The Golden State Warriors are back in the NBA Finals, and it’s time to give credit where it’s due. Yes, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green have been the main source of success for Golden State this year.
But young stud Andrew Wiggins also deserves some praise for how he has thrived in his role. On ‘The Old Man & The Three,’ former NBA sharpshooter JJ Redick spoke on the play of Wiggs this season and explained why he appears to be such a better player than he was as the leader in Minnesota:
“He has not taken a leap. Is he a better player than he was in Minnesota? Yes. The reason he’s a better player is cause he’s starring in his role. He’s maximizing his role. So as a no. 1 option, as a guy who had a usage rate higher than 25%, that shot well below league average in terms of true shooting percentage, well below league average in terms of effective field goal percentage, he was miscast as a primary scorer, primary shot creator… what he’s done is made the leap to starring in his role as a third or fourth guy.”
Wiggins doesn’t bear the same responsibility he did in Minnesota. There, he was the main star and was pressed to drop 25 points every single night. Now, he is free to play the game his way, at his pace, without the pressure to lead and carry the team on his own.
The result has been a transformation from an inefficient, unreliable star to an important and elite scorer for a Warriors team that is four wins away from a championship.
It has been great to see, and Wiggins deserves a lot of credit for making the most of his current situation.
