It’s not a done deal yet, but the next chapter of the Jimmy Butler and Andrew Wiggins saga could unfold in the NBA Finals.
Butler and the Miami Heat enter Monday with a 2-1 series lead over the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals, while Wiggins and the Golden State Warriors are one win from sweeping the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals.
If the Heat and Warriors do meet in the Finals, it could be a rare occasion where Wiggins overshadows – at least from the narrative perspective – Bay Area stars like Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, because all eyes will be on how Butler and Wiggins tangle on the biggest stage.
Their history dates back to 2018, when Butler forced his way out of Minnesota following a theatrical practice in which he admitted to being loud and emotional while teaming up with bench players to whip Wiggins, Karl-Anthony Towns and other starters in a scrimmage.
“They ain’t [expletive]!” and “They soft!” were insults Butler allegedly shouted at Wiggins and Towns, per Yahoo’s Chris Haynes. Immediately after the practice, Butler was being interviewed by Rachel Nichols on ESPN.
“A lot of it is true,” Butler admitted. “All my emotion came out at one time. Was it the right way to do it? No. But I can’t control that when I’m out there competing. That’s my love of the game. That’s raw me, me at my finest, me at my purest. That’s what you’re going to get inside the lines.”
Butler was traded to Philadelphia soon after, eventually winding up in Miami where he guided the Heat to the Finals in 2020. Now he’s knocking on the door again, this time with Wiggins possibly waiting for him inside.
If it happens, everyone knows which Jimmy Butler will show up. But which version of Andrew Wiggins will we see? Will it be the “soft” underachiever from Minnesota or the hellacious player who’s dominating on both ends of the floor these playoffs?
Wiggins shut down Luka Doncic in Game 1 and was nearly charged with a violent crime when he posterized Doncic in Game 3.
ANDREW WIGGINS POSTER ON LUKA 🤯 pic.twitter.com/EMwNh6mnEY
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 23, 2022
Wiggins, clearly Golden State’s X-factor alongside Curry, Thompson and Green, is averaging 15.9 points and 6.9 rebounds while shooting 48.6% overall and 39.7% from three in 14 playoff games, including three double-doubles.
Yes, this is a different beast than the Andrew Wiggins who had a total of 10 double-doubles in 447 games with the Timberwolves.
If the Warriors win the title this year, not only will Wiggins redeem himself by rewriting the story with Butler, but he’ll become just the eleventh No. 1 pick in NBA history to win a championship since the lottery system was implemented in 1985.
The other No. 1 picks to win a title in past 36 years are David Robinson, Shaquille O’Neal, Glenn Robinson, Tim Duncan, LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Andrew Bogut, Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis.
