The Golden State Warriors sorely missed the defense of their top all-around hound Andre Iguodala, a sixth man that has made his living in this system for the past five seasons from clawing into his matchup.
Iguodala took a hit on the knee during Game 3 and wasn't deemed fit to take the floor, with head coach Steve Kerr opting to trot out Kevon Looney in the starting rotation with the Hamptons Five lineup no longer available.
“Well, obviously, he’s a great defender, and he’s a guy I think he led the league in assist to turnover ratio,” Kerr said of Iguodala after a 95-92 loss in Game 4 of the series, according to Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post. “…You guys have heard me sing his praises for years. He’s an organizer. He’s a guy who settles us down. He continuously makes the right play.”
Iguodala is also holding down the Rockets' key iso-stars Chris Paul and James Harden to an impressive 1-of-41 from the field in plays where he's the primary defender, according to Second Spectrum.
This particular feat proves important due to his ability not only to contest shots but force turnovers and turn defense into offense in the blink of an eye, much like his brethren Draymond Green.
Golden State will only have one day in between games to rest, which the Warriors are hoping is enough for Iguodala to get into gear after the series is even at 2-2, forced to steal home court once again.
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