SAN FRANCISCO – Although Andrew Wiggins was unclear on whether or not he would begin Saturday for Sport 1 of the Warriors-Kings first-round Western Convention playoff collection, his perspective was abundantly clear.
He’s prepared to embrace both function, a disposition that shines one more mild on the management of Stephen Curry.
Requested about his standing on Thursday, Wiggins instructed NBC Sports activities Bay Space that he didn’t but know whether or not he would begin or come off the bench.
“I’ve acquired to attend and see,” he mentioned after follow at Chase Middle. “However I might get it if (coach Steve Kerr) mentioned he desires me to come back off the bench. I wasn’t right here for a very long time, so I might perceive. You may’t say something about that.
“I imply, Steph got here off the bench final yr. What? Steph can do it, however I can’t?”
Wiggins cracked a broad grin, which shortly advanced into full laughter.
He paused, grinned once more, after which laughed more durable, presumably on the absurdity of anybody on the Golden State roster attempting to justify prioritizing their ego when the group’s famous person is prepared to submerge his ego for the sake of the group.
Curry’s standing coming into the playoffs final season was about as questionable as that of Wiggins this season. Curry missed 4 weeks after sustaining a sprained ligament in his left foot on March 16, 2022. He was not cleared to play till April 15, someday earlier than Sport 1 of the first-round collection towards the Nuggets.
The 2-time MVP got here off the bench and performed 22 minutes. Curry was a reserve for the primary 4 video games of the collection, lastly returning to the beginning lineup in Sport 5, wherein the Warriors clinched the collection.
Wiggins’ absence, nonetheless, is twice so long as that of Curry. Wiggins final performed on Feb. 13. He can have missed 25 video games and, furthermore, 62 days when he walks onto the courtroom at Golden 1 Middle in Sacramento.
Wiggins has scrimmaged not less than 4 instances over the previous 10 days, and his teammates and coaches are delighted with what they’ve seen.
“He didn’t actually seem like he’d misplaced a step,” Curry mentioned.
“He seemed superb,” Kevon Looney mentioned after the group’s scrimmage on Wednesday.
“Andrew seems nice, feeling good, able to go,” Kerr mentioned after a light-weight session on Thursday.
There may be one factor that drastically differentiates Wiggins’ state of affairs from that of Curry. Curry has far more expertise coming off the bench, having achieved so a number of instances early in his profession and twice within the postseason earlier than filling that function 4 instances to start final postseason.
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In eight NBA seasons, Wiggins has performed 662 video games (together with postseason) and each one among them as a starter.
Ought to he come off the bench on Saturday – and group sources say that call has not been decided – it’s going to snap a career-long private streak.
Wiggins merely shrugged at the potential of snapping his streak.
“Steph set the bar excessive,” he mentioned. “I can’t be mad at that.”
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