“No. 22 should be in Cleveland this year" - Steph Curry endorses Golden State Warriors teammate Andrew Wiggins for an All-Star spot this season
Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins has received praise from teammates in support of him joining the All-Star team this year in Cleveland.
Teammate and 7x All-Star Steph Curry was quoted saying:
'No. 22 should be in Cleveland this year with the way he's hooping."
Steph Curry on Andrew Wiggins: “No. 22 should be in Cleveland this year with the way he's hooping."
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Andrew Wiggins for All-Star contention
Andrew Wiggins has stepped up immensely this season, proving to be a reliable co-star for Curry in place of Klay Thompson’s absence. In the Warriors' last game against the Utah Jazz on Saturday, Wiggins scored 25 points in a 123-116 win for Golden State.
Andrew Wiggins has yet to make an All-Star team in his nine seasons playing in the NBA. He has averaged 19.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 542 career regular season games.
Wiggins was selected No. 1 in the NBA draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014, making him only the second Canadian to ever be selected first. He was subsequently sent to the Timberwolves.
Wiggins was traded to the Golden State Warriors in February 2020 after spending his first five-and-a-half seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Wiggins averaged 19.4 in the next 12 games he played for Golden State as the 2019-20 NBA season wound down.
Andrew Wiggins has been averaging 19.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game this 2021-22 NBA season. Last season (2020-21), he averaged 18.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.4 assists.
Klay Thompson, Steve Kerr and now Steph Curry have trumpeted Andrew Wiggins for the All-Star game the last two days. It's an organizational push. Curry unprompted tonight: "#22 should be in Cleveland this year."
Wiggins was added to the Warriors list of players under health and safety protocols in December. When asked about Andrew Wiggins, draymond-green" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Draymond Green explained:
“Obviously, we understand the situation and why he’s missing games. But Wiggs will walk out there dead. He’s going to play.”
This type of dedication from a player on a team that is doing this well is something to be noted. Even when comfortably on top does Andrew Wiggins give everything to his teammates. Andre Iguodala, Draymond Green and Steph Curry are notably going to mesh well together with their experience and three shared NBA championships.
It is admirable for a player like Andrew Wiggins to be around such All-Stars and still give 110% no matter what. It shows he wants to evolve no matter the circumstance — a sign of greatness.
Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr commented on Andrew Wiggins and his greatness ahead of Saturday’s game against the Utah Jazz. He described him as “one of the best two-way players in the league”, and elaborated with:
“Night in and night out he gives us 18 or 20 points. He’s shooting 42 percent from the three, he’s guarding the most difficult player on the court every single night at the other end. He’s taken on the role defensively that is just crucial to our team with Klay [Thompson] out.”
Steve Kerr is an 8x NBA champion with five titles as a player (three with the Bulls, two with the Spurs) and three titles as Warriors coach. For a legend such as Kerr to make such comments about any player is a feat amongst itself. Andrew Wiggins should be proud enough of himself even if he does not make the trip to Cleveland.
Andrew Wiggins’ consistent shooting and hard defense is enough of an argument for All-Star contention. Sitting at the No. 2 spot in the league for scoring while proving to stay aggressive on the top perimeter are All-Star attributes.
Steph Curry is missing his “Splash Brother” Klay Thompson being on the court with him. But the confidence Curry is showing in Andrew Wiggins shows how happy he is with having him on the court as well.
Curry and Draymond are players with a high basketball IQ, and if both of them are vouching for Wiggins — one can assume he deserves a spot in Cleveland.