Andrew Wiggins will skip the Golden State Warriors‘ preseason opener on October 5 against the Los Angeles Clippers in Hawaii, The Athletic’s Anthony Slater reported Thursday, October 3.
“Andrew Wiggins missed a third straight practice today,” Slater reported on X. “He’s in the gym doing some light individual work, but training staff hasn’t cleared him for team practice. Under the weather. He will not play in Saturday’s preseason opener vs Clippers in Hawaii.”
Kerr is counting on Wiggins to have a bounce-back season and emerge as the team’s No. 2 scorer behind superstar Stephen Curry in the wake of Klay Thompson‘s departure.
“I’m expecting a big year from [Wiggins] and I think there’s also a void that is left by Klay’s absence that we need to fill,” Kerr said of Wiggins on September 26 during the Warriors’ Media Day. “That’s a lot of points to score, but it also means we have to rethink how we’re doing things, and [Wiggins] will be featured for sure. He’s a guy who’s proven he’s a 20-point-a-night guy, and we’re going to be relying on him heavily.”
Wiggins was a big letdown for the Warriors last season.
The former No. 1 pick and one-time NBA All-Star wing averaged a career-low 13.6 points last season as he went in and out of the starting lineup.
Andrew Wiggins’ Mysterious Absences Explained
It turned out Wiggins was distracted by his father’s medical condition over the last two seasons.
His father, former NBA player Mitchell Wiggins, passed away in September.
The basketball community has lost a Legend. Our hearts are with the family, friends and fans of Mitchell Wiggins.
#LegendsForever
The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported in 2022 that Wiggin’s father has been dealing with a serious medical condition, which explained the Warriors forward’s mysterious personal absences over the past two seasons.
Wiggins missed two months of the 2022-23 NBA season then missed another four games last season. He also He canceled a business trip to China this offseason due to a family emergency, which was surmised to be related to his father’s medical condition.
Wiggin’s concerning news at the training camp is at odds at Kerr’s assessment of the forward during the media day.
“He looks physically really fit,” Kerr said at the time. “Speaking with him, he sounds very motivated. He’s very much at peace.”
“I think he’s in a place where he knows the last couple of years have been tough for a lot of reasons and I think he’s primed to get back to where he was a couple of years ago. He’s at the age where he’s right in his physical prime, and we’ve seen him do it. He helped us win a championship.”
Andrew Wiggins in the Gym All Summer
Unlike last year’s offseason when Wiggins reported to the training camp out of shape, per ESPN report, the 29-year-old forward is fit and ready to go this time.
“He’s been in the gym all summer,” Warriors general manager Dunleavy said during the team’s media day. “[I] Can just sense a little bit different vibe from him this time of year. His body looks great. He’s been through a lot personally, but as far as the basketball part of it, I think he’s in a good spot. We’re optimistic he’s going to have a great season.”
Wiggins skipped Canada’s stint in the 2024 Paris Olympics to get into shape for the NBA season.
