SAN FRANCISCO — The Warriors ruled out Andrew Wiggins ahead of their contest against the Timberwolves, meaning Golden State will be without its best point-of-attack defender against Anthony Edwards.
The right ankle impingement that knocked Wiggins out has been an issue for a couple weeks now and flared up on Friday night — the Warriors’ first meeting with Minnesota.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr said the injury isn’t a long-term concern for the wing and described Wiggins as day-to-day. Wiggins has missed three games this season.
“It’s all part of it,” Kerr said. “People are missing games all over the league. You just lean into your depth.”
Not only is Wiggins the Warriors’ best perimeter defender, he also ranks second on the team in scoring at 17.2 points per game. The veteran is shooting 42.7% from 3, a crucial mark for a team desperate for consistent shooting around Steph Curry.
The Warriors have lost six of seven, including Friday night’s 107-90 defeat. In that game, Minnesota’s aggressive, athletic and rangy defense choked out the Warriors’ offense in the halfcourt, limiting Golden State to a 15-point second quarter and an 18-point fourth.
Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards closed the Warriors out and finished with 30 points and nine assists. He was significantly more productive after Wiggins exited when his ankle flared up.
Edwards is ninth in the league in scoring, averaging 26.4 points per game. He’s taking more 3s than ever, sinking 42.2% of them.
Without Wiggins, the Warriors had to press pause on their experiment to move Draymond Green to the bench. They’re starting Steph Curry, Gary Payton II, Buddy Hield, Jonathan Kuminga and Green. Brandin Podziemski will once again lead the second unit, and Green will likely play heavy minutes alongside Kevon Looney to contend with Minnesota’s bigs.
It’s their 14th different starting lineup in 23 games this season.
Kerr had decided to move Draymond Green off the bench this weekend in an effort to maximize Jonathan Kuminga. Like David Lee did for him, Green knows the significance of veterans showing — not just saying — support for younger players. And like Andre Iguodala did 10 years ago, Green accepted the decision with professionalism.
“I think as a coach, you try things that you think might work,” Kerr said. “But you have to recognize where guys are emotionally, spiritually. You can’t overlook that or you might make a bad decision. Very proud of Draymond for handling the way he did.”
The expectation is that the team will put the ball in Kuminga’s hands more often. Against the Rockets earlier this week, without Green and Curry, Kuminga matched his career-high with 33 points and ran pick-and-rolls effectively down the stretch.
As the Warriors have lost six of their past seven games, Kerr has decided that the time has come for more drastic experimentation. Green and Curry are on board, at least for the time being. Kuminga’s ability to perform in an elevated role will determine how long the trial period goes.
Notable
— Asked about the trend of players working out by lifting weights after games, Kerr said, “In the old days, we grabbed a cigarette and a Big Mac and called it a night. So times have changed.”
— Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch likes the baseball-style schedule of playing a team twice in a row because if “feels a lot like a playoff preparation” in that both coaching staffs can make adjustments between games.
— Kerr praised both Green and Curry’s leadership in regard to their willingness to make changes amid the team’s current slide — Green with his nebulous role and Curry adjusting his traditional substitution pattern.
“It really is a collaboration,” Kerr said. “This is why I’m really high on this team, because I feel a connection and a sacrifice that will carry us through the difficult times, like this one right now.”
