Last season, the Dallas Mavericks shocked the world by making a run to the Western Conference Finals. Led by Luka Doncic, the team was just a few wins away from a Finals appearance before losing to the Warriors, who went on to win the title.
It was months ago now, but the loss is still fresh in the minds of Mavs fans and, of course, team owner Mark Cuban, who recently spoke about the series and revealed what it was that gave Golden State the edge.
(via Taylor Rooks of Bleacher Report):
“It was just guys who knew their roles,” Cuban said. “Like an Andrew Wiggins. I think he was the one who beat us, and I told him that after the series. We knew what to expect from Klay and from Steph and from Draymond. We didn’t know what to expect or how Wiggs would step up, and he did.”
What makes the Warriors so dangerous is that they go much deeper than the core of Curry, Klay, and Draymond. Guys like Jordan Poole and James Wiseman came up huge for the Warriors.
In the case of Wiggins, he literally had the best season of his career in Golden State and played his role to perfection.
“I feel great,” Wiggins said in between his time at multiple youth camps in Vaughan and Mississauga. “There’s been a lot of ups and downs, a lot of people had counted me out, but to be back and … winning a championship? All the sacrifices, all the ups and downs, all the stuff was worth it. It makes the story that much better.”
It’s hard to say how long Wiggs will stay a Warrior, but he is definitely making the most of his time there so far.
At the very least, he’ll be able to look back and say with confidence that he was one of the leading contributors to a championship run.
