Team treating Wiggins with patience, but return is essential
Andrew Wiggins is one of the NBA’s most private players. In an era when many star athletes host podcasts and offer glimpses into their personal lives on social media, he has done the nearimpossible, spending a decade-plus on the national stage without revealing much about himself.
It’s human nature to want to know more about enigmatic celebrities. But when people go to great lengths to keep their private lives private, that should be respected. Few could blame even the most diligent NBA reporters for not trying too hard to uncover the reason behind Wiggins’ extended absence from the Golden State Warriors.
The two-word description the team has used for his leave — “family matter” — says all we need to know. With Wiggins missing his sixth straight game Thursday night, it’s clear that he’s dealing with something serious. His family’s well-being is far more important than whether the Warriors repeat as NBA champions. The more time Wiggins misses, the more this strange season is shrouded in uncertainty. Over the past five months, as the Warriors navigated Draymond Green’s infamous punch of Jordan Poole and injuries to key players, late-game collapses and an eventful trade deadline, optimists clung to the belief that Golden State would figure things out.
But for that to happen, it must get its core intact. Green came back Tuesday against the Trail Blazers from a bruised knee that sidelined him two games. With Stephen Curry now expected to return next week from a lower-leg injury that has kept him out almost a month, the Warriors’ big question becomes Wiggins.
During an interview Wednesday on 95.7 The Game, general manager Bob Myers would only say that the team anticipates having Wiggins back this season. The vague timeline is understandable. With matters this sensitive, it’s best to be cautious.
What is known is that the Warriors need Wiggins to have a shot at a deep playoff run. If not for him being Golden State’s best player other than Curry in last June’s
Finals, it might not have hoisted its fourth Larry O’Brien trophy in eight years. When at his best, Wiggins is an All-Star-caliber cog who can guard opponents’ best scorers, hit clutch shots and offer much-needed toughness.
Availability has been his problem this season. Early on, Wiggins appeared at ease in the Warriors’ system as he thrived in many of the same split actions that Kevin Durant once occupied. Then, fresh off matching a career-high with eight 3-pointers in a Dec. 3 rout of Houston, he missed a month with a groin injury and a nonCOVID illness.
Just as Wiggins started looking like himself again with a 29-point, seven-rebound, fourassist masterpiece in a Feb. 13 win over Washington, he surfaced on the injury report for “personal reasons.” All head coach Steve Kerr has said is that Wiggins will come back when he’s ready. When that could be, no one seems to know.
In the meantime, Klay Thompson continues to silence his critics with a steady stream of highlights. Don’t let the Warriors’ 13-12 record this season without Wiggins, though, lull you into thinking he’s not essential.
Despite a slew of interruptions, he has been a driving force behind the NBA’s most productive starting lineup. Wiggins’ 39.6% clip from 3point range is a career best. He ranks fourth on the team behind Green, Curry and Thompson with a plus-minus of plus-118.
But given that Wiggins isn’t especially vocal, he sometimes goes overlooked. This is just how he likes it. When reporters try to learn more about him, Wiggins keeps his answers brief and declines to provide phone numbers of family or friends.
It’s obvious in how he speaks about his loved ones just how much family means to him. After games, Wiggins can often be found embracing his two young daughters. Some of his most animated interviews come when reporters ask him about being a father.
By missing 2½ weeks and counting to tend to a family matter, Wiggins has kept his priorities straight. The Warriors can only hope to contend for a top-four playoff seed until he and Curry return.
In a crowded Western Conference, the Warriors went into Thursday’s game in fifth place, 1½ games behind fourth-place Phoenix and 1½ games above 10th-place New Orleans.
With matchups looming against the likes of the Bucks, Suns, Mavericks and Grizzlies, Golden State stares down the NBA’s ninth-toughest schedule the rest of the way. It could certainly use Wiggins right now.
Still, perspective is paramount. The Warriors’ worries are nothing compared to what their quiet star must be enduring.