The Golden State Warriors will finally have Andrew Wiggins on the court for Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs on Saturday against the Sacramento Kings.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr spoke to reporters Thursday before the series and said Wiggins, who hasn’t played a game for the Warriors since Feb. 14, «feels good and is ready to play.» «.
The Athletic reported that the Warriors intend to use Wiggins off the bench. He is expected to play 20 to 25 minutes in that role.
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Andrew Wiggins of the Golden State Warriors warms up against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena on March 10, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. (Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images)
Wiggins has been out of the team since February 14 and did not have a timeline to return as he was dealing with a personal matter.
He returned on April 4 to Golden State, but sat out the last three games of the regular season as he got fitter. During his absence, Wiggins was still working out, Kerr has noted in the past.
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The Warriors clinched the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference, earning them a berth in the first round of the NBA Playoffs instead of needing the NBA gate tournament to qualify.
The Kings were a surprise team this year, but the Warriors, despite winning it all last year, won’t question the No. 3 seed’s ability to beat them.
Andrew Wiggins of the Golden State Warriors dribbles the ball against the Boston Celtics during Game 5 of the 2022 NBA Finals on June 13, 2022 at the Chase Center in San Francisco. (Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
Wiggins is averaging 17.1 points, five rebounds and 2.3 assists in 37 games this season.
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However, it will be a new situation for Wiggins with the Warriors. He never came off the bench for a game he played for Golden State. Since he was traded to the Warriors from the Minnesota Timberwolves, he has started all 193 games he has played.
In fact, Wiggins has started every game he’s played in the NBA since the Wolves selected him first overall in 2014. He has averaged 19.1 points in 635 regular-season games.
Andrew Wiggins of the Golden State Warriors warms up before a game against the Washington Wizards at the Chase Center on February 13, 2023 in San Francisco. (Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
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With Wiggins on the bench, Kerr likely still has Jonathan Kuminga playing power forward with Donte DiVincenzo at small forward.