Getty Golden State Warriors star Andrew Wiggins defends Luka Doncic during a WCF bout with the Dallas Mavericks.
What Stephen Curry did to the Boston Celtics during the 2022 NBA Finals was legendary stuff. After suffering through a regular season that saw him slide below 40% from distance for the first time, not to mention an injury that put him behind the eight ball as postseason play began, the Golden State Warriors star managed to go full-on supernova during the championship round.
Over six games against the Beantowners, Steph averaged 31.2 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.2 assists per contest while shooting 43.7% from three-point range. As a result, he was the no-brainer pick for Finals MVP honors when the Dubs secured the title.
The eight-time All-Star was hardly a one-man show in the team’s run-up to the chip, though. Without the aid of his teammates, there’s no telling where Curry’s season might have ended. But it’s probably a safe bet that no trophies would have been involved.
That said, one of his cohorts warrants special mention for getting the team to the Finals, according to a rival owner. Namely, All-Star wing Andrew Wiggins.
Cuban: ‘Wiggins Beat Us’
Kevon Looney was lauded for his performance during the Western Conference Finals against the Dallas Mavericks, and rightfully so. The veteran pivot suddenly became a double-double machine against Luka Doncic and Co., averaging 10.6 points and 10.6 boards per game.
However, during an interview with Bleacher Report’s Taylor Rooks, Mavs owner Mark Cuban opined that it was actually another Dubs player who sealed his club’s playoff fate.
“I think [Wiggins] was the one who beat us,” Cuban said.
As Cuban sees it, Golden State’s frontliners largely performed as his team had predicted. But Wiggins was able to elevate his game to such a degree as a support piece that Dallas found itself unable to compensate.
“We knew what to expect from Klay, and from Steph, and from Draymond,” Cuban revealed. “We didn’t know what to expect or how [Wiggins] would step up, and he did. That’s what it comes down to in that type of series. Everybody understanding their roles, being able to execute on what the coach puts out for you, and having guys you’d call role players step up when the time is right.”
The latest Golden State Warriors news straight to your inbox! Heavy on Warriors newsletter here!
Wiggins Put It Down on Dallas
After becoming a first-time All-Star through his efforts during the first half of the 2021-22 campaign, Wiggins hit something of a wall down the stretch. By the time the West Finals rolled around, though, the former No. 1 pick was rewriting the book on his career to date.
In five appearances against the Mavs, Wiggins averaged 18.6 points, 7.2 boards and 2.8 assists per contest. And the Warriors outscored their opponents by an incredible 13.9 points per 100 possessions when he was on the floor.
It was his defense versus Doncic that really stole the show, though. In the 181 minutes that the two ballers shared on the court in the series, Luka shot just 39.8% from the floor while committing 19 turnovers. Consequently, the Dubs outscored the Mavs by 58 points in those minutes.
READ NEXT: