Warriors Rumors: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, James Wiseman, More
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In this week’s episode of The Fast Break Podcast, Fastbreak on FanNation NBA insider and reporter Brett Siegel is joined by the San Francisco Chronicle’s C.J. Holmes to discuss all things Golden State Warriors, who currently find themselves near .500 on the season despite all of their injury concerns.
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Latest Updates On Stephen Curry’s Injury [24:10]
The Golden State Warriors have been without superstar point guard Stephen Curry for their last ten games due to a left shoulder subluxation and while he is scheduled to be re-evaluated by the team’s medical personnel on Saturday, January 7, it is very unlikely that he will be available for their game on the same day against the Orlando Magic.
C.J. Holmes talked about Curry’s status and when we should expect to see the two-time MVP and reigning Finals MVP back out there on the court for the Warriors.
Holmes [24:10]: “The Warriors will have Orlando coming in here next, you know Paolo Banchero who is really talented, but that’s a winnable home game for them. And the best news of all is that Steph Curry is going to be re-evaluated on Saturday. Based on everything we are hearing, I expect Curry to start his official ramp up on Sunday or you know, this week leading up to their five-game road trip. The plan is, based on everything that I am hearing, that Curry will be back on the court in San Antonio.”
NOTE: The Warriors will be in San Antonio on January 13.
Where Is Andrew Wiggins? [28:07]
Injuries have hit the Warriors hard over the last few weeks and in addition to Stephen Curry being on the injury report, Andrew Wiggins has been on there even longer, as he has not played in a game since December 3.
At first, Wiggins was dealing with an adductor injury that he was supposedly going to return from on Christmas Day, but then the Warriors held him out and the All-Star forward ended up getting sick.
He has now missed the Warriors’ last 15 games and while the team said he will be re-evaluated some time this week, there are still no updates on when Wiggins will be returning to the court. Brett and C.J. talked about Andrew Wiggins being out and where he is at in terms of getting back to 100 percent for his team [28:07].
Siegel: Andrew Wiggins has been out since Dec. 3 with that adductor injury and while he was expected to return on Christmas Day, he then got sick and we have yet to really hear any new updates on his status. Is Wiggins good? Should we expect to see him make his return at some point in the next week?
Holmes: Look man, I am going to be really honest with you. I don’t know what is going on with Andrew Wiggins. It is so funny because when he first got hurt, that first news conference after that Rockets game or it might have been the pre-game news conference for the next, we asked Steve [Kerr] if Andrew’s injury is something we should be concerned about and he simply said that there was no concern. This man has now missed 15 games in a row. I mean he has the adductor thing, okay, but then he gets sick, and then he gets sick again? I have a conspiracy theory: It kind of just feels like the Warriors are getting their guys extended rest whenever they get the chance to. Maybe I am wrong and maybe I am crazy, but it just seems like anytime a guy is nicked up or injured, I feel like they try to keep them out the maximum amount of time. Think about it this way – what is happening right now? All of these injuries have given the Warriors’ young players time to get the experience and reps that they need. It’s a win, win.
Siegel: I totally agree with you. It is not crazy to believe that they are just getting their young guys more reps because at the end of the day, it is an 82-game season and you do not necessarily need to play at a high-level in all 82 games in order to make the playoffs and win a championship and the Warriors know this. I don’t think you are crazy for believing that they are just getting their young guys extra time to develop and prove themselves given these injury situations.
Holmes: I think Kerr is liking what he has been seeing from these young guys stepping up. The issue with the Warriors this season and the crazy thing is that Kerr tried to tell us from the jump that there are a lot of new faces and a lot of new pieces. But we the media, we are so quick to say ‘why is it not working out,’ and ‘why is this team struggling?’ All of these injuries have just kind of been a blessing in disguise for this team because they now know who they can trust and rely on. To me, this looks like a team that is bored with the regular season and they are just buying their time until they want to flip the switch and to be honest, that is kind of scary.
Warriors Options Heading Towards The Trade Deadline [35:30]
The trade deadline this season has a chance to once again be eventful, but where do the Golden State Warriors fall in the mix?
Will they look to sacrifice some of their young talent in order to add more established names to their roster to make another strong championship push, or will they look to continue developing and win at the same time?
A lot of opinions have been shared in the media recently about what the Warriors should do, but right now, it seems like they are more than willing to hang back and continue to push forward with their plan [35:30].
Siegel: What do we need to know about the Warriors trending towards the trade deadline? Based on the information I have and have gathered, it seems like this organization and front-office is more than willing to sit back and watch other teams make moves unless they get an offer that they cannot refuse. It just does not feel like James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga or Moses Moody are available right now.
Holmes: I agree with everything you just said. Based on what I am hearing, I don’t envision them making any moves. I don’t think they are ready to give up on James Wiseman yet. They have seen the slow progress he has made and Bob Myers’ two-timeline plan is still alive and well. They are riding this thing out. Wiseman is only 21-years-old and they know that they have him in one of the best player development systems in the league. I think come playoff time, Wiseman is going to be a factor. Moody is always ready as well. These Curry and Wiggins injuries might have been a blessing in disguise because it gave the Warriors a chance to really see what they have. Bob and Steve really have to ask themselves if they want to mess with the success this team has been having and I think the answer is clearly no.
