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The vaccine mandate in San Francisco goes into effect on October 13th. The Golden State Warriors will be wrapping up their final game of the preseason on the 15th. If Andrew Wiggins isn't fully vaccinated by then, he will not play in that game. Almost a week later, the first home game against the Los Angeles Clippers happens. That's when the question can the Warriors win with Wiggins in and out of the lineup will begin.
The Dubs are already without their All-Star shooting guard Klay Thompson. He should be returning sometime during the beginning of the year. Losing Wiggins for basically half the season would be a tough challenge to overcome, and it's not an ideal circumstance. The term next man up is easier said than done, but that would be the only solution for the Warriors.
This offseason, the team added some extra help at the wing positions. They brought back Andre Iguodala and added Otto Porter Jr. In the draft, and they grabbed Moses Moody, a rookie with tremendous upside. Also, you have Damion Lee and the player the team is expecting a big year from Jordan Poole. But that's not all the team could be adding more depth.
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Veterans Avery Bradley and Langston Galloway signed training camp deals to try and snatch a final roster spot from Gary Payton II and Mychal Mulder.
The key to winning with Wiggins in and out of the lineup is one of the above players. A breakout year is necessary for the Warriors to win a ton of games. The new addition to the starting lineup would need to become the team's new starter. One player who everyone is expecting a big year from is the 6 foot 5 Poole. He will likely get the opportunity to start in place of Thompson and will have a chance to make his mark.
If he can become the team's second-leading scorer while Thompson is out, it would be the first step to figuring things out with the Wiggins issue. If he can complete the challenge from Steve Kerr of being a better defender, he might permanently become a starter. With the responsibility of scoring moved to Poole. Whoever fills in when Wiggins during home games would have more of their natural role on the team, which would allow the Dubs to move Wiggins to the bench once Thompson returns. That might be a long reach, but maybe the only logical possibility.
Being a good team isn't what the Warriors are trying to be in the 2021-22 season. They want to be one of the best teams in the NBA. No matter what they do to combat Wiggins missing home games won't be better than having him available for every game.
