SAN FRANCISCO — Andrew Wiggins isn’t one to indicate an excessive amount of emotion, however he couldn’t cover his smile after the Warriors clinched a Western Convention finals spot.
Wiggins was beaming as he answered reporters’ questions on the court docket after a Sport 6 efficiency wherein he collected 10 rebounds and three blocks in opposition to Memphis — and he had each motive to.
“Often I’m simply cool all the best way,” Wiggins mentioned. “Nevertheless it’s good to indicate feelings generally, and I really feel like final recreation deserved it. I’ve by no means been right here earlier than, so it’s a particular alternative.”
Wiggins is averaging seven rebounds per recreation through the playoffs and has 76 rebounds whole, which features a team-leading 27 offensive rebounds. The Warriors have outscored opponents by a complete of 56 factors when Wiggins has been on the court docket. That’s loads to smile about for a former first general draft decide in his first deep playoff run.
Steph Curry stopped in his tracks on his means off the court docket when he noticed Wiggins smile.
“That man proper there, that man proper there,” Curry mentioned to cameras behind him. “Oh, my god.”
Golden State’s subsequent problem shall be one of many NBA’s finest gamers in Luka Doncic — a tall, robust level guard who can get what he needs offensively. The Warriors will name on Wiggins to primarily defend him — maybe with Klay Thompson, Kevon Looney and Draymond Inexperienced chipping in to assist.
“It’s gonna be a troublesome matchup, for certain,” Wiggins mentioned. “You’ve seen what he’s been doing these complete playoffs. It’s gonna be a crew effort. All of us, the entire crew are going to should do it collectively.”
Robust, certainly. The 23-year-old guard carried the Mavericks to a stunning sequence win over the top-seeded Phoenix Suns in seven video games. He missed the primary three video games of the playoffs in opposition to Utah with a strained calf and returned to common 31 factors on 10 rebounds and 6 assists per recreation in 10 playoff video games.
He was virtually unstoppable in opposition to the Warriors within the common season, averaging 31 factors and 9 rebounds in 4 video games: Dallas beat the Warriors thrice in these 4 matchups. Wiggins defended Doncic loads throughout these video games, and whereas he saved up, Doncic was bullying to the rim persistently.
However Wiggins isn’t enjoying like his regular-season self. He’s enjoying with a brand new edge and fervor.
That edge has helped offensively, the place he’s hit some massive pictures — notably three within the fourth quarter of the Sport 6 clincher final week. Defensively, Wiggins made it identified he was unafraid of a problem when he requested performing head coach Mike Brown if he might decide up the Grizzlies’ Tyus Jones full court docket.
Brown was pleasantly shocked, telling Wiggins to select his spots. Wiggins held Jones — Memphis level guard Ja Morants’ backup — to seven factors on 2-of-12 capturing.
Wiggins is answering calls that got here up through the common season to amp up his depth and aggression on each ends. Some emotion has come out with it, together with a growl after Wiggins dunked over Brandon Clarke in Sport 3.
“For him, it’s only a matter of if he’s locked in and engaged, by way of what that truly means with what he’s centered on on the court docket,” Curry mentioned. “That’s being bodily on protection, taking these matchups significantly, taking up the problem of it, rebounding the basketball after which simply being aggressive on offense — attacking the paint or taking open pictures…When all that occurs, he has a unique impression on the sport, and all of us admire and understand it makes us higher.”
Curry mentioned, jokingly, he’s hoping Wiggins earns a technical as an official report of his new aggressive type. Wiggins mentioned he gave it his finest shot after that dunk over Clarke. For now, he’ll preserve smiling.
“You’ll see much more smiles the additional we go,” Wiggins mentioned.