Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban thinks Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins was most responsible for defeating his team in last season’s Western Conference Finals.
In an interview with Bleacher Report’s Taylor Rooks, Cuban told the broadcaster, “It was just guys who knew their roles.”
Mark Cuban talks about Andrew Wiggins
“I think he was the one who beat us, and I told him after that series, you know?” continued Cuban. “We knew what to expect from Klay [Thompson], from [Stephen Curry] and from Draymond [Green].”
“We didn’t know what to expect or how Wiggs would step up, and he did.”
“I think he was the one who beat us, and I told him that after the series… We didn’t know what to expect or how Wiggs would step up, and he did.”
Mark Cuban on losing to the Warriors
(via @TaylorRooks) pic.twitter.com/bHEFmy7RHs
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) August 17, 2022
From a neutral perspective, Cuban is correct. During the 2021-22 regular season, in 73 appearances, Wiggins averaged 17.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1 steal per game. He also averaged 46.6% shooting from the floor and 39.3% from 3-point range.
In the 2022 NBA Playoffs, through 22 playoff games, Wiggins averaged 16.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1 block and 1 steal per game. Plus, he shot 46.9% from the field.
During the Western Conference Finals, the forward averaged 18.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. The Warriors went on to defeat the Mavericks in five games.
In the Warriors’ 109-100 win over the Mavs in Game 3, Wiggins scored a playoff career-high 27 points.
Then, in Game 4 of the 2022 NBA Finals, the forward recorded a playoff career-high 16 rebounds, in his team’s 107-97 win over the Boston Celtics.
Will the Warriors offer the All-Star a new contract this summer?
Wiggins was the wild-card factor for Golden State. Instead of preparing for the 27-year-old, Mavs coach Jason Kidd was too preoccupied with developing a game plan to contain Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.
Though, quite a few coaches, fans and NBA analysts weren’t expecting the eight-year veteran to contribute as much as he did.
Furthermore, both Wiggins and Jordan Poole are extension eligible. This could pose a problem in the upcoming future. Wiggins is entering the final year of the five-year contract he signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2017. The deal is worth almost $150 million.
The forward will earn $33,616,770 in the 2022-23 season. Andrew Wiggins could receive a contract extension this summer, and it would come as no surprise. Training camp is about five weeks away.
