The Andrew Wiggins situation, is, well, suddenly a situation.
Wiggins has had an up-and-down campaign, sidelined multiple times by an adductor strain and separately by illnesses. He departed due to a personal matter a game before the All-Star break.
He’s now missed 10-straight games.
Before Saturday’s contest against the Milwaukee Bucks, Head Coach Steve Kerr provided a not-so rose-tinted assessment of the situation.
“That’s the hope [that he returns], but really, there’s nothing to report on,” Kerr said. “So we’re giving him the space as we talked about, as he deals with something that’s way more important than the game and if he’s able to come back, then that would be great. And if not, then that’s the case and whatever happens we handle it accordingly.”
It’s the first real admittance that Wiggins might not be back this season.
The tenor, or at least the public messaging from the Warriors’ side of things has been that Wiggins will return. It’s been a matter of when, not if — at least from their statements.
That hasn’t always matched up with the feeling of the situation, especially as Wiggins remains out with no updates on a matter that the Warriors, due to it being personal, decline to offer details into.
But with just 15 games left and Golden State’s season hanging in the balance as they try to avoid the play-in tournament, it’s become evident that Wiggins’ return is no longer a sure thing.
Without him, it’s hard to take the Warriors seriously as title contenders, if they indeed make the playoffs. It’s a concerning situation both from a basketball perspective and for whatever Wiggins is dealing with personally.