The Golden State Warriors are trying their level best to stay afloat in the Western Conference playoff picture without their second-best player, Andrew Wiggins.
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The Warriors’ championship defense after a fairytale 2022 NBA playoff run hasn’t exactly gone to plan. Injuries, a lack of cohesion and terrible road form have kept them near .500 all season long.
The bust-up between Draymond Green and Jordan Poole at the start of this year didn’t help matters. All-in-all, something seems to be lacking in a team that didn’t go beyond 6 games in a single series last year.
Also Read – Andrew Wiggins Wife Cheating: Ugly Rumors Emerge About Best Friend and Mychal Johnson
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Andrew Wiggins was enjoying another great year as the Warriors’ second option this year. However, he missed time with injuries for the first significant spell of his career this season. And if that wasn’t enough, Maple Jordan has been out of action for over a month for personal reasons now.
Here is Steph Curry on Andrew Wiggins’ extended absence
“This is a tough situation with him being away for so long but necessary. Life is bigger than basketball.” pic.twitter.com/nBf6o2qMrC
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) March 12, 2023
However, a video has been floating around Tiktok and other social media discussing the possible reason. The unidentified man in the video below accuses Wiggins’ wife of cheating on him with his best friend.
This may be the reason why Andrew Wiggins is out. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/iGH5lilUK4
— kawhi fan (@KawhiNewEra) March 16, 2023
The main speaker in this video seems to be factually incorrect. After all, Wiggins hasn’t even been married yet – although he does have 2 daughters with his girlfriend Mychal Johnson.
However, the above rumor has already started off the Internet court-martial for Mychal. The comment sections of her Instagram posts already look dastardly in the court of public opinion.
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Judging from the stories we have from reliable sources (like The Athletic, for example), it is clear that these accusations are based on nothing but the rich imagination of a few NBA fans.
How has Wiggins’ absence affected the Warriors?
Andrew Wiggins was perhaps the best defender in last year’s NBA playoffs, all things considered. The 6’8″ swingman guarded 3 different All-NBA players in Ja Morant, Luka Doncic and Jayson Tatum effectively in successive series.
There’s no doubt that his absences this year have affected the Warriors’ fortunes considerably. In his absence, their small-ball lineup requires Jordan Poole to step into a closing role – something he’s not very good at.
If Wiggins does not return for the playoffs, the Warriors’ chances at making the Finals dwindle considerably. He’s their best two-way player, and the only one outside of Steph capable of generating efficient isolation offense.