If anything is going to make Warriors fans feel better about the egg their team laid in Denver on Sunday, it's the Andrew Wiggins news. He's coming back!
The Warriors are in a precarious playoff predicament at the moment, but even if they end up in the play-in, this is a better outcome than a top-six seed without Wiggins. Assuming Wiggins gets back up to speed in relatively short order, Golden State would become a legitimate threat to win the Western Conference and perhaps even claim what would be a fifth NBA title in nine years.
That is not an exaggeration in terms of Wiggins' impact on this team. His ability to defend elite wings with size is first and foremost. His rebounding will be a huge help to a team that has to scrap for everything it's worth to finish the stops they do muster with a board. His one-on-one creation and dependable shooting.
Wiggins was the second-best player on a championship team last season. We're not talking about a nice addition here. This is potentially landscape-shifting stuff. With Gary Payton II and Donte DiVincenzo, this becomes a dangerous defensive team again with Wiggins in the fold, notably in small lineups.
There's no word yet on when Wiggins will make his return. I would guess they'll try to get him into one or two of these last four regular-season games to get some of the rust off. But if he's out of rhythm, Golden State can't mess around. They still have to get in this thing.
The Warriors have a three very winnable games remaining: OKC at home, then on the road for Sacramento, which could have the third seed locked up and thus have nothing to play for, and the Blazers, who are in full tank mode (though they forgot to tell the Timberwolves on Sunday).
However it plays out, whether it's the play-in or a top-six slot, the Warriors are in a far better position today than they were before word broke that they're getting Wiggins back. It's been a rough season so far, but the pieces could be falling into place to render the season-long struggles (particularly on the road) moot as Golden State gears up for yet another ring run.
