Getty Andrew Wiggins drives the ball in a game against the Houston Rockets.
The Golden State Warriors will be without Steph Curry for the near future, but another All-Star could be making his return in time for a holiday clash.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr gave an update on the return of Andrew Wiggins, who has missed almost the entire month of December after a flare-up of an adductor injury. Kerr gave a glimmer of hope that Wiggins might play in the team’s Christmas Day game against the Memphis Grizzlies, which could provide a sorely needed boost for a struggling Warriors team.
Wiggins Could Return Against Grizzlies
As Tom Dierberger of NBC Sports Bay Area noted, the Warriors have gone 2-7 in the nine games that Wiggins has missed. Wiggins has continued to build on what was arguably a career-best season in 2021-22, averaging 19.1 points on career-best field goal percentage (51.1%) and 3-point percentage (45.0%).
Shayna Rubin of the Bay Area News Group reported that Wiggins took a major step forward on Friday as he returned to a full-contact practice, but head coach Steve Kerr would not say if he was ready to face the Grizzlies on December 25.
Video shared by Jason Dumas of KRON 4 News showed Wiggins going through a workout after Friday’s practice, showing off his strong shooting touch.
Andrew Wiggins going through a post-practice workout on Friday. He practiced fully for the first time since he suffered an adductor strain.
He’s missed the Warriors last nine games and hasn’t played since December 3rd against Houston.
He’s questionable for Saturday v. Memphis
The Warriors already know that they’ll be without Curry for at least a while longer. The two-time league MVP said he’s not yet close to returning after suffering a shoulder injury in a 125-119 loss to the Indiana Pacers on December 14.
“This is an interesting one just because I haven’t had an injury like this to the shoulder. So it’s kind of a wait-and-see approach,” Curry said. “I’m still in the early healing process, so I’m nowhere near, even like, picking up a basketball yet… It’ll be a few weeks. I think into the New Year and I’ll start to key in on a timeline from there.”
The Warriors are also awaiting the season debut of veteran Andre Iguodala, who decided to return for one final season but has remained out with a hip injury. The Athletic’s Anthony Slater reported on Twitter on December 1 that Iguodala was going through workouts, but not yet able to practice in full.
Kerr said he’s not trying to rush the 19-year veteran back to the court.
“We’re more interested in him being healthy in the second half of the season. So we’re not going to throw him out there yet,” Kerr said this week, via Slater.
Warriors Look to Turn Season Around
The Warriors stumbled out of the gate in their title-defense season, winning just three of 19 games on the road so far this season and hovering around the edges of the play-in bracket.
Warriors forward Draymond Green said the team needs to push through the adversity and shake off their mental struggles.
“I think this is a team that has struggled from the spirit perspective since [the road trip began],” Green said, via the Bay Area News Group. “It’s a bit more frustrating. … You can make what you want of it being on the road versus being at home, but it’s mental. It’s a team struggling mentally. And that makes it hard to overcome anything else.”