NBA Finals MVP Odds: How Does Andrew Wiggins' Game 5 Performance Impact His NBA Finals MVP Odds?
NBA Finals MVP Odds: How Does Andrew Wiggins' Game 5 Performance Impact His NBA Finals MVP Odds?
The Golden State Warriors are just one game away from winning the 2022 NBA Championship. And to be fair, the Warriors probably wouldn't be in this spot without the play of Andrew Wiggins. Wiggins has averaged 18.4 points per game with 9.4 rebounds per game. Despite shooting 29.1% from deep and 44.8% from the field, Wiggins has been able to play lockdown defense, and again, rebound the heck out of the ball. But now the questions are, does Wiggins deserve the NBA Finals MVP if the Warriors win the Championship and how did Andrew Wiggins' Game 5 performance change his NBA Finals MVP odds?
2022 NBA Finals MVP Odds Before Game 6
- Stephen Curry -360
- Jayson Tatum +400
- Jaylen Brown +1800
- Andrew Wiggins +2000
- Marcus Smart +11000
- Klay Thompson +13000
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Why Wiggins is Unlikely to Win Finals MVP
It wasn't too long ago when Andrew Wiggins was written off as a bust in the NBA. When you're drafted first overall, expectations are extremely high. Wiggins never really delivered full expectations before coming to Golden State.
This season, Wiggins made the All-Star team and became an integral part of the Warriors' championship run. A lot of players disappear under the spotlight. But Wiggins has done everything but that in the NBA Finals. So does this affect his NBA Finals MVP Odds?
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Through five games, Wiggins has played 38.4 minutes while scoring 18.4 points per game. He's also averaging 9.4 rebounds per game and has earned 29 rebounds in his last two games against the Celtics. In both of those games, the Warriors went on to defeat the Celtics.
It shows you just how valuable Wiggins has been to his team.
But with that said, let's not forget about Steph Curry and what he's accomplished in the first four games of this series. Curry had a poor shooting night in Game 5 but is still averaging 30.6 points per game along with 5.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game. On the night where Curry struggled from the field, he earned eight assists, basically acknowledging that he was struggling from the field.
In the series, Curry has hit 39.2% from deep, even after going 0-for-9 in Game 5. He's also shooting 46.2% from the field after going 7-for-22 from the field in that same game.
So clearly, it's Steph Curry's MVP title if the Warriors end up winning the Championship. Wiggins has been terrific and if Curry wasn't around, it would be Wiggins' trophy. Curry hasn't one an MVP title in three championships won.
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One poor performance isn't going to stop Curry from achieving the MVP. Therefore, I wouldn't bet Wiggins to win the award, even at +2000 odds. Curry is still averaging over 30 points per game in the NBA Finals. That's going to get the award every time over Wiggins' stats, despite his terrific display on defense.
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Jason grew up an avid sports fan. His passion for sports writing grew in high school and he developed a blog that was strictly for New York Sports. From his work, you will quickly realize that he loves looking at games from an analytical and numbers perspective and hopes to provide you with that same perspective in his articles.