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The Golden State Warriors just made their first definitive statement on Andrew Wiggins‘ return in months, and it’s a mixed bag of good and bad.
Wiggins will not play again for the Dubs during the regular season, as the team battles for positioning and an automatic berth into the Western Conference Playoffs. Head coach Steve Kerr made the announcement during a Wednesday interview on 95.7 The Game’s Willard & Dibs show.
“[Andrew Wiggins] is not going to play in these final two games of the regular season,” Kerr said on April 5. “He’ll continue to work and ramp it up pretty quickly.”
Warriors in Good Shape For Top-6 Seed in West as End of Season Draws Near
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GettyAndrew Wiggins of the Golden State Warriors hasn’t played for the team since early February.
Kerr’s implication is that Wiggins will be ready for the team’s playoff push, whenever that begins.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Golden State held the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference with a record of 42-38. The Warriors were tied in the loss column with both the Los Angeles Clippers (41-38) and the Los Angeles Lakers (41-38), two teams that were set to meet Wednesday night.
As such, come Thursday, the Dubs will be tied with one of those teams and a game ahead of the other, putting Golden State in good shape to earn a top-six seed in the West and avoid the NBA’s Play-In Tournament. The Warriors finish the year with road games against the playoff-bound Sacramento Kings on Friday and the full-on tanking Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday.
If Golden State can capture the No. 6 seed or better, the team will buy Wiggins another full week to get himself game-ready before returning to the court for the first time since February 13. Wiggins dealt with an adductor injury that sidelined him for 15 games through December and into January. He also missed several contests later in the month of January due to injury concerns.
Most recently, Wiggins has been absent from action due to an undisclosed personal matter.
The starter and crucial cog to the team’s championship run last year spoke about his absence after being welcomed home to Chase Center by a standing ovation from Dubs fans Tuesday night during the team’s home finale against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
“Thank you for all the love and support I had and my family had. I appreciate it. You guys are the best fans in the world,” Wiggins said during a press conference Tuesday. “When you’re in a certain situation and your family needs you and requires your attention and your love, that’s my first priority. We got everything settled, not fully settled, but in a safe place where I can come back.”
Curry Declares Warriors Can Win NBA Title With Healthy Wiggins
GettyAndrew Wiggins of the Golden State Warriors returned to the sidelines on Tuesday, April 4, 2023 after a nearly two-month absence from the team.
Golden State has fought all season through Wiggins’ multiple absences as well as injury issues to star point guard Steph Curry. However, if the team can return to full health ahead of the start of the playoffs later this month, Curry believes they can win a fifth NBA Championship in nine years.
“For us to be the champs and have to take everybody’s best shot all year, some self-inflicted wounds that we’ve had, games we should have won — with all that said, absolutely [we can make a title run],” Curry said during a March 31 appearance on the Steiny & Guru show. “I feel like we are a team that’s a force and when we’re locked in on the specific test of trying to beat a team four times in a playoff series … that remains the same.”
Golden State won its fourth title last season despite Curry missing the final 12 games of the regular season with injury before returning for the playoffs.
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