The Golden State Warriors prevail in a pivotal game 5, 104-94. A comfortable 10-point victory with Finals MVP favorite Steph Curry shooting 7-22 from the field and 0-9 from 3-point land. This is the first game the greatest shooter ever did not make a 3-pointer since Nov. 8, 2018.
If Curry struggled, you'd think Klay Thompson caught fire and led the Warriors to the dub. Nope. Klay played solid -- 21 points shooting 5-11 from 3 -- not a bad game by any means, but it wasn't a game Klay will talk about ecstatically 10 years from now. Unless he’s praising the cleanup man
You would think Jordan Poole got it going and hit a barrage of deep 3s while he dissected the defense with his herky jerky handles? Nope. Poole was 4-8 from the field chipping in 14 points. He hit another ridiculous shot to end the 3rd. I love that he and Curry heave threes at the end of quarters not particularly worried about their FG%.
None of Golden States deep range shooters had their typical human torch performances games so how did the Warriors win so comfortably against a Boston defense that I consider an all-time great modern-day defense? The cleanup man, Andrew Wiggins stepped up once again. Former #1 pick in the 2014 draft and 2022 All Star starter showed why he got that hype coming out of high school. He was dubbed Maple Jordan in comparison to arguably the GOAT Michael Jordan due to his ridiculous athleticism and mid-range shot making.
Could he live up to the hype in Minnesota? He was the first option and primary creator. He took a lot of contested mid-range jumpers and his motor was always in question. "Will Wiggins play hard tonight" or "does Andrew really want it" were questions fans and media members shared on social media and television. He got nice numbers, especially during the 2016-17 season where he averaged a career high 23.6 PPG. The Timberwolves won 31 games and those questions remained relevant.
That was not the ideal role for his game. Wiggins is better suited as a second or third option with no pressure and less offensive responsibilities. This makes the Warriors dangerous. He guards the other team’s best perimeter player and does not worry about scoring and getting others involved. He's letting his offense come to him while he steps up in timely situations. The perfect ecosystem for the Canadian legend to thrive. We've seen him take his defense to another level since he joined the Warriors.
Wiggins was pinned by pundits as the guy that *could be a great defender if he put it all together. He showed flashes of moving his feet well and using his athleticism to lock up great offensive weapons throughout the league. Consistency was always the problem. There were cold Minnesota nights where he was locked in and looked like a potential All Defense candidate while other nights saw him on the other side of the spectrum. 2-way Wiggs is a real thing in Golden State and that is no coincidence.
With generational defender Draymond Green and a star player in Steph Curry who competes defensively, it seems as if players feel obligated to lock in on defense every second they are on the floor in Golden State. Wiggins obviously had the physical make up to be a great defender standing at 6-7 with a silly 7’-foot wingspan. Pair that with the "want to" to consistently play good defense and you'll see a lockdown defender. Jayson Tatum is finding out about 2-way Wiggs and the way his defense can impact the game.
Tatum cannot physically abuse Wiggins as he does not appear to be that much stronger. He cannot consistently blow by him because Wiggins is the better athlete. Tatum’s deceptive ball handling moves have not been as effective vs Wiggins because he is staying disciplined. Not reaching every time you think the ball is in your grasp is an underrated trait about being a great on-ball defender. Wiggins is forcing Tatum to work for every bucket while being the cleanup man on the glass.
In the regular season Wiggins only averaged 4.5 rebounds per game. He was not tasked with being the dirty work guy until the Warriors were fully healthy with both Steph and Klay in the lineup. Wiggins -- excellent second jumper-- has pummeled teams on the glass all postseason. Averaging 7 boards a game (close to 3 offensive rebounds!!) Wiggins has opened a new wrinkle in his game. It is hard to box him out because he is elusive in the paint, avoiding contact and skyrocketing over players to grab boards. His lanky arms and video game bounce allows him to grab rebounds in traffic.
This is a fascinating development. Wiggins was named an All-Star starter this season. There was some controversy around picked that was ultimately decided by the fan vote. many claimed he did not deserve this spot (I was one of them). But regardless, he made it. Every player would not be open to willingly accept a de facto role player role after being named an All-Star starter the same season. We have seen players complain about less. It seems as if some players would become ego driven and want more due to the All-Star selection. But not Wiggins. He put his head down and is does the little things for the Warriors on their quest to win their 4th championship since 2015.
Dropping 26 points with 13 rebounds after pulling down 16 boards in game 4, Wiggins records his second straight double-double. The first time he has done that according to teammate Draymond Green-- who was much better last night, that type of energy is needed. Wiggins tapped into his Minnesota days making contested mid-ranges over good defenders. He relentlessly attacked Robert Williams – who has deterred a lot of shots at the rim-- with his floater push shot. It is a luxury to have a 3rd/4th option that can light it up on nights like this when you do not get huge games from your flame throwers. It is even more impressive how Wiggins can sustain the same level of defensive intensity while being in attack mode on the offensive end.
We are headed to Beantown for game 6. Wiggins has contained Tatum, but he is due for a breakout game, right? Golden State must feel great winning a game where Steph was an ofer from 3. The Celtics did not get their usual production from their bench stars; that is likely to change with Boston headed home. I predicted Golden State in 6 but it is feeling like a 7-game series. A series of runs and adjustments. This chest match from the Popovich coaching/player tree has been a joy to watch. Game 6 should be a nail-biting game that delivers a classic 4th quarter finish.
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