Getty Stephen Curry (right) of the Golden State Warriors high-fives Andrew Wiggins (left) as he walks back to the bench during a game against the Houston Rockets at Chase Center on December 3, 2022 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
The Golden State Warriors have been down a pair of starters for more than three weeks, though one is expected back on the floor this weekend.
All-Star forward Andrew Wiggins is slated to make his return to the floor on Saturday, January 7, against the Orlando Magic following a 15-game absence. Anthony Slater of The Athletic reported the news on Friday.
Andrew Wiggins is probable for tomorrow’s game against the Magic. It is expected to be the end of the longest absence of his career. He’s missed the previous 15 games. Never missed more than 11 total games in any season.
“Andrew Wiggins is probably for tomorrow’s game against the Magic,” Slater tweeted. “It is expected to be the end of the longest absence of his career. He’s missed the previous 15 games. Never missed more than 11 total games in any season.”
Wiggins suffered and adductor injury in early December that cost him several contests, after which he was stricken with an illness that kept him out even longer. However, head coach Steve Kerr said that Wiggins was a full participant in practice on Friday, clearing his way back into the starting lineup on Saturday.
Before he went down, Wiggins appeared in and started 22 games for the Dubs as a primary wing defender. He averaged 19.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.8 blocks on 32.8 minutes per night, according to Basketball Reference.
Steph Curry Takes Meaningful Steps in Practice on Friday
GettyPoint guard Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors is improving but remains out with a shoulder injury.
Meanwhile, point guard and two-time MVP Steph Curry will remain sidelined this weekend against the Magic with a shoulder injury he suffered on December 14 against the Indiana Pacers.
While Curry won’t be available in-game, the team did report Friday that he is taking meaningful steps in practice to get back to the team. Curry took part in five-on-five full-contact scrimmages, an activity from which he had abstained for the previous three weeks.
“It was nice to break a sweat. Feel the speed of the game again, the physicality of it, and get yourself in situations that you can test everything that you need to to be able to be ready for an actual game,” Curry said, per NBC Sports Bay Area. “I feel like I haven’t lost too much in terms of conditioning or just understanding 5-on-5, so hopefully the transition will be pretty smooth once I get back out there.”
Golden State Forward Andre Iguodala Announces Return vs. Magic
GettyForward Andre Iguodala of the Golden State Warriors has announced he will play his first game of the season against the Orlando Magic at Chase Center on Saturday, January 7, 2022.
Joining Wiggins on the active roster Saturday at Chase Center will be forward Andre Iguodala, who announced his comeback via his Point Forward podcast on Friday. The 38-year-old Iguodala has missed all 39 games this season with a hip injury.
“E.T. (co-host Evan Turner) got some big news, fam. We got 24 hours until I step on the court, man. Yeah, it’s a go,” Iguodala said. “Hope the fan base is excited. I’m a little nervous, but actually I’m also excited. … It’s finally happening. A lot of folks been asking. Patience is a virtue, and now we’re here.”
The Warriors have been able to stave off any wild downswing in on-court production during the coinciding absences of Curry, Wiggins and Iguodala. However, with a win/loss record of 20-19 and a five-game, week-long road trip kicking off in Texas on January 13, Golden State is getting healthy at the right time to remain in the hunt for a top-six seed in the Western Conference — good enough to keep them out of the NBA’s Play-In Tournament and guarantee a berth in the playoffs.