When the Golden State Warriors acquired Andrew Wiggins from the Minnesota Timberwolves along with a first-round pick in exchange for D’Angelo Russell, he was viewed in a negative light by plenty of people. Many labeled him as a bust after being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft as someone that wouldn’t live up to expectations.

Wiggins had the potential to become a very good two-way player, but things didn’t seem to click in Minnesota. He had some big seasons scoring the basketball but didn’t contribute much else to winning basketball.

With the Warriors, things have changed. Those tools that led to him being selected first overall began to show through as Wiggins was selected to his first All-Star game. In the postseason en route to the team’s fourth title in eight years Wiggins was arguably the most consistent player on the roster.

On the defensive end is where Wiggins really turned up his performance. He was tasked with slowing down the No. 1 option on the opposing team every night and found success.

During an appearance on “The VC Show,” Wiggins revealed what motivated him to take his game to another level. He felt he was snubbed in the Defensive Player of the Year voting, as he received no recognition and wanted to show people what he is made of.

“I didn’t get not one vote this year,” he said. “So, I was like, I took it personal in the playoffs. I was like, ‘This is my chance to really showcase what I can do. Put my name on the radar.’”

His defensive prowess was on full display on the biggest stage the NBA has to offer. If you ask Jayson Tatum if Wiggins was snubbed by voters, he would likely agree.

Tatum shot 36.7 percent in the NBA Finals and Wiggins is a big reason for that. He made life hard for the Celtics’ rising star and was integral to Golden State pulling out the victory in six games.

In addition to the defense against Tatum, Wiggins brought high-level effort on the glass as well. After averaging 4.5 rebounds per game in the regular season, Wiggins pulled down 7.5 per game in the postseason and 8.8 in the NBA Finals.

Heading toward free agency in 2023, Wiggins has set himself up for a massive payday. Whether that comes from the Warriors or another team is something we will find out next summer.

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