Yardbarker
x

During his stint with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Andrew Wiggins saw a lot of ups and downs in his career. There was a time when Wiggins was considered to be the next big thing in the NBA. Unfortunately, he never really reached that potential when playing for the T-Wolves.

But since joining the Golden State Warriors, Wiggins has flourished in his new role. With the likes of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green on the roster, being the primary superstar is no longer on Wiggs' mind. As a result, his numbers have improved all around the box score.

He even became an NBA All-Star for the first time in his career this season. Although many doubted his selection to the All-Star team, he showed his talent in the first game of the Western Conference Finals against the Dallas Mavericks.

He was assigned the task of marking the ever-so-talented Luka Doncic. Wiggs did a great job and held Luka to a poor shooting performance to help his team take a 1-0 lead in the series. Following his tremendous success, he was asked about his true thought on how joining the Warriors has helped him:

“It helps me see a different side of the game. The culture, the people, the organization. Most importantly being around winners… It’s been great.”

That's not all. He gathered applause from his teammates as well for playing brilliantly in the game:

"Wiggs is understanding the nuances of what winning basketball is."

Along with Steph, the other half of the 'Splash Brothers,' Klay Thompson, had a hilarious way of praising Wiggins:

"It started with Andrew. He was moving those puppies tonight."

Wiggins was a defensive beast against the Mavericks. The Warriors' newest star player, Jordan Poole, was quick to point that out:

"Wiggs is an amazing defender… Tremendous effort and great game by Wiggs."

What else could make Wiggins' day better? Well, how about hearing compliments from your head coach?

"I just think that Andrew is in a really good groove… He’s comfortable. He’s confident. He believes in himself. He believes in the team… This is just who he is."

After the first game of the series, we are sure Wiggins' confidence is sky high right now. In order to truly cement himself as a great piece for the Warriors, he needs to follow this performance with an even better one in Game 2 of the series.

But it won't be too easy as Luka Doncic will be out for revenge next time around. Wiggins gave Luka a scratch on his face, which Doncic said made him look tougher but must have shaken his confidence a bit.

This article first appeared on Fadeaway World and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

+

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.