Jun 11, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Andre Iguodala (9) celebrates with forward Draymond Green (23) during the third quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers in game four of the NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
A lot of promise is shown during an introductory press conference. Whether it’s management, a coach or players being announced, these moments are a fresh start, an idea that something better is on the horizon. For lesser franchises, these can simply mean more wins in the beginning stages of a rebuilding process. For contenders, it’s a chance at making the next step.
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“I think they were missing one piece,” Andre Iguodala said on July 11, 2013, the day he was introduced as the newest member of the Golden State Warriors. “And hopefully I can be that piece to get that team to where we all want to be, which is to try and win a championship.”
The Warriors were coming off a 47-35 season that saw them lose to the San Antonio Spurs in the second round of the playoffs. They were a team trying to crawl out of the depths known as the NBA middle ground: not quite yet championship caliber but not bad enough warrant serious rebuilding.
In comes Iguodala, a free agent general manager Bob Myers said was “targeted from Day 1” and would help this franchise take that coveted next step so many NBA teams want to take. The acquisition didn’t feel a need, as Harrison Barnes was still on the roster and drafted largely due to the gaping hole at the small forward position.
“His versatility as a player should help us tremendously on both sides of the court,” said Myers back in July of 2013. “And we feel that his specific, unique skill set blends very well with the players already on our roster.”
That specific, unique skill set couldn’t have been clearer on Thursday: it was Game 4 of the NBA Finals, the biggest stage the league has to offer and a stage Iguodala dreamed about on the day he held up his Warriors jersey for the first time. As one of the team captains and his team trailing 2-1 in the series, they needed another momentous performance, and he delivered in every way possible.
Masked with the tremendous task of defending LeBron James, Iguodala was doing an admirable job in the previous three games despite James’ gaudy numbers – averaging 41 points, 12 rebounds and 8.3 assists heading in to Game 4. While Harrison Barnes, Klay Thompson and others would start on James, it was Iguodala who when checked in would be entrusted with the four-time MVP.
William S. Borroughs once said, “desperation is the raw material of drastic change,” and head coach Steve Kerr made exactly that in the hours leading up to the most important game of his coaching life. Instead of sticking with the 67-win starting lineup that should’ve awarded him Coach of the Year, Kerr, in the midst of consistent dominance by Timofey Mozgov, benched Andrew Bogut in favor of Iguodala in hopes of pushing the pace and giving the offense a much needed jolt.
Jun 11, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
The move looked shaky early, as the Cavaliers got out to a quick 7-0 lead, grabbing five rebounds in the first two minutes and pushing the “too small” narrative to even greater heights. After a timeout, the Warriors then settled, eventually taking the lead and finishing with their best quarter of the series: 31 points, 46 percent shooting, zero turnovers and most importantly, a 7-point lead.
“The move changes the chess board,” said Kerr after his team’s 103-82 win. “So I think it was important to get better spacing. We had five guys out there who can run pretty fast; so we got up and down the floor pretty quickly and that helped us get off to a better start.”
The shift from defense to offense was first seen in Game 3, as Kerr opted for David Lee in 13 minutes of solid play at the center position. Iguodala had clearly been outplaying Barnes, but Kerr has always preferred the veteran on the bench to cement the second-unit. But, his hand was forced, and even with such an obvious replacement more readily available (Barnes), the needed change of such a move on both sides of the ball was only possible through the benching of Bogut.
The lineup change looked all but impractical after the Cavaliers start, but Kerr showed incredible fortitude as he stuck with the despite early signs showing otherwise. Kerr saw a faster pace and one his team would only benefit from if continued. The results quickly followed, as not only did his team finish with a lead at the end of a quarter for only the second time all series, but most importantly, established their identity once again.
There’s no denying Bogut’s strengths, but in this particular series his weaknesses are far more hurtful than any contributions he may have. The Aussie only logged 2:56 of play, and yet was still just slightly more invisible than Matthew Dellavedova, who regressed to the mean with a putrid shooting performance – 3-for-14 from the field (2-for-9 form deep) and 10 points – and less than stellar defense.
The lineup change and faster pace helped Draymond Green get back on track, who had his best game of the Finals with 17 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Green was once again the beneficiary of constant Curry traps, but this time, he took advantage by finding open teammates, driving with force and showing little hesitation in making any such move. It was the Green many saw during the entire season, and one the Warriors will need as the series heads back to Oakland.
Jun 9, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
The Warriors sent more help on James than previous games, which led to only seven made baskets, frustration and some stitches. As a result, Mozgov was the inheritor of much of the offensive production, which was just fine from the Warriors’ point of view. James was forced to be a distributor most of the night and never found his rhythm offensively, a direct result of the quicker and consistent help his opposition flashed all night.
Iguodala has been the best Warrior of the series thus far, and it’s no coincidence that his insertion into the starting lineup helped set the tone for the best game of the series. The Warriors found themselves in Game 4, a refreshing sight for many and a scary one for the Cavaliers, who looked confused, exhausted and defeated for much of the night.
The series now shifts to Oracle Arena on Sunday for what could be the final game of the season in Oakland. The series is now 2-2 but the momentum screams Golden State. Fans will be deafening, the team will be ready and Cleveland will need more heroics from their hero. Luckily for the Warriors, they’ve had a cast of heroes all season.
At this point of the series, Iggy does deserve MVP consideration, especially since he has to guard the best forward in the eastern conference. James, Steph could go off for 50 in the next couple of games, and since they are stars, they will get first dibs, but Iggy has almost come from nowhere to be a key difference maker so I hope he keeps it up.