Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins has officially been cleared to return to action on Saturday for Game 1 of Golden State’s first-round playoff series against the Kings, per The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
This would be Wiggins’s first game appearance since Feb. 13 after he left the team to deal with a family matter as his father battles a “serious medical condition.” He returned to the team during the last week of the regular season, but missed the final 25 games of the season.
Wiggins is not expected to start on Saturday for Game 1, but instead is expected to come off the bench for 20 to 25 minutes of game time, sources told Charania.
Coach Steve Kerr noted that medical staff cleared Wiggins for the game, but it’s unknown now if there will be an official minutes restriction on the forward, per the Associated Press’s Janie McCauley.
“I think it sort of depends on how he feels tomorrow and going into Saturday,” Kerr said, via ESPN. “On the one hand, Wiggs is one of those guys who just doesn’t seem to fall out of shape or get tired. He’s just a naturally gifted athlete. On the other hand, he hasn’t played in 10 weeks. So maybe the game will dictate it. We’ll just have to play it by ear.”
In 37 game appearances this season, Wiggins posted averages of 17.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists while shooting a career-high 39.6% from three-point range.
