Warriors star Andrew Wiggins added a crucial skill during the playoffs after realizing it 'ain't that hard'

• Andrew Wiggins raised his rebounding average in the playoffs and led all players in rebounds in the Finals.
• Wiggins said on the "Point Forward" podcast that he committed to rebounding more when he realized it "ain't that hard."
• Wiggins was arguably the Warriors' second-best player in the Finals and played a key role in their championship.

Andrew Wiggins stepped up his game in the playoffs and Finals when he realized he could.

The 27-year-old forward was arguably the second-best player in the Finals, averaging 18.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game as the Golden State Warriors won the championship over the Boston Celtics.

Most notably, Wiggins led all players in rebounding in that series, showing a tenacity on the glass, finishing off defensive possessions or creating second-chance opportunities for the Warriors. In a crucial Game 4 win that evened the series, Wiggins pulled down 16 boards alone.

Speaking on the "Point Forward" podcast, Wiggins said he amped up his efforts after realizing that rebounding "ain't that hard."

"You gotta figure out different ways to get [the ball], so I was like, let me try and get my feet wet, go in there, rebound the ball," Wiggins said. "Especially when we played small in the Memphis series, I had to rebound. I'm in there rebounding, I'm like, 'This ain't that hard! I can rebound!' From there, I just kept with it. It helps us win, gets us more possessions. I can do this."

Wiggins averaged 4.5 rebounds per game during the regular season and has averaged 4.4 per game for his career. His 7.5 rebounds per game in the playoffs far exceeded his usual averages.

On the podcast, Wiggins laughed at his pedestrian rebounding numbers before the playoffs, saying, "I'm never averaging four rebounds again."

Podcast host and former NBA player Evan Turner said as a player, he remembered wondering why the tall, athletic forward didn't grab more rebounds.

"I used to guard you. I'd be like, how is he averaging .7 rebounds per quarter?" Turner said on the podcast. "I'm not even a high-flyer, and I was getting six [per game]."

Wiggins agreed, saying, "I look back now and I don't even know how that was possible."

Wiggins, the 2014 No. 1 pick has always oozed potential, but hadn't always put his talents together for extended periods of time. When the Warriors traded for Wiggins in 2020, it was seen by some in the NBA world as a gamble on the Warriors' part — a bet that they could maximize Wiggins as a scorer, rebounder, and athletic wing.

"We desperately needed length and athleticism on the wing," Warriors head coach Steve Kerr told ESPN's Zach Lowe during the playoffs. "For me, it wasn't so much about how [Wiggins] might fit the way we play. It was, 'Man we need a body like that.'"

Wiggins made that bet look good this season, making his first All-Star Game, then producing the best all-around play of his career when the Warriors needed it most.

All he had to do was try.