Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins has seen his status downgraded to questionable ahead of his team’s must-win Game 6 against the Lakers on Friday, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Slater reports that Wiggins has suffered a left costal cartilage fracture. This is the area of the rib cage that connects the ribs to the sternum.
It’s discouraging news for the Warriors, who are coming off a blowout 121-106 Game 5 win over Los Angeles on Wednesday. In that victory, Wiggins scored 25 points on 10-of-18 shooting, his best output in 12 playoff games this season. He also pulled down seven rebounds, dished out an assist and notched one steal.
For the series, the 6’7″ combo forward out of Kansas is averaging 16.8 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 2.8 APG, and 0.6 SPG across 33.2 MPG. The Lakers still lead the Warriors 3-2, meaning Golden State will have to win out to advance to its second straight Western Conference Finals appearance.
If Wiggins sits, it will be fascinating to see which player head coach Steve Kerr opts to insert into his starting lineup. Among Warriors players already seeing rotation minutes in this series, Moses Moody makes the most positional sense, but perhaps Kerr will decide to reinsert a bigger floor spacer like JaMychal Green back into his first five, or shift center Kevon Looney to a starting role and move Draymond Green back to power forward.
What in dee HAIL !!!!
Questionable as in he’ll play? Or questionable as in he’ll deliver?
Same injury that Looney had in the 2019 Finals, played through the pain but wasn’t comfortable. Bad news for GSW. Anything that makes Kerr dip into the bench turns them into mush.
Looney had a fractured collarbone. Looney was out for the Finals. Wiggins has a fractured rib cage. How are those 2 injuries the same?
Wiggins went to Kansas, not Kentucky @Alex Kirschenbaum
I’m also concerned about AD’s brain injury. He clearly has a concussion yet the Lakers are shirking what is clearly a violation here if he plays. Bad times all round for everyone on that.
I don’t see how that was shot to the head but to the side of the face. The way Nuggets are playing they should be favorites for the championship. I bet on Nuggets at the start. I don’t see anyone getting past them unless a injury occurs. Wouldn’t mind seeing them win it if GSW don’t make it.
You are obviously not a doctor. How can you make a diagnosis?
Are andre Iguodala and/or Kumonga available at all? I know about the wrist for Iguodala, but thought he was almost good to go, and I’m not aware of an issue with Kuminga
I’ve cracked my sternum/chest plate/separated rib before and that $#!+ hurts, especially when you do certain things, although you can pretty much do other stuff with it, unless it’s really bad. Breathing kind of sucks though, but you get used to it. It took me years to heal from that.
Kuminga doesn’t get a lot of trust from Kerr. He’s talented but inconsistent. He may also be dealing with injury.
Iggy is out cold. He had wrist surgery like a month and a half ago, so he’s probably barely started rehabbing.
This is gamesmanship ladies and germs. Wiggins will be fine and probably have 20.
Nice. Go Lakers
Wiggins buggin out
They gave you like 2 months paid time off in the middle of the playoff hunt. Time to suck it up and play through the pain.
Coldest take award