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The Golden State Warriors had another come-from-behind win against the Portland Trail Blazers in the Western Conference Finals on Saturday night. Their 110-99 win gives them a 3-0 series lead, putting them one win away from another trip to the NBA Finals. However, an injury to Andre Iguodala could spell trouble for them.
Kerr says Iguodala has some soreness in his lower leg. He’ll get an MRI on Sunday.
— Nick Friedell (@NickFriedell) May 19, 2019
Andre Iguodala isn’t necessarily a “star” for the Golden State Warriors. In fact, in Game 3 he scored two points on 1-of-5 shooting and they still won. (It should be noted he also pulled in five rebounds and had two assists and one steal).
However, you would be foolish to think he isn’t a major part of the team’s success. His defensive minutes guarding the opponents’ foremost scorers are enormously valuable to Golden State. If he couldn’t play, the Warriors would suffer at the defensive end of the floor.
Iguodala averaged just 5.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game in the regular season this year. He has elevated his game in the postseason though.
In the playoffs this year, Iguodala is averaging right around 10 points, four rebounds, and four assists. He has also improved on his steals and blocks per game in the 2019 postseason.
Basically, he has taken off the cruise control setting.
Iguodala is the perfect type of role player for the Warriors. He is entirely content not being the star of the show, and can do a little bit of everything — including and especially the ability to play fantastic defense. However, he has also been known to take over games for stretches of time. This allows the superstars a chance to rest and not work themselves into the ground.
If the MRI is anything that could cause Iguodala to miss time, things could change drastically. The Warriors will be losing a veteran leader and a major part of their depth, something that’s incredibly shaky right now with Kevin Durant and DeMarcus Cousins both out.
Luckily for the Warriors, they are up 3-0 in the series against Portland. Therefore, if Iguodala has to sit out a game or two, little damage will be done.
If this calf injury is something that forces him to miss the NBA Finals (should they get there), that could be a totally different story. Here’s hoping it’s nothing too serious.