The short-handed Golden State Warriors are about to get some much-needed veteran support. Shockingly, it's coming with Andrew Wiggins and Stephen Curry almost certain to remain sidelined by injury.
Andre Iguodala announced on the latest episode of Point Forward that he will make his long-awaited season debut in Saturday's game against the Orlando Magic.
“ET, got some big news, fam. Well, it's Point Forward Friday,” Iguodala said, talking with co-host Evan Turner. “We got 24 hours 'til I step on the court, man. It's a go. Officially announcing it on Point Forward. Hope the fan base is excited. I'm a little nervous, but actually I'm also excited. You know, I try to play it cool, calm and collected all the time, but excited to get there on the court. It's finally happened. A lot of folks been asking. Patience is a virtue, and now we're here.”
Iguodala's debut comes as a major surprise. Though there's never been a public timetable for him to take the court in 2022-23, Steve Kerr said on Monday he was still unaware of the veteran forward's status.
Iguodala has been listed for weeks on the Warriors' official injury report as out due to injury management of his left hip.
Golden State has been subject to a depleted roster since early December, when Wiggins was initially sidelined by a strained right adductor. Curry went down with a left shoulder injury on December 14th and hasn't played since, his status set to be updated on Saturday. Wiggins (illness), Jonathan Kuminga (left foot strain), James Wiseman (right foot strain) and JaMychal Green (right leg infection) will all be re-evaluated next week.
It's unclear how many minutes Kerr will afford Andre Iguodala on Saturday night, but pretty much any role he's able to play would be a boon for the Warriors, who've been relegated to a nine-man rotation their last two games. When Golden State is finally back at full-strength, the 38-year-old is expected to play a limited, part-time role off the bench, providing ancillary playmaking, smart defense and two-way poise that's often eluded the defending champions' reserve units this season.
The Warriors and Magic tipoff on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. (PT) from Chase Center.
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