The Golden State Warriors are now undefeated in the pre-season, beating both the Lakers and the Clippers on their home court. The Warriors beat the Lakers convincingly last night, but it came at a price. Andre Iguodala broke his nose during the game and finished with seven points, three rebounds, and two assists in 15 minutes of action.
Iguodala was brought to Golden State for his defensive skills and the Warriors need him to be successful. However, head coach Steve Kerr didn’t seemed too worried during their practice in Santa Monica this morning:
Andre broke his nose and he didn’t practice today. He’s getting checked out, but everybody else came out unscathed.
A broken nose is not too serious, but he might have to wear a mask for the the rest of the pre-season. Iguodola missed practice today, but will likely travel with the team to Ontario to once again take on the Lakers. Luckily, the Warriors have not had any other injuries during these two games in Los Angeles, which bodes well as they prepare for the regular season. Festuz Ezeli and Shaun Livingston are battling back from injuries, but they should be ready for the start of the regular season as well.
The Warriors do have some depth, so replacing Iguodala will be simple for Kerr. There has been some discussion whether to insert Harrison Barnes in the starting line-up and bring Iguodola off the bench, so this will be a great opportunity for Barnes to make his case. Iguodala is the superior defender, but Barnes does show some promise.