Can Andrew Wiggins Become Canada’s NBA GOAT?
The Golden State Warriors are riding high fresh off the back of an NBA Championship victory with none other than Canada’s Andrew Wiggins on the front lines.
The win was a huge step for Wiggins in his maturing career, and no doubt one that will catapult him into the top ranks for NBA betting odds in the upcoming season. But could it be another step on the path to taking on the esteemed honorary title of Canada’s Greatest of All Time, right alongside the other Greats like the inimitable Steve Nash? It’s a tall order. But it’s one worth placing.
Bodog is about to take a deep dive into Wiggins’ career and where he stands now, and help you determine whether or not he has what it takes to be Canada’s next GOAT in the NBA.
The Rise and Rise of Wiggins
After a 2014 No. 1 overall draft pick to cement his hottest-ticket-in-town status, Wiggins’ impressive career started when his head-turning talents in Minnesota earned him the Rookie of the Year in 2014-15. From there, he continued to impress on individual performance but was treading water with mediocre teams that weren’t able to carry Wiggins as far as he was able to travel.
Fast-forward to the beginning of the 2021 NBA season, and we were seeing increased optimism for Wiggins in his new blue and yellow jersey as the Golden State Warriors’ newest starter, ready to put a fresh spin on his talents.
With the Warriors, Wiggins was the second or third option on most nights, which seemed to be a groove that created little friction as he lifted his defensive game and ramped up the three-point shooting, both of which culminated in his inaugural NBA All-Star appearance as a starter.
Following a great first-half of the season, Wiggins and the Warriors kept up the momentum and coasted on an easy ride to the NBA finals, finally clinching a victory for themselves as well as their fiscally-driven supporters in Celtics vs. Warriors NBA betting on the final.
Overall, Wiggins is on a good path to being the Greatest of All Time for Canada in the NBA, as he now has an NBA Finals Ring, and is averaging 19.3 points over the course of his eight-year career.
To truly lock in the honors, Wiggins will need to keep his scoring up, lace up for some more All-Star appearances, and possibly win even more rings. As long as he stays with the Warriors who are one of the best teams in the league, Wiggins has every chance to attain this status and go down in history as Canada’s GOAT in the NBA.
His Competition
Wiggins is among fine company in his status as a leading NBA player from Canada. There have been some legends throughout the years, and it really makes one wonder: How does Wiggins compare, and does he stand a chance to overcome the Greats of Canada’s NBA all-stars as the number one GOAT?
Steve Nash
When NBA fans with longer memories think of the greatest Canadian basketball player of all time, they naturally zero in on Steve Nash. There is no denying that an 18-year long NBA career that resulted in eight All-Star selections, seven All-NBA selections, and two stints as NBA’s Most Valuable Player is on comfortable ground for holding the title of greatest Canadian NBA player.
On top of that, many people see Steve Nash as the greatest pure point guard of all time. He led the NBA in assists per game for five seasons, and he ended his time in the NBA with a career of well over 40, 50, and 90 shooting percentages, which is one of the most coveted titles to achieve for just one season in a career.
Jamal Murray
Jamal Murray is just 25-years-old but should already be considered one of the best Canadian NBA players ever, and his career is just getting started. Murray led the Nuggets on a ridiculous run to the Western Conference Finals where Murray averaged 26.5 points in the playoffs and had two 50-point games and one 40-point game in the first round. The Nuggets lost to the eventual-champion Lakers in the Conference Title game.
Murray unfortunately suffered an ACL tear and missed all of last season, but he will be back with a good Nuggets team next year that has big aspirations for the title.
RJ Barrett
One of the youngest and most promising Canadian NBA players is RJ Barrett. At just 22-years-old, Barrett is already the face of the New York Knicks franchise. In just his third year in the league he has increased his points average up to 20 per game. That’s a three point increase every year, as he averaged 14 points as a rookie and 17 in his second year.
Barrett led this Knicks team to their first playoff berth since 2013 in his second season. The sky’s the limit for Barrett as he looks to lead this Knicks team to even greater heights next year.
Can Wiggins become Canada’s NBA GOAT?
While Wiggins’ career didn’t start off with much winning, his stats are undeniable. He was one of the best scorers in the entire NBA during his time with Minnesota. Now he’s proving his All-Star status with his performance on one of the most esteemed teams in the league with the Golden State Warriors.
How Far Can His Career Go At Just 27?
It feels like Wiggins has been dribbling through the NBA for longer than his years allow for at this point, yet, at a mature but still-peaking 27, he has plenty of time in front of him to continue his upward-trajectory. It’s these factors – his relatively young age and propensity for further refinement – that will play a big factor in Andrew Wiggins’ ability to carve out a career as the greatest ever for a Canadian basketballer. After making his first All-Star appearance and winning his first NBA title, Wiggins will surely be on the right path to more accolades like these.
He may not be Stephen Curry, but his role in the Golden State Warriors has him scoring 18-20 points per game and gracing the court in All-Star games. As long as he can keep this up, his career is about to see a massive boon in the next few seasons, and NBA betting at Bodog is cruising for a heyday.
Keep a sharp eye on Andrew Wiggins as he continues to shine with the Golden State Warriors, because the future is looking mighty golden indeed. Wiggins is on a path to becoming Canada’s NBA GOAT, and the Warriors will be the favorites at Bodog to lock in your wagers on next season’s Championship.