^{by Matt Anderson}

Andrew Wiggins last suited up for the Warriors on February 13, 2023. So far this season, he's played 37 of 69 possible games, or approximately 53% of the Dubs' games. Prior to this season, he hadn't missed more than 11 games in a season. In an age where the top talent regularly sit out games just because, Wiggins is an iron man.

This year, he's missed time for multiple leg injuries and illnesses, and now, he's out for personal reasons. Understandably (especially after last year's vaccine kerfuffle), the Warriors are respecting Wiggins' privacy and keeping everything tight lipped.* The lack of information, combined with the Warriors lack of consistency all year, has some fans frustrated by Wiggs's absence.

*It's also important to note that not a single player, coach, staff member, executive, or team employee has so much as hinted they do not agree with Wiggins' leave of absence. In today's gossip-hungry NBA, if there was even a whiff of discord caused by Andrew's time away from the team, someone would have said something. The absence, and the absolute unanimity from top to bottom of the organization, speaks volumes.

But we all need to take a breath and look at the bigger picture. Yes, Wiggins showed the world last year that he is not a "bust." He silenced all the haters by being the second best player during a championship run.** He locked down elite players like Luka and Tatum. He was a monster on the glass. And his offense was steady to the tune of 18.4 points per game over the Western Conference Finals and Finals.

**I give him second-best because there were a few games where Draymond was a liability instead of an asset. See, e.g., Game 4. And Draymond is years removed from having the type of scoring impact Wiggins had in the playoffs.

The Warriors need Andrew Wiggins. Full Stop. We absolutely need his wing defense right now down the stretch run, and his reliable, pragmatic offensive game would work wonders for an offense that tends to settle for the homerun 3 instead of the easy 2. In short, Wiggs is a model of steady, reliable, get the job done, two-way play. And this season, the Warriors need every ounce of consistency they can wring out of their Jekyll and Hyde roster.

But some things are more important than basketball, and family is certainly one of them. This man's track record the last few years has earned him the leeway and the grace he is taking at this very moment. Wiggins has shown throughout his 9-year career that he only misses games if he has to. Since he arrived in the Bay Area, he has committed himself to playing winning, team-oriented basketball. He put the team and winning above his stats and even his personal beliefs. Furthermore, his performance in last year's playoffs should have more than earned him the trust and respect of Dub Nation.

Family issues are not something to take lightly; I hope that Warriors fans can see that. Hopefully, whatever is happening is something that does not have a lasting harm to Andrew, his partner, his children, or anyone else in his family. It is my sincere hope that they overcome this challenge soon, and I will be rooting for them every step of the way, even though they have decided to keep it private (which is their absolute right). Warriors fans should take this opportunity to show we are about more than just basketball. We get a bad rap sometimes for our wild reactions to things going wrong (sometime fairly, sometimes not; I certainly hit the panic button prematurely more times than I care to admit). Let's go against that caricature.

There is often not enough empathy in this world. Now is the perfect time for Dub Nation to change that. Whatever is happening with Andrew, we should support our All-Star, our champ, our two-way Swiss Army knife and cheer him loudly when he finally comes back to lace 'em up for the Dubs again.