While the Golden State Warriors suffered a setback with Brandin Podziemski‘s broken nose, there was also some good news.
Kerr told reporters, per Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area, following their October 14 practice that Warriors stars Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins are all expected to return to the lineup against the Los Angeles Lakers on October 15 in Las Vegas.
Curry skipped the Warriors’ 111-93 blowout of the Detroit Pistons on October 13, their fourth preseason win, with a jammed finger. His x-rays returned negative, and he was listed day-to-day.
A photo of Curry with a heavily wrapped right index was shared on X, which raised alarm bells among Warriors fans.
However, the concern quickly dissipated when Curry was spotted without any wrap to his right finger while talking to teammate Buddy Hield during the warmups in the Warriors’ win over the Pistons.
Meanwhile, Green rejoins the lineup after taking the night off against Detroit.
Wiggins will make his much-anticipated preseason debut for the Warriors after missing their first four games while recovering from illness.
It will also mark Wiggins’ first game since the death of his father, Mitchell Wiggins.
Andrew Wiggins Expected to Have Bounce Back Season
Kerr has high hopes for Wiggins to return to his All-Star form now that his personal ordeal is already over.
“It’s been a brutally difficult two years for Wiggs and his family, with his father passing away recently,” Kerr told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Kerith Burke. “It’s been trying for him. There’s no question his dad’s health impacted his play and impacted his well-being. As sad as it is, I’m hopeful his father’s death brings a little peace.
“I know, from experience, over time, that does happen. If Wiggs has a sense of freedom and some peace of mind and his family behind him, which he always does, he’s an unbelievable human being and an incredible athlete, and he’s 29. He’s right in his prime. So I just think this is going to be a great year for him.”
Wiggins was the Warriors’ second-best player when they beat the Boston Celtics in the 2022 NBA Finals.
Kerr hopes he can get that version of Wiggins back this season.
Andrew Wiggins Asked to Jack Up 3-Point Attempts
Kerr’s vision for Wiggins is to become their No. 2 scorer behind Curry. To achieve that, Kerr asked Wiggins to let it fly from the outside.
“To me, I’ve already told him: six 3-pointers a game,” Kerr told Burke. “He is a really good 3-point shooter. It was down a little bit last year, but since he’s been here, 39, 40 percent. I want a lot of 3s, and I want a lot of attacks to the rim. He shot 80-plus percent from the foul line in the second half of the year last year.
“He looks really comfortable in every aspect of the game. And let’s face it, with Klay gone, we need him to step up and be our second scorer after Steph, and we know he’s perfectly capable of that.”
Wiggins only attempted 3.1 3-pointers, while his shooting clip dipped to 35.8% last season, the worst season of his career. He was in and out of the starting lineup while averaging a career-low 13.6 points.
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