Many Golden State Warriors fans have been anxiously waiting for Andrew Wiggins to return to action. The Canadian forward had been away from the team for nearly two months, as he reportedly spent time with his sick father.
Wiggins has since rejoined the Warriors, but hasn’t appeared in any games, as he works to recondition his body. It’s uncertain at this time if he’ll be ready to go for the postseason.
Head coach Steve Kerr provided an update on the starting forward’s progress towards a return to the floor, ahead of Sunday’s regular-season-finale against the Portland Trail Blazers.
“He got some three-on-three work in yesterday and some five-on-five,” Kerr said via NBC Sports Bay Area. “So, everyday he’s progressing and he’s putting in the work. The whole thing is after a seven-week absence, there has to be a ramp-up period and that’s what he’s doing right now. It would be irresponsible for us to just throw him out there and expose him to injury. So he has to go through the process. Our performance team is putting him through that process and he’s getting a lot of good work in. The idea would be, ideally we win the game today [against Portland], and have these next five or six days to prepare, which would include some scrimmaging and getting Wiggs back into the fold with everything we’re doing scheme wise and execution wise. Then he gets another week under his belt and we reassess from there.”
Steve Kerr details the plan for Wiggs’ return to the court
Klay Thompson is Excited to Have Andrew Wiggins Back with Warriors
Wiggins’ teammates are perhaps more excited than the fans for him to get back out on the hardwood.
Star guard Klay Thompson touched on his expectations for the team once they’re at full strength, after Friday’s win over the Sacramento Kings.
“It always feels great to win. I think we’ll click even more when Andrew’s in the lineup because he’s such an important player to what we do,” Thompson said via the NBA Interviews YouTube channel. “And we still have another level to reach. So, I think we should just keep staying humble and working hard, and we’ll get there. I know we will.”
Warriors’ Stephen Curry on Andrew Wiggins: ‘He’s One of Us’
Wiggins made his return to Chase Center earlier this week when the Warriors took down the Oklahoma City Thunder. After the win, Stephen Curry discussed what it’s been like having Wiggins back around the team.
“He’s one of us,” Curry said via NBC Sports Bay Area, after the 136-125 victory over OKC. “We talked about the whole time, that when he came back it’d be the right time. Considering everything he’s been through. We love his presence, the Wiggs’ smile, just having him in the locker room is big. We haven’t gotten to see him on the court as much, but it was great to have him back, to say the least.”
During the game, the Warriors showed the former No. 1 overall pick on the big screen at the arena, at which point fans went crazy.
“That’s what it’s about,” Curry said. “We understand how much he’s been embraced by our fan base, our organization. You know, that’s the love that you show your own. There’s been a lot of unnecessary conversation around him and the whole situation. You don’t really want to react to everything that goes on on the internet. But, it’s just a matter of embracing him and giving him the space to come back, enjoy basketball again, and enjoy being around us.”
Steph shares what it means to have Wiggs back in the building
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Steve Kerr Drops Statement on Andrew Wiggins Before Warriors Take on Trail Blazers