(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The Golden State Warriors haven’t been at their best this season.
They’ve been as dominant as usual in the Bay Area, but they’ve won just 9 of 38 games on the road, and that doesn’t bode well for the playoffs.
One could argue that not having Stephen Curry for the better part of the season has a lot to do with their record, but it’s been their defense that has been caught lacking away from home.
That’s why former NBA player JJ Redick believes that the Warriors won’t be able to beat the Sacramento Kings in a hypothetical first-round matchup if Andrew Wiggins isn’t on the court.
Redick states that the Dubs won’t have the home-court advantage, adding that they’re not good at the point-of-attack defense, and that could be a major issue while defending De’Aaron Fox.
More than that, Redick points out how big of a deal Wiggins’ perimeter defense is, especially against such a high-volume three-point shooting team like the Kings.
“[The Warriors] are not winning the West without Andrew Wiggins.”
Agree with @jj_redick? pic.twitter.com/aaheH0q5X2
— First Take (@FirstTake) March 29, 2023
Wiggins has missed the past 20 games while attending an undisclosed family matter.
He was averaging north of 17 points and five boards and was one of the best defenders on the team.
That matchup with the Kings could be one for the ages, as Mike Brown would square off versus his former boss Steve Kerr, not to mention the fact that these two fan bases don’t exactly like each other due to their geographical proximity.
The Warriors still have five more regular-season games, so there’s still a chance that Wiggins is back on the floor, but there have been little-to-no updates on his status or any potential timeline for a comeback.
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