"If Anthony Davis was healthy, he might not be there!" - Kendrick Perkins on Andrew Wiggins' All-Star selection, and picking Steph Curry and Ja Morant over Chris Paul
NBA All-Star voting always leads to drama, and this year that drama surrounds Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins. Former NBA center turned ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins has come out in defense of Wiggins amid backlash over the guard being named an All-Star starter.
Perkins, who also acts as a media voter for the NBA All-Star game, gave his reasoning for his voting choices this year. Perkins says he has absolutely no problem with either All-Star starting lineup, attributing the makeup of each team to the players' individual positions,
Speaking on the NBA Today show recently, Perkins believes Wiggins would still have been chosen to be an All-Star even if a player such as LA Lakers superstar Anthony Davis was healthy. Perkins also pointed out that players like Stephen Curry and Ja Morant had more of a right to be starters than the Phoenix duo of Chris Paul and Devin Booker.
“I understand everyone in Phoenix is frustrated, you know about Chris Paul and Devin Booker, but they are guards, you not taking out Steph and you dam sure not taking out Ja. Okay so, everyone is upset about Andrew Wiggins. Well, he is a wing player. If Anthony Davis was healthy, he might not be there! But Goddammit, he is there, and I am proud of him.”
Perkins' appraisal of both All-Star teams is valid. Even though the Suns have the best record in the NBA, Curry is still a fan favorite. With fans holding 50% of the vote, it is hard to unseat him as a starter.
Morant has shot into full NBA stardom this season and is an electrifying young player who has captured the attention of many young fans. While Paul is older and has a more finesse-based style of play that is appreciate by basketball fans, it does not lend itself to highlight-reels like Morant or Curry.
"I thought I was dreaming."
Andrew Wiggins said his daughter woke him up & told him he was a starter on the NBA All-Star team.
https://t.co/Ltask35iLf
Perkins is also right about when it comes to the case of Wiggins and Davis. Although Davis has outscored, outrebounded and outassisted Wiggins so far this season, the Lakers superstar has missed a lot of time due to injury. This in turn has set him back in terms of All-Star voting because fans.players and media alike simply have not seen enough of him.
However, it is also fair to say that Wiggins did have help shining brightly this season due to his playing for the Golden State Warriors. Golden State are holders of the second-best record and are one of the most popular teams across the NBA.
How and why Andrew Wiggins is an NBA All-Star starter
Andrew Wiggins is very much deserving of being an All-Star. Whether he should have been named as a starter is questionable, but none of that matters now. This is Wiggins's first All-Star appearance since being selected first overall in the 2014 NBA Draft, and was seen as the next great NBA player but has yet to live up to that hype.
Still, during his time in the league Wiggins has been a solid player and this year he has been one of the best wings in the Western Conference. Rightfully culminating in an NBA All-Star starting berth for the first time in his career.
He is currently averaging 18.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game this term. While also setting a career highs shooting 48% from the field and 41% from three. On top of that, he has been a great defender, putting up a defensive rating of 105.6.
2022 #NBAAllStar Starter @22Wiggins of the @Warriors in action! https://t.co/Ya6k9b0inY
What makes Wiggins an All-Star is not his flashy play, instead it is his consistency on both ends of the floor as a shooter and man-up defender. Those qualities should and have been rewarded in this instance. It is also nice to see a player finally living up to some of their potential, especially when they have been deemed to have fallen short throughout their career.
Warriors' Andrew Wiggins has been named an All-Star starter over Clippers' Paul George.
However, it must still be acknowledged that injuries played a massive role in this year's All-Star selections. Couple that with the Warriors being on national TV almost every night, it is not hard to see why Wiggins was suddenly at the forefront of fan fotes when it came to choosing a wing player. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George have been injured for most of the season, along with the aforementioned Davis.
Nonetheless, the dye has been cast and Andrew Wiggins, who has turned himself into an All-Star caliber player this year, will fittingly start in the All-Star game. Following that, he will look to continue his fine run with the Warriors in the hopes of attaining some playoff success.