SAN FRANCISCO — When Warriors practice opened to the media at 12:50 p.m. Tuesday, all eyes — and cell phones — quickly turned to Andrew Wiggins.
Wiggins, the starting forward who missed the last four games for personal reasons, made a 3-pointer from the left basket and performed light shooting drills. He returned to San Francisco on Monday after spending a week away from the team and is expected to play against Milwaukee on Wednesday, head coach Steve Kerr said.
“Being with the team, it’s just love and support,” Wiggins said. “Here, it’s a family. When I was (away), I missed the guys and obviously basketball. Happy to come back.
With Wiggins back, Chris Paul already back from his fractured hand and Brandin Podziemski recovering from a minor knee injury, the Warriors will be at full strength against the Bucks for the first time since turning their season around in an 11 -February 3.
Moments before practice opened, The Athletic reported that Wiggins would return to the team this week. This made his presence at practice much less shocking. The Athletic previously reported that Wiggins was dealing with a “serious family matter.”
Wiggins did not describe what kept him away from the team, but said he was excited to be back with the Warriors and get back on the court.
“Just taking care of what I needed to take care of, being present for what I need 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 going.”
Asked if the personal issue that forced him to leave the team had subsided, Wiggins said, “not exactly, but you have to take it day by day.”
The 2022 All-Star is averaging a career-low in points (12.7) and assists (1.7) per game this season, but saw an uptick in production before his absence. In February, Wiggins shot 47.5% from behind the arc and 50.4% overall, finding much more rhythm than earlier in the year.
Last year, Wiggins missed two months of the season for personal reasons. Neither he nor the Warriors have revealed why, as the team has chosen to respect the player’s privacy.
It was the same thing this time around during Wiggins’ much shorter absence. While Wiggins was out, he maintained communication with Kerr and head coach Rick Celebrini. He was a full participant in Tuesday’s practice and will likely start against the Bucks. But it’s impossible to simulate the speed of an NBA game, so it’s possible Wiggins could be on a minutes restriction.
“I don’t care about the basketball part,” Kerr said. “Life is much more important than the game, and so the bottom line is this: If one of our players has a life situation where they need to be with their family, that’s where they will be. And you just want everyone to be well and give them the space that they need. That’s always going to be the case in the way we operate.
With Wiggins returning, Moses Moody will return to a reserve role, although he has done 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 its defense, notably 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 varied skill sets. They were a big reason why the Warriors — despite being beaten in Boston to end a 3-1 road trip — have surged since the All-Star break.
“I found the identity we were looking for,” Wiggins said. “Putting the pieces together that work, and it’s been special these last few games. We put together something good and everyone is playing well, playing together. They look like the real Golden State Warriors.
