'Wigs' return focus of pregame chatter as Warriors prepare for NBA playoff Game 1 against Kings
SAN FRANCISCO -- The beaming smile and body language say it all -- Golden State Warriors star Andrew Wiggins is back and ready to help the defending champions make another run at the NBA title.
When the first round NBA Western Conference playoff game against the upstart Sacramento Kings tips off Saturday evening, Wiggins will be dressed and ready to play for the first time in months.
To say the Warriors have missed Wiggins defense, rebounding and scoring would be an understatement. But now the former All-Star is back.
"I'm feeling good," an exuberant Wiggins told reporters Friday. "Being out there, practicing, working hard with my guys, preparing for the playoff push."
It's not quite been the season Wiggins expected after playing such a key factor in the Warriors championship run just a year ago.
He has missed 43 games in all — three more with left foot soreness, 10 because of a strained adductor in his right thigh, and seven games with a non-COVID illness.
Then came his extent absence to handle a personal family matter forcing him to miss Golden State's final 23 regular season games.
Since his return to practice a little over a week ago, he has been under careful supervision of the Warriors coaching and training staff.
"We've been watching him this last week with the scrimmaging," Golden State head coach Steve Kerr said. "Wigs is one of those guys, a little like Andre Iguodala, who just doesn't seem to ever fall out of shape. He never seems to get tired. Just a thoroughbred. He's so gifted athletically and with the size and the length, he can impact the game in a lot of different ways. But he's really looked good...A lot of good positive signs have come out of this past week and we'll just play it by ear."
A starter his entire NBA career, Wiggins has never been used as a key reserve off the bench. However, after his long season of woes, he said he will relish any role.
"It would be different, something I haven't done since I'm been in the NBA," he said of the reserve role. "I'm down for whatever helps the team and whatever we need."
Earlier this season, he struggled with his on-court rhythm when he's came back from injury and illness. He says this return is different.
"I'm not coming back from an injury so I feel normal, I feel refreshed...I don't think my body's going to hurt if I do that or scared or anything. I feel fresh," he said.
As to questions surrounding Kerr and his ability to reintegrate Wiggins into the lineup as the playoffs begin, they may have already been answered.
As the championship run began last season, Kerr was reintegrating star Steph Curry into the lineup after he was sidelined by a knee injury during the last half of the regular season.
"It feels very similar," Kerr told reporters. "The difference was last year we got off to a great start with the season and had some cushion for our struggles later on in the regular season. So we were in a better position seeding wise, but the end of the season, there was a similar vibe."
"I think last year we won our last five to get to the three seed. This year, we won eight of our last 10 to move up. We got healthy last year just at the very end. That seems to be happening right now with this group, heading into the playoffs. I think last year we felt like we were rounding into form and that's how it feels this year. We've been through this before."
