Jeff Van Gundy gives the Golden State Warriors a slim chance without Andrew Wiggins - "They don't have enough without Wiggins to win a championship"
Andrew Wiggins has missed the past 16 games for personal reasons and it remains unclear if he will return this season. Former NBA head coach Jeff Van Gundy believes that in order for the Golden State Warriors to have a chance to repeat as champions, Wiggins' return is crucial.
Speaking on 95.7 The Game's Steiny & Guru, the ESPN analyst stated:
"To know [if they can repeat], I'd have to know if Wiggins is going to play because they don’t have enough without Wiggins to win a championship. With Wiggins and with [Steph] Curry playing great, great basketball, they would have a puncher's chance. The Western Conference is down this year. There’s no one who basically I think is unbeatable.
"If they have their full roster and they get [Gary] Payton [II] back as well, then maybe they would have enough. Obviously their road woes are confounding, but they have to get one road win in any given series. I think Wiggins is imperative to their championship hopes and Payton’s important as well."
Check out Jeff Van Gundy's comments on Andrew Wiggins below:
The Golden State Warriors are just 37-36 this season and currently sit in sixth place in the Western Conference. Andrew Wiggins has not played in over a month for undisclosed personal reasons and there is currently no timetable available for his return, however, the team will need him if they hope to repeat as champions.
Draymond Green addresses "disgusting" Andrew Wiggins rumor
Andrew Wiggins' absence has left fans speculating as to why he has not suited up in over a month. A rumor that was created online in regards to the one-time All-Star's family began to gain traction, leading his Golden State Warriors teammate Draymond Green to call out fans, stating:
"Y'all are so thirsty to know what's going on in someone's life that that becomes the thing. Sometimes people disgust me. You don't know what someone is dealing with and then you make them deal with that. What if that's not what the person is dealing with? Stop it. It's disgusting."
Check out Draymond Green's comments on Andrew Wiggins below:
.@Money23Green speaks on the "disgusting" rumors surrounding Andrew Wiggins https://t.co/qMey7MRSL2
Wiggins has averaged 17.1 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.2 spg and 0.8 bpg in 37 games this season. The one-time All-Star has shot 47.3% from the field and a career-high 39.6% from 3-point range. While the Warriors have remained in the postseason race in his absence, it is clear that the team will need him if they hope to repeat as champions.