After waiting for 7 seasons, Wiggins finally fulfilled his dream in the 8th season of his career, and it was still a sweet dream. Today's 2022 All-Star Starter, Wiggins jumped to the West End All-Star Starter, and together with Morant became the fresh face of the West End All-Star. Of course, there are also questions that follow, after all, turning over the West End All-Star starting list, Wiggins always looks so eye-catching. And this is all because people are too impressed with the first 7 seasons of the "Goji Mamba" career.
For Wiggins to be selected as an All-Star, there are not many people who question it, after all, it can be seen in the first three announced fan votes; but for Wiggins directly selected as the first starter, there are not many people who are mentally prepared. Even the US media was caught off guard. "The Ringer" reporter Chris Vernon then posted two sets of similar data before releasing the answer: the former is Desmond Bain of the Grizzlies, and the latter is "just becoming an All-Star starter." His intentions were clear: not that Bane deserved the All-Star starter, but that Wiggins wasn't qualified.
(Wiggins smiled when he learned that he was selected as an All-Star starter)
But Wiggins became an All-Star starter, both unexpectedly and reasonably.
First of all, to be selected as an All-Star starter, the performance is naturally convincing. Wiggins played in 44 games this season, averaging 18.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2 assists per game, shooting 48.1% from the field and 40.4% from three-point range. Although Wiggins didn't average career-highs this season, he was the most efficient he was. His overall shooting percentage (48.1 percent) and three-point shooting percentage (40.4 percent) both hit career highs this season, and his true shooting percentage (57.8 percent) was also a career high. Also setting a career record is Wiggins' contribution to every 48 minutes of victory.
After Wiggins was selected as the West End All-Star starter, Warriors coach Kerr was perhaps the happiest person outside of Wiggins himself, and he did say it was one of his "proudest moments" since he became Warriors coach. Kerr has reason to be proud, and it is after joining the Warriors that Wiggins has transformed from a formerly considered "wolfberry mamba" to a player with a balanced attack and defense, which has been widely recognized. In the past two seasons, Wiggins's defensive efficiency has reached a new career high, which is proof of this.
Second, to be selected as an All-Star starter, at least it should be the team's top two people, and Wiggins did it this season. Before Klay Thompson's return, Wiggins was the Warriors' second-largest scorer, second only to Curry in the team's scoring list. In addition, he is the Warriors' first three-point shooting rate this season, and his overall shooting percentage and effective shooting percentage (55.8%) rank 6th and 4th respectively among players with double-digit playing time per game, but he is the only player to average more than 10 shots per game. In addition, Wiggins' offensive/defensive victory contributions are also in the top 4 of the team.
It can be said that Wiggins this season has played the role of the warriors' second boss very well. The Warriors were able to sweep away the haze of the first two seasons this season, return to the forefront of the West End, and once became a big favorite to win the championship, wiggins was the greatest. It was he who allowed the Warriors to survive the days before Thompson returned.
After the All-Star launch today, it also allowed fans to see the importance of the popularity of players and teams again, after all, none of the two teams currently ranked first in the East and West Regions have been selected. And Wiggins can become an All-Star starter, and it has to be said that it is also stained with the light of the Warriors, a popular team.
Despite being dormant in the first 2 seasons and blocked out of the playoffs, the Warriors' popularity has only cooled temporarily. Once the record picks up, the Warriors' popularity is like a bear after hibernation. At the beginning of the season, the Warriors soared forward, with an impressive record of 18 wins and 2 losses in the first 20 games, which once reminded the teams of the past when they were arbitrarily dominated by the Warriors during the 5 years and 3 crowns. If this is likened to a big drama, then marked by Curry's crowning of the NBA's all-time three-point king, The Madison Square Garden on December 15 became the climax of the show. Thompson's return and the resurgence of Dream Green also carry memories of the warriors of yesteryear.
Wiggins' attention can be imagined as the second in such a team, and it is not surprising that the Warriors are the only team with 2 people currently selected as the all-Star starter.
Now Wiggins will turn 27 years old and is entering the peak of NBA players, it is inevitable to use "big instrument late" to describe him, but compared with many juniors who left their names in All-Stars at the age of 22 and 23, Wiggins does give people a sense of "Feng Tang is easy to grow old, Li Guang is difficult to seal".
For this day, Wiggins did not know how many detours he had taken. His career began in Cleveland, and his first All-Star tour will also be to Cleveland, which is like a reincarnation. After being selected as the first draft in 2014, he did not get the opportunity to partner James and Irving, and was "assigned" to Minnesota, the bitter cold place in the north. In the second season of his career, he crossed the threshold of 20+ points per game in the season, but did not develop as expected, but repeated several times, and even appeared in the playoffs only once.
(Wiggins' victory over the Timberwolves today, Wiggins is quite a general)
After joining the Warriors in exchange with Russell, the US media almost every once in a while, to explore the trading prospects of Wiggins, forcing the Warriors to frequently come out to refute the rumors. In 2020 and 2021, the Warriors have won high picks in succession, but there is a lack of interest in who they will choose, but they are keen to explore which star can be exchanged for the Warriors with a high pick + Wiggins (and later Wiseman and so on) can be exchanged for the Warriors? Refusing to vaccinate before the start of the season also nearly left Wiggins stillborn in the 2021-22 season.
This time, Wiggins is really going to break the thermos? (Supine Braces/Hairy)