Golden State Warriors: Andrew Wiggins is deserving of his All-Star nod
By Tony Pesta
“The worst All-Star starter in NBA history,” is what was being said about Andrew Wiggins, when he earned the nod and joined Stephen Curry as the two Golden State Warriors listed as starters in the All-Star Game.
Yes, Wiggins, who was once deemed a disastrously disappointing No. 1 overall pick, has become a starter in one of the most coveted NBA games. It only took about two years for this transformation — and believe it or not, he deserves it.
The Dubs hold the second-best record in the league and are hot on the Pheonix Suns’ tail for the top spot. Without Wiggins, this would be far from possible.
The Golden State Warriors are one of the NBA’s title favorites and Andrew Wiggins is an irreplaceable asset for their team. He deserves the All-Star nod.
Wiggins does two things at a high level for the Warriors. Play defense and shoot the ball.
He’s having the best season of his career from deep, drilling 41.4 percent of his 3-point attempts. Wiggins is also making 2.3 3-pointers a game, another career-high.
Of roughly 50 players to make 100 or more 3-pointers this season, Wiggins shoots the seventh-highest percentage.
Then, there is his defense. Every single night, Wiggins checks the opposing team’s best scorer and consistently gets the job done.
As you can see, Wiggins finds himself on the higher end of the scale in terms of matchup difficulty while also placing towards the top in defensive impact. He joins some impressive company, right next to elite wing-stopper Mikal Bridges.
When you combine his two-way efficiency, along with the fact that names like Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are injured, it makes all the sense in the world for Wiggins to earn that starting position. You might not like it, but he earned it, and there is no debating that.