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The Golden State Warriors are on the brink of an incredible fourth title in eight seasons. Stephen Curry is an easy favorite to win his first Finals MVP, Klay Thompson has shaken off early struggles to be a major factor on both ends in the NBA Finals and Draymond Green remains the Warriors' emotional tentpole.
The same central players that pioneered Golden State's dynasty, basically, are the ones extending it further than pretty much anyone could've imagined.
Steve Kerr has pushed all the right buttons against the Boston Celtics, just like he did against LeBron James and the short-handed Cleveland Cavaliers en route to the Warriors first championship in 2015. Even Andre Iguodala, now 38 years old, remains a critical piece of his team's winning puzzle.
But the Warriors certainly wouldn't be one win away from another Larry O'Brien Trophy without Andrew Wiggins, who's ripped off the “bust” label during these playoffs to cement himself as a reliable and indispensable two-way impact player on basketball's biggest stages.
The former No. 1 overall pick always had the athletic tools and shot-making skill to produce against elite competition in the postseason. Golden State wouldn't have acquired him at the 2020 trade deadline if the team believed otherwise.
Yet as Wiggins plays the best basketball of his life, completely rewriting the story of his career in the process, what's become clearer than ever is that his newfound success wasn't guaranteed. Just as they wouldn't be up 3-2 in the Finals without him, Wiggins wouldn't be thriving without the Warriors' all-encompassing influence.
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“Man, there's just a lot of great people here,” Wiggins said after Game 5, asked to explain why he's been such a great fit in Golden State. “Great people here that challenge you, that hold you accountable…and the support system. Everyone on this team, the organization, they support you, they wanna see you do good and they're looking to put you in a position to do good.”
Wiggins was arguably the best player on the floor in the Warriors' pivotal 104-94 victory.
He scored a team-high 26 points on 12-of-23 shooting despite going 0-of-6 from three, and relentlessly hounded Jayson Tatum on the other end. Wiggins' aggression as a penetrator and on-ball defender was felt on the glass, too, where he pulled down a game-best 13 rebounds.
There's never been a player in league history who commands more defensive attention than Curry. Thompson warps defenses in a similar manner and Green is one of the smartest, most disruptive help defenders ever. It's only a matter of time until Kerr, notorious for intentionally empowering every player on his roster, reaches the Hall of Fame.
Playing for Golden State, getting on-court and off-court support he never did with the Minnesota Timberwolves, has definitely made Wiggins better. He's certainly made the Warriors much better, too.
