Is Andrew Wiggins all right? That question may have gone through the minds of several attendees present at the ongoing matchup between the Warriors and the Timberwolves. Initially, the Warriors had avoided the streak of injury issues that had been plaguing the other teams. Now, the past couple of games have seen the Bay Area franchise making adjustments due to recurring ailments amongst players. For fans, the situation had potentially reached the worst point when De’Anthony Melton was sidelined indefinitely. Then, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green ended up missing the previous game. Now, even as the veteran duo returned, Wiggins’ attempt at not being too careful with injury management seems to have cost him big.

A few minutes ago, NBA reporter Anthony Slater broke the news that both Andrew Wiggins and Moses Moody have been declared ‘OUT’ of the remaining minutes of the Warriors-Timberwolves matchup. The update comes after Wiggins rolled his right ankle as 35 seconds remained in the 3 quarter. The player felt the seriousness of the injury when he immediately headed to the locker room after sustaining it.

Andrew Wiggins had earlier been listed on the Injury Report as ‘questionable’. After reports came in that the player had sustained a right ankle impingement, the team made the update. This did not stop him from performing against the Houston Rockets. The availability of Curry and Green against the Minnesota Timberwolves would have allowed Wiggins to get some rest. After all, as Bucks head Doc Rivers recently highlighted, playing back-to-back games, while riddled with an injury, can have unwanted consequences. Despite this, Wiggins made himself available.

He played on the court for 19 minutes, and dropped 11 points and 2 rebounds in the process. Soon after that, he was captured noticeably limping on his right ankle, and getting subbed out early. With a further aggravation of the injury, Wiggins may have possibly ruled himself out of quite a few upcoming games.

Wiggins’ heading to the locker room worsened because Moses Moody also did not come out of the locker room after halftime. According to reports, the 22-year-old shooting guard apparently suffered a knee impingement. He played only seven minutes in the first half. The Golden State Warriors could not recover from the absence of both scorers, and lost the game by a score of 107-90. A win in the previous matchup had finally brought the Warriors’ 5-game loss streak to an end. Now, it seems the squad is back to repeating that before they could even establish a win streak. To avoid going deeper into their precarious position, the squad will have to properly fill the void left with Wiggins and Moody’s absence.

How can the Warriors proceed without Andrew Wiggins?

According to RotoWire, Lindy Waters III and Gary Payton II can see an increased playtime to cover for Andrew Wiggins. With no further updates provided yet on the severity of the 29-year-old Canadian’s injury, it is hard to tell how long he will remain ‘OUT’ for. Nevertheless, the two players have been consistent in their appearances, and surely cover for Wiggins.

The tertiary shooting guard for the Warriors, Lindy Waters III made 18 appearances this season. He started in 8 of the games. With an average playtime of 17.3 minutes, he has managed to average 5.9 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.2 assists. Waters III has fared a bit well on the shooting front. He has averaged 40.2% field goals, 34.8% three-pointers, and 80% free throws. Meanwhile, being the tertiary small forward, Gary Payton II has played in 22 games, but started in only 2. His stats are even lower than Lindy Waters III. After all, 12.7 minutes of average playtime only allowed him to average 4.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.1 assists.

Despite this, the duo may be enough to assist Stephen Curry and Buddy Hield on the offensive front. At least till Wiggins returns. Should the primary small forward return soon, there is a good chance that the Warriors management will be extra careful with his minutes.