When you think of the Golden State Warriors' defense, the two obvious names that ignite it are usually Draymond Green with his unmatched ability to literally guard five positions and then Klay Thompson who is the designated stopper on whichever perimeter threat the opposing team has in store. It's very easy to forget about Andre Iguodala, despite being a byword when it comes to gritty defense ever since he got drafted in 2004, simply because of his role as a bench player in limited minutes as well as the fact that he's getting up there in age.
But the 6-foot-7 do-it-all forward is still a force to be reckoned with defensively, as an important stat line has been revealed of late showing just how vital he is to the Dubs on the other end.
Important stat in the playoff lens: Warriors have a 103.0 defensive rating with Andre Iguodala on the court this season. Best D in NBA (Bucks) have a 104.2 rating. Warriors team rating is 109.3. https://t.co/sZZthBfOUN
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) March 4, 2019
For all the talk about the Warriors' high-octane offense, they wouldn't have won several titles if it weren't for their prolific defense – which unfortunately has sputtered this season. It's been so bad (by their standards at least) that the reigning NBA champions plummeted all the way to 16th in defensive rating this year.
But with Iguodala apparently a featured member of a group that has a considerably higher defensive rating than the league-leading Milwaukee Bucks, that is good news for the Warriors knowing that when the postseason hits, the rotations shorten and the 35-year-old is a fixture of their “Death line-up” ensuring that maybe their defensive woes in the regular season are a tad exaggerated.
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