Andrew Wiggins returning for Warriors to tip off road trip

HOUSTON — Warriors wing Andrew Wiggins, who missed the last two games due to a back strain, is set to return and rejoin the starting lineup on Saturday night against the Houston Rockets.

Wiggins, 29, is averaging 19.7 points and 6.7 rebounds in his three games this season. The Warriors talked him up in the preseason, saying they were optimistic he’d return to his 2022 standard for a variety of reasons, and they’ve been proven right thus far.

Wiggins told reporters in Houston on Friday that he felt his back first flare up in the team’s season-opening game against the Blazers. But he’s feeling good and practiced in full ahead of Saturday’s contest — which tips off a difficult road trip.

Golden State’s first test is the Rockets, who are 3-2 and most recently defeated the Dallas Mavericks. The Warriors then head to the nation’s capital for a tilt against Jordan Poole and the Wizards before three matchups against three of the best teams in the league: Boston, Cleveland and Oklahoma City.

“We know the competition’s about to get harder this week, so it’ll be a good test for us,” Kerr told reporters Friday.

Wiggins will be back in the fold, and Steph Curry and De’Anthony Melton could soon join him. Both guards are ruled out for Saturday’s game, but they both got on-court workouts in during morning shootaround.

Curry, who sprained his left ankle (officially listed as a peroneal strain) against the Clippers on Oct. 27, will miss a third straight game before getting re-evaluated Sunday. Melton, who had serious back issues last season, remains sidelined with a strained lower back he described as much milder than what he experienced last year. The team is approaching his injury with caution, and he’ll be re-evaluated next Friday, ahead of the Cavaliers game.

Both participated in shooting drills and half-court live action during shootaround. They finished their workout with baseline-to-baseline sprints and some encouragement from Buddy Hield, who watched while shooting 3-pointers nearby.

“There you go, Melt, there you go, Steph. Top of the morning,” Hield said.

Without Curry, Wiggins and Melton for the past two games, the Warriors removed Jonathan Kuminga from the starting lineup to add more floor spacing into their starting unit while maintaining front-court continuity with Draymond Green and Trayce Jackson-Davis.

Speaking with reporters on Friday after practice, head coach Steve Kerr declined to share how Wiggins’ return might affect his starting five.

Last game, Golden State started Brandin Podziemski, Lindy Waters III, Moses Moody, Green and Jackson-Davis. The game before, Hield was in Waters’ spot.

Off the bench, often in lineups with one other big, Kuminga put together his two best games of the season, scoring 17 and 16 points in a pair of blowout wins over New Orleans.

“He’s handled this quick role change — with Steph and Wiggs off — really well,” Kerr said on Oct. 30. “He’s played back-to-back great games. He’s such an important guy for us, with his size and athleticism and his ability to score.”

Notable

— The Warriors rank second in the NBA in defensive rating, behind only the Thunder. Kerr has repeatedly said that this current group is more equipped to defend the ball than last season’s team. He and players have also praised new assistant coach Jerry Stackhouse for implementing new principles and instilling accountability.

“The number one thing in defense is always personnel,” Kerr told reporters on Friday. “Scheme is overrated. We are better able to stay in front of the ball this year. And because of that, we’re not having to get into rotations. We’re just putting ourselves in better shape every possession. With that said, guys are playing really hard and our defensive coaches are doing a great job preparing them.”

— Podziemski, who broke his nose in the preseason, will continue wearing a protective mask through this road trip. The mask limits his vision, especially in the periphery, and could be a major factor in his 20.7% start from 3-point land this year.

Aside from the outside shot, Podziemski has played well — especially in a starting role for the past two games. In those two contests, he registered 32 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists with four turnovers in 71 minutes. He currently leads the NBA in plus-minus (+17.4).