Kerr updates Wiggins’ status before Warriors’ final three preseason games originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Coach Steve Kerr is easing forward Andrew Wiggins back into the swing of things as the Warriors’ preseason schedule wraps up.
Kerr explained to reporters after Friday night’s 109-106 win over the Sacramento Kings that Wiggins still is working his way back from an illness, but he will return soon.
“Wiggs will come back next week,” Kerr said. “He won’t play Sunday [against the Detroit Pistons], but it’s important to get him back on the floor. We’ll see [how the lineup looks] when we get there. We’ll play Sunday’s game and then regroup, and we’ll have a good week of practice and a couple games, and go from there.”
So, Wiggins could play in Tuesday’s preseason game against the Los Angeles Lakers in Las Vegas. The Warriors and the Lakers will meet again in Friday’s preseason finale at Chase Center.
Wiggins has missed the entire preseason so far, but Kerr and Co. hope he’ll round into form in time for the Oct. 23 season opener against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Now that Klay Thompson is a Dallas Maverick, the Warriors desperately need a second scoring option behind Steph Curry, a role of which Wiggins is capable, assuming he can stay healthy.
Wiggins has flashed brilliance since coming to the Bay in 2020, but he also has struggled with consistency. After his All-Star 2021-22 season that helped bring the Warriors another NBA championship, Wiggins has regressed mightily, averaging just 14.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game in the next two seasons. The scoring average is well below his career mark of 18.2 points, and he has missed 56 games during that time, too.
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