SAN FRANCISCO — When Warriors’ practice opened to the media Tuesday at 12:50 p.m., all eyes — and cell phones — quickly pointed to Andrew Wiggins.
Wiggins, the starting forward who has missed the past four games for personal reasons, took 3-pointers on the left-side basket and went through light shooting drills. He arrived back in San Francisco on Monday after spending a week away from the team and is set to play against Milwaukee on Wednesday, head coach Steve Kerr said.
“Being around the team, it’s all love and support,” Wiggins said. “It’s a family here. When I was (out), I missed the guys and obviously basketball. Happy to get back.”
With Wiggins returning, Chris Paul already back from his fractured hand and Brandin Podziemski recovered from a minor knee injury, the Warriors will be at full strength against the Bucks for the first time since they turned their season around in an 11-3 February.
Moments before practice opened, The Athletic reported that Wiggins would return to the team this week. That made his presence at practice have significantly less shock value. The Athletic had previously reported that Wiggins was dealing with a “serious family matter.”
Wiggins didn’t describe what pulled him away from the team, but said he’s excited to be back with the Warriors and to return to the court.
“Just taking care of what I had to take care of, being present for what I have to be present for, and when I think it’s an appropriate time to come back, that’s what I felt like,” Wiggins said. “So now I’m back here with the team and ready to get to it.”
Asked if whatever personal issue that required him to leave the team has subsided, Wiggins said, “Not exactly, but you’ve got to take it day-by-day.”
The 2022 All-Star is averaging career lows in points (12.7) and assists (1.7) per game this season, but had an uptick in production before his absence. In February, Wiggins shot 47.5% on 3-pointers and 50.4% overall, finding much more rhythm than earlier in the year.
Last year, Wiggins missed two months of the season due to personal reasons. Neither he nor the Warriors disclosed why, with the team opting to respect the player’s privacy.
That was the same this time around during Wiggins’ much shorter absence. While Wiggins was away, he maintained communication with Kerr and head trainer Rick Celebrini. He was a full participant in practice on Tuesday and will likely start against the Bucks. But it’s impossible to simulate NBA game speed, so it’s possible Wiggins will be on a minutes restriction.
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“I don’t care about the basketball part,” Kerr said. “Life is way more important than the game, and so the main thing is: If any of our players has a life situation where they need to be with their family, that’s where they’re going to be. And you just want everybody to be OK and give them the space they need. That’ll always be the case for the way we operate.”
With Wiggins back, Moses Moody will shift back to a reserve role, though he did enough to earn regular playing time. In four spot-starts, Moody averaged 12 points and four rebounds per game, shooting 50% from the field and 40% from 3. The team also praised his defense, particularly against New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson.
Jonathan Kuminga, Moody, Wiggins, Podziemski, Klay Thompson, Lester Quinones and Gary Payton II give the Warriors a deep group of versatile wings with varying skill sets. They’ve been a big reason why the Warriors — despite getting drubbed in Boston to end a 3-1 road trip — have surged since the All-Star break.
“Found that identity that we were searching for,” Wiggins said. “Putting the pieces together that work, and it’s been special the last few games. We’ve put something good together and everyone’s playing well, playing together. Looking like the real Golden State Warriors.”
