When Andrew Wiggins was suddenly downgraded to out against the LA Clippers on Thursday with a sore finger, every Warriors fan scoffed. It turns out, the injury is a bit worse than that.
Anthony Slater of The Athletic revealed the details of Wiggins’ injury, and it turns out he actually slammed a car door on his right index finger. Due to the injury, Wiggins has had difficulty shooting a basketball, but Warriors head coach Steve Kerr believes the injury will be short-term.
The Warriors will already be shorthanded without both Chris Paul and Gary Payton II missing time, but that didn’t matter against the LA Clippers. All of the younger and players and role players stepped up in Wiggins’ absence: Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski, and Dario Saric.
After Thursday’s unexpected win against the LA Clippers, the Golden State Warriors improved to a 9-10 record on the season. It’s still way below where they want to be, but it’s at least one game below .500. If this team can string together a few wins in a row, they’ll suddenly find themselves in a good place in the Western Conference.
For the Warriors to get back on that track, they’ll need to beat the LA Clippers again on Saturday, but on the road this time. It remains to be seen whether or not Andrew Wiggins will be available for that game, but it’s clear the Warriors don’t need him to take down LA.