SAN FRANCISCO — Andrew Wiggins, who has been out since Dec. 4, may not return in time for the Warriors’ Christmas game against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Wiggins has missed nine games with a right adductor strain and only recently started practicing with the team. He practiced fully on Friday, but coach Steve Kerr said it is undecided if he will be ready to play on Sunday night.
Having both Wiggins and Steph Curry — both having All-Star and, in Curry’s case, an MVP-caliber season — out against the first-place Grizzlies puts the struggling Warriors at a disadvantage. They’re coming off a dismal 1-5 East Coast road trip hoping to start an eight-game homestand on the right foot.
JaMychal Green also remains out for Christmas in health and safety protocols. But Donte DiVincenzo practiced fully and is probable to return for the game. A non-COVID illness had him sidelined for the Warriors’ back-to-back losses against the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets.
Without their stars, the Warriors will hope to use this Western Conference semifinal rematch as an opportunity to toughen up mentally for a crucial month. At 15-18 sitting currently in the play-in spot looking up, the Warriors’ playoff hopes could hinge on a successful homestand. Draymond Green says success will come when the team sharpens up mentally.
“From a confidence perspective. Everything that comes from the mental. Confidence. Game plan discipline. All of the things that you should understand it takes to win on the road,” Green said.
“You start to go through these things and you start to believe them. When you believe them, it becomes who you are and you have to break that. The only way you can break that is to be mentally tough. And right now I think we’re very fragile.”
Kerr noted the Warriors lost nine of 11 last March before their title run. They’ve taken a few confidence hits and gutting losing streaks even in their best years. Though this team hasn’t shown if they can hit a stride, the core has proven they know how to bounce back.
“Number one, you just have to stay the course,” he said. “Number two, you have to rely on your recent history, rely on the vets who have been there who have been through these journeys where there’s always peaks and valleys like last year. And then it’s really important that your vibe in the building remains positive and upbeat.”
