(The original text was published on November 29. The author is Brad Botkin of CBS Sports. The content of the article does not represent the translator’s point of view)
When Wikins was selected as the All-Star starter last season, the relevant discussions around him were not good. Wikins is a very good member of the Warriors, but the All-Star starting is usually considered to be left to the elites in the league. At first, the outside world did not think Wikins was worth the All-Star starting, later, it was even discussed whether Wikins was the worst All-Star starter in history.
However, wikins’ outstanding performance in the playoffs and finals made these unpleasant voices disappear. In the championship journey of warriors, Wikins is the second best player in the team, second only to Stephen Curry. This season, wikins’ performance is better than last season. According to the statistics of the Glass website Cleaning, wikins’ hit rate in all positions of the stadium reached a career high, including 44% of downtown hit rate.
Wikins has been in a hot state recently, with the last 33 three-point shots hitting 18 times. In November, his three-point hit rate was as high as 48%, and his average three-point shot exceeded 7 times. Wikins can score 19 points efficiently. According to the statistics of the Glass website Cleaning, Wikins can score 121.9 points every 100 shots, which is also the highest record in his career.
It is worth noting that 73 percent of Wikins’s shots this season come from teammates assists, and the proportion of three-point assists is as high as 95 percent, both of which are the highest in their career. However, at the end of the attack time, wikins’ ability to create offensive opportunities with the ball is still reliable. When the warrior attacks stagnate or encounters a favorite counterposition situation, Wikins will choose one-on-one singles. In most cases, Wikins has been fully integrated into the system of Warriors reading competitions and responding quickly. From the bad choice of shots in the Timberwolves period to now almost every shot is perfect, Wikins’s growth is amazing.
During the playoff last season, Wikins had a new insight into the rebound: usually, NBA players didn’t play much when they grabbed the rebound. As an outside player, as long as you are willing to fight for it, there are also many opportunities for backboard. In fact, Wikins grabbed 8% of the offensive rebounds that warriors would lose during the playoffs, which was very high for a flanking player.
This season, Wikins’s offensive rebound rate has stabilized at 5.1 percent, setting a new high in the regular season of his career. Wikins and Curry set the tone for the whole team of warriors. Due to the weakness of body shape, Warriors defenders must also participate in the rebound fight. At the same time, Wikins also became a defender of the former Clay level. He was the most reliable defensive elite outside the Warriors.
When Curry was interviewed recently, he was asked whether Wikins could be selected as an All-Star this season? Curry asked with a question mark on his face, “What is there to argue about?”
Related news link: should Wikins be selected as an all-star? Curry: Is there anything to argue about???
In fact, this issue not only needs to be argued, but even Wikins is likely to stay at home to watch the All-Star weekend, even though his performance this season is the best in his career so far. There are too many players standing in front of Wikins. What’s more, according to the Warriors’s current record, it is difficult to ensure that the team has two all-star places. Wikins’s priority must be lower than the Warriors core Curry. If Warriors win a big streak before the All-Star weekend and regain the state of the game, the situation may change. Before that, try to list 12 Western All-Star People (excluding potential injury risks).
Back Court: Curry, East chichi, Morant, Booker, Lillard, Alexander
Front Court: jokedge, Davis, James
If some injuries occur and several positions are vacated, wikins’ chances of being an All-Star are much greater. However, as far as the current situation is concerned, there are only three positions left after the above nine people are determined. However, there is still a problem. If Curry and donchic are the starting defenders, then the remaining four backcourt players (Morant, Booker, Lillard and Alexander) the only way to be selected is to add two places with no position limit.
In this way, there are two substitute places (Wikins is a forward) in the front court, that is, there are only three starting front court and three substitute front court. At present, only jokedge, Davis and James are sure of the front-court lineup. It means that only three all-stars can be selected from the following players, including: Zion, Paul-George, Downs, Gobel, Gerami-Grant, Mical bridges, marcanin, Sabonis, ingram and Wikins.
Of these players, Zion and Paul George are almost certain to stand out. In this way, Downs, Gobel, Grant, markanin, Sabonis, Ingram and Wikins have to compete for the last place. The premise of all this is that NBA cannot find a way to count the defender Fox or Bain as a forward in the front team. If this happens, it is absolutely possible, especially considering how well Fox played in such a surprisingly strong and interesting King team. If Fox can still be selected, there will be only two positions left in the front court, so only Zion and Paul George can be selected, because the statistics related to scores are still the most important evaluation criteria.
At the same time, there is the possibility of Leonard’s return, and then the performance for two consecutive months is enough to make him an All-Star. Although I doubt this, there is indeed this possibility.
Wikins should not only defeat Zion or Paul-George, but even Grant is better than Wikins. If you don’t watch Grant’s game much, then I tell you grant played very well in the Blazers. The average score was 21 points, with a three-point hit rate of 48%, which met all the requirements of the pioneers. He looked like he had been playing by the pioneers all the time in his career.
Ingram’s average score was higher than Wikins, with a three-point shot percentage of 47 percent. Sabonis is one of the only three players in the league who have at least 16 points and 11 rebounds, and the other two are brother alphabet and Davis, both of which are almost locked in all-star seats unless they encounter injuries.
As for Mical bridges and Wikins, I think the former has a bigger advantage. Bridge’s score is higher than ever before, with a three-point hit rate of 47%, which not only increases the frequency of playing with the ball, but also maintains the league’s first-class level on the defensive end. In addition, the overall strength of the Sun is also stronger than the Warriors. If the sun continues to rank first in the West, then Booker cannot be the only all-star player of the sun.
To sum up, Wikins is unlikely to win this argument, even though Curry thinks it is an issue that does not need to be argued. It is not that wikins’ performance is not all-star, but all-star only has so many places, and the league has never had so many talented players before. Wikins was excellent, and his performance was one hundred times better than the Warriors expected.
All the discussions about Wikins being part of the trading plan of Warriors general manager Myers no longer exist. I bet Wikins will not go anywhere except warriors. He is a very good player and very suitable for the special system of warriors. Wikins’s career so far is one of the most gorgeous turns in my impression in recent years.
Original: Brad Botkin
Compile: Li Taibai
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