In the eyes of Mark Cuban, none of the Golden State Warriors’ long-time trio of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green has become the primary weapon in his Dallas Mavericks’ 2022 Conference Finals downfall.
In an interview with Bleacher Report’s Taylor Rooks, Cuban believes that it was Andrew Wiggins who served as the most crucial piece in the Dubs’ outlasting of the Mavs.
He noted that they weren’t familiar with Wiggins’ type and sudden increase of play, in which they failed to land a responsive counter.
“I think [Wiggins] was the one who beat us,” Cuban said (h/t Sports Illustrated’s Grant Afseth). “We knew what to expect from Klay, and from Steph, and from Draymond. 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.
In hindsight, Cuban can’t be wrong in his claim, as Wiggins literally balled hard and has proved his worth in that series.
Behind Curry, he served as the second best player of the Warriors in that encounter against the Mavericks. In five total games, Wiggins ripped up an 18.6 points average to go with 7.2 boards, 2.8 assists in over 46 percent field goal efficiency.
On the flip side of his offense, his length and swarming defense were incredible in locking down superstar Luka Doncic to an uncharacteristic 41.5 percent shooting in the whole 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.”
Outside of that series alone, Wiggins was spectacular for the Dubs’ title exploits. In his first taste of a deep postseason run, he truly delivered when it mattered the most.
The Warriors’ fourth title run in the last eight years won’t be possible without his All-star contributions, and he certainly deserves his own flowers after earlier years of struggle in his career.
