggins has led the Golden State in the number of minutes played, which has made him one of his first All-Star games. Online voting push from K-POP star BamBam And emerged as the main X factor of Upcoming finals against the Boston CelticsWill open at Chase Center on Thursday.
When Wiggins from Toronto was a high school genius, he reclassified to be in the NCAA rank a year earlier, boasting his most epic dreams, and in 2012, “Score like Kevin Durant and enter the basket like LeBron James.. With a prototype wing frame, an incredible first step, and excellent jumping ability, Wiggins earned the nickname “Maple Jordan” and covered the Sports Illustrated during the one-off season at the University of Kansas. The decoration became No. 1 in 2014. He chose the Draft Topic and was awarded the 2015 Rookie of the Year at the Timberwolves.
He emerged as a reliable 20 points per game scorer, but as with Minnesota’s young roster, there were many demands for his efficiency. In a season of more than five years with the Timberwolves, Wiggins reached the playoffs only once and appeared in one post-season victory. His quiet personality and tendency to go in and out of action disappointed fans who were anxious for transformational talent as Timberwolves missed the playoffs for the 13th consecutive year before the 2018 breakthrough.
“It’s a man who has been criticized for being lazy,” Green said last week. “No one talks about the team or organization they belong to. Nobody talks about it. It’s always the player’s fault.”
Along the way, the Warriors have come to see Wiggins as a distressed asset that can help fill the post-departure gap of Durrants’ 2019 free agency. The Golden State sent guard D’Angelo Russell to Wiggins and Minnesota for the first round of 2021 picks to become rookie Jonathan Kuminga.
“I think the Wiggins trade is the key to all this,” said Steve Kerr, who recently said the Warriors’ group of wing defenders had been “cleaned up” by the 2019 departures of Durant, Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston. “The Wiggins trade allowed us to start rebuilding the defenses of that wing. The Wiggins were very good. He’s perfect next to us. Where would he be without him? I don’t know, “he said.
With an average of 17.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game this season, Wiggins has established himself as the fourth and most important wing defender in the Golden State. His familiarity with the car’s motion offense improved in his second season with the Warriors, and he showed his willingness to reduce his score. Thompson’s return to Japan in January From injury.
Its selflessness, along with his hard-working on-ball defense and undisputed spirit, was praised by his coaches, teammates, and opponents during the run of this postseason. His multifaceted value is Western Conference Finals Against MavericksWhen he cornered all NBA guards Luka Doncic under full court pressure, he still found a way to score consistently.
“Wiggs understands the nuances of winning basketball and how to key in the little things,” Curry said. “With consistent efforts to defend, these one-on-one challenges, offensive attacks, and his athletic ability to reach the rim as needed, three with confidence. Shoot. He doesn’t score 30 points every night. It’s something else that helps you win. “
Wiggins’ aggressive rebound tips were very important to Dallas’ small frontline, thanks to the bounce that excited the basketball scouts during the preparation period. Of course, when he threw the poster at Doncic, his athletic ability was fully demonstrated. Doncic admitted that he “would have had those rabbits.”
Doncic averaged 32 points, 9.2 rebounds and 6 assists in the West Final, but “played badly” in Game 5 and “still learned a lot” against the more talented and cohesive Warriors. I said and left the series. Wiggins’ 27 points and 11 rebounds in Game 3 wins were crucial and helped the Golden State do a quick job in Dallas and enjoy a six-day rest before the finals.
“I gave Andrew a big hug and told him how grateful I was,” Thompson said at the end of the West final. “The work he did in all of Luka’s series. Luke is one of the toughest guards in the NBA. I told him,” Wow, you make my job so easy. You don’t have to chase these guys like you used to. “
After being labeled as a draft disappointment for years, he was neither a full bust nor a franchise player, but Wiggins suddenly became the first player to win the ring from the 2014 lottery. became. To do that, he is asked to play Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the Golden State, against the most talented wing duo they’ve seen in these playoffs.
“The playoffs are different from the normal season,” said Wiggins, whose fateful October decision became ancient history. “It’s very detailed, physical. You can escape with a little more. I love it. [My teammates] It is inducted into the Hall of Fame in the future. They won on the biggest stage. They are in line with it. They know what it does and how it does it. Being here and around them, I learned a lot. “
