The mysterious absence of Andrew Wiggins has been a frequently discussed subject by Golden State Warriors fans and other NBA fans alike. As many of us will be aware, Wiggins played a vital role in his team’s playoffs run which ended with them winning an NBA title last year. He was arguably the second-best player on the court for the Warriors and was entrusted with guarding the best players they faced.
He managed to do as they ended up winning the title. However, he has not been seen with the team recently this season. However, since he is not injured, he could potentially return at any time and improve their chances. Let us take a closer look at the situation.
Will Andrew Wiggins return this NBA season for the Golden State Warriors?
According to the information that the media have officially received, Wiggins is out and attending to a personal matter and there is no timeline for his return although it is expected to be soon. Several fans have speculated that it has something to do with his marriage but we know nothing for certain. However, it turns out that it had something to do with his father’s medical situation. The only good news is that he is not injured and could return at any moment when his situation gets resolved.
Wiggins alone ain’t fixing that defense 😂
— Manny🇳🇬 (@tmans1767) April 3, 2023
The Warriors could certainly use him on the court. According to advanced statistics Wiggins, Curry, Thompson, Green, and Looney are “The best 5-man lineup in the NBA this season by Net Rating (minimum 300 minutes).” That means that when the healthy Warriors are on the court, they are still statistically one of the best teams in the league and could be stacked against any other team.
The best 5-man lineup in the NBA this season by Net Rating (minimum 300 minutes):
Stephen Curry
Klay Thompson
Andrew Wiggins
Draymond Green
Kevon Looney pic.twitter.com/hGuMFyNXVi— Guru (@DrGuru_) April 3, 2023
However, we cannot live in a world of presumption and the facts remain that the Warriors haven’t been doing as well as expected this season. They currently hold a record of 41 wins and 38 losses, giving them the 6th seed in the Western Conference.
Moreover, Wiggins has not even played in half the games this season. He has only suited up for 37 games so far and is unlikely to return for the remainder of this season. Nonetheless, GSW will certainly want him on the court if they aspire to defend their title. This season, Wiggins has been averaging 17.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists in the games he did play in.
He is also an efficient player and effective on the defensive ends, two traits that the Warriors could certainly use. We hope his issue gets resolved at the soonest and that he can return in shape for the NBA playoffs.
