Why Coaching Matters
Yes, yes, dunks are worth two points and psychological analysis is meaningless, and Doncic came back and nailed a 3 right after this, and the Mavs got to within 5 before the Dubs finally ended things. None of that matters; this will be the only moment from this game that anyone ever remembers.
It was also called a foul in the moment, which was a crime against art and nature and credit to Doncic for the acting attempt. It was reversed after Warriors coach Steve Kerr refused to let insanity rule the day, while NBA Commissioner Adam Silver tried to restrain himself from removing the shirt from the ref who bought the original flop and dismissing him from the world of professional basketball.
It was part of an insanely good and useful performance by Wiggins, who had 27 and 11 while playing sound defense and generally, well, having moments like this one... and it's part and parcel of why the Warriors are going to be the next champions of the NBA.
Not because Andrew Wiggins is great. But because he really, really, wasn't before he got here.
To the casual fan, Wiggins was available because Minnesota is Minnesota; a dysfunctional organization that makes bad trades (Wiggins came with the pick that became Jonathan Kuminga for D'Angelo Russell and a bag of smelly gym socks, which is to say, a large bag of smelly gym socks). Hyped because he was the #1 pick and overvalued by casual fans for counting stats, he was an active detriment to the Wolves, who suffered with bad and plentiful shooting, a lack of interest in defense, a plethora of turnovers and a career that was going nowhere fast. His Wolves' teams were better when he was off the floor, and when you are supposed to be a star and that happens, you are a fraud.
The NBA finds and eliminates frauds, ruthlessly. Wiggins at 6'-7" with no natural position and no growth in his skills was about 2-3 years away from bench and foreign work, honestly.
Enter Steve Kerr and the Warriors coaching staff. With work from the player (not all at once -- the org was the perfect mix of patient and impatient with him), they turned Wiggins into their best defensive player not named Draymond Green. With the return of world-class marksmen that meant he no longer had to force shots, Wiggins became efficient in the offensive game. With world-famous players who move the ball and play the game the right way, he doesn't have to be the alpha. Even though -- shh -- they may be turning him into one anyway. He's still just 26 years old, with his confidence growing, in an organization that's going to get him a ring in a few weeks.
Credit to Wiggins, but also to the Association's best coaching staff. They just don't miss, or give up. And if they stay healthy and cultivate the next generation (Kuminga, Wiggins, James Wiseman, Jordan Poole...), there's really no reason why the winning will stop anytime soon.
Oh, and also this. Ye gads, man.
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