2022 NBA Finals MVP odds: Could Andrew Wiggins steal award from Stephen Curry?
Stephen Curry is a heavy favorite to win 2022 NBA Finals MVP but don't rule out Andrew Wiggins.
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One of the few awards Golden State guard and future Hall of Famer Stephen Curry hasn't won is NBA Finals MVP. Caesars Sportsbook oddsmakers list him as the heavy -380 favorite to accomplish that feat as early as tonight if the Dubs win Game 6 in Boston. However, it's possible that a hard-charging Andrew Wiggins (+1600) of the Warriors could steal the award with another big game.
Not all that long ago, Wiggins was priced +6000 to win Finals MVP. Then he went out in Game 4 and finished with 17 points and 16 rebounds. In Game 5, Wiggins had 26 points and 13 rebounds while Curry struggled mightily with only 16 points and failed to make a 3-pointer for the first time in years. It's the first time that Wiggins recorded back-to-back double-doubles in the playoffs, and he has only done so once in the regular season. He is averaging 18.4 points in the series (second on the team behind Curry) and a team-high 9.4 rebounds. Wiggins also has been the primary defender on Jayson Tatum. He's handled the assignment well, just like he did with Luka Doncic in the West Finals.
"We knew we needed his athleticism and defense and his versatility," Coach Steve Kerr said after Game 5. "We had no idea that he would make this kind of contribution. But I think it's a reminder that for almost every player in the NBA, circumstances are everything. You kind of need to find the right place, the right teammates, that kind of stuff. Wiggs has been a great fit."
We won't even talk about Curry's defense because he barely plays any. That said, it will be tough for Curry not to get the MVP because he's averaging 30.6 points in the series – Curry made at least five 3-pointers in each of the first four games, setting a record for the longest streak within a single Finals all-time -- and voters may want to reward him after losing out for Finals MVP to teammates Andre Iguodala (2015; that was a huge surprise), and Kevin Durant (2017 & '18). Curry's 30.6 PPG is the highest scoring average for him in his career in any Finals series.
Boston's Tatum is the only other realistic candidate for Finals MVP with a price of +375, but the Celtics would clearly have to win tonight and then Game 7 in San Francisco. While Tatum is shooting well from deep (47.5 percent), he is hitting an awful 30.6 percent inside the three-point arc in the series and has only attempted 14 shots from the restricted area. Wiggins has held him to 9-for-29 shooting inside the arc.
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