This year's NBA Finals has been one with many ups and downs, between two franchises that embody success. The modern Golden State Warriors are what many consider the best team since the Michael Jordan Bulls of the 90s, their dynasty being born in 2015 against the Lebron James Cavaliers in the Finals. The Warriors are a franchise that has reinvented itself in the last decade as one that exemplifies success. By contrast, the Boston Celtics are a franchise that many would consider to be team that is the embodiment of sustained success in the NBA, having won 17 NBA championships since their founding in 1946,and the team that many people think of when they think of the word 'dynasty.'
The Golden State Warriors have won 3 championships through 5 Finals appearances in the past 7 years. With each championship came a Finals MVP. In 2015, it was Andre Iguodala. In 2017 and 2018, it was Kevin Durant.
This year, in these Finals, it could be argued that Andrew Wiggins deserves the Finals MVP just as much as any other Warriors player if they end up winning the championship. Wiggins has been solid in the series against the Celtics, averaging 18.4 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.2 steals. Wiggins has arguably been the most consistent Warriors player next to Steph Curry. The apex of his performance in this finals series was in a crucial Game 5 where Wiggins scored 26 points and had 13 rebounds. This was a game where Curry severely underperformed, scoring only 16 points.
This is not to say that Wiggins is a lock for Finals MVP as Curry has still been phenomenal in this series. He has scored 30+ points through the first 4 games of the series. In all honesty, Curry will more than likely be crowned the Finals MVP if the Warriors win in Game 6. However, Andrew Wiggins' performance in these finals should be acknowledged and may very well be acknowledged by this series' end. The case for Wiggins as the MVP is very realistic and may come into fruition as he continues to prove his worth as a highly effective player on the Warriors roster and the NBA.
