The Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors are back in the same boat. The Lakers (45-34) occupy the 9th spot while the Warriors (43-35) are 10th. With that, the two teams now faceoff for their final battle of the season in the Crypto.com arena. Neither has clinched the play-in berth yet and will continue the extended fight to transition into the post-season. With that, a major change in their rotation around Andrew Wiggins and Gary Payton II takes place.

In the Warriors’ latest injury report, Andrew Wiggins is upgraded to be “probable,” a step up from his initial questionable status. Moreover, Gary Payton II is also in a similar light as Wiggins. And with Stephen Curry‘s reinstation to the lineup after missing the game against Utah Jazz, the Warriors will harbor a healthy unit in LA.

Since last season, Wiggins has lost his touch, which once made him a key player in the Warriors 2022 championship run. However, head coach Steve Kerr claims that “getting him [Wiggins] more involved” with the roster can work wonders. Despite Warriors fans bashing the 29-year-old wing for his inconsistent performances, Kerr believes “He’s a great teammate. He’s still a young guy. Wiggs has plenty of basketball left in him.”

On the other hand, things seem uncertain on the home team’s end. The Lakers currently have both their superstars, Anthony Davis (left-eye soreness) and LeBron James (sickness) as questionable due for Tuesday’s game. With that, Gabe Vincent, who saw the sidelines in their recent loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, has been cleared for action.

As the tip-off nears, one of the two superstars, if not both, can be cleared to step on the court. James is assumed to be recovering from his flu-like symptoms noticed yesterday. Even though the same anticipation revolves around Davis, the Lakers could decide to rest their center due to the recurrence of his injury.

In their 3 games this season, the Warriors have a 2-1 record, posting an average of 133 points per contest. The Lakers have an average of 117.9 points per game throughout the 79 games this season. With their track record, and ambiguity around LeBron and AD, Andrew Wiggins’ inclusion gives the Warriors all the necessary heat.

Warriors record without Andrew Wiggins

Despite a brief absence this season, Wiggins has managed to play most of the Golden State’s games this year. So far, he has only missed 11 contests, with the game-time situations leaning heavily towards the Warriors. The Warriors have an 8-3 record without Andrew Wiggins this season, culminating in a 72% winning chance. However, 6 of their 8 wins come through teams with a worse track record than themselves (Trail Blazers, Nets, Wizards, Jazz, Raptors).

When faring off against teams higher in the standings without Andrew Wiggins, the Warriors have managed to win only 2 games (Knicks and Clippers); losing to Boston Celtics (52-point blowout), Dallas Mavericks, and the Clippers.

On the scoring front, the Warriors are nearly 4 points ahead of their 114.6 points per game without Wiggins. However, Kerr has managed to bolster the defense in Andrew’s absence. They record 6.9 steals and 4.3 per game with Wiggins in rotations, alongside posting 4.7 blocks and 7.4 without him.

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