June 4, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) moves the ball against the defense of Golden State Warriors guard Andre Iguodala (9) during the overtime period in game one of the NBA Finals. at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Outside of the Golden State Warriors, not many realize the kind of effect Andre Iguodala has on this team.
The 31-year old has been criticized for his lackluster stats and hefty contract during his tenure with the Warriors. It’s true; he isn’t the best shooter in the world. It’s true; he doesn’t have the bounce in his step like he did a few years ago. And it’s true, he isn’t a starter on the best team in the league.
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However, it’s simply ridiculous to deny the fact that Iguodala is one of the most valuable players for Golden State. Stephen Curry is clearly the most valuable, but outside of the obvious, it comes down to guys like Draymond Green, Andrew Bogut, and Iguodala.
Jun 4, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Iguodala’s performance in Game 1 of the NBA Finals was complete evidence of his importance to the team.
Most people assume that if a player comes off the bench, they should have a shoot-first mindset. The 6th Man of the Year award has gone to the likes of Jamal Crawford and Lou Williams as of late. Iguodala has just as much impact off the bench as any of those scorers, if not, more.
His defense on LeBron James in Game 1 was impressive. James did finish with a Finals’ career high of 44 points, but he took nearly 40 shots to get it done. He was held under his average and had only six assists and had four turnovers to go with it. Iguodala turned him into a jump shooter.
“I thought he was fantastic. Andre is one of the smartest defenders I’ve ever seen,” Steve Kerr said. “I thought Andre did extremely well and made LeBron take some tough shots.”
James was loose early in the game when Iguodala had not seen the floor yet. The King looked like the only comfortable player on the court until the substitution was made.
Coach Kerr could have gone with Harrison Barnes, Klay Thompson, or the runner-up Defensive Player of the Year in Draymond Green, but it was Iguodala who stuck with James.
“He may not have the same weight, he’s giving up 50 pounds or so but Andre knows what he’s doing,” Kerr said. “We feel like Andre has guarded him [LeBron James] the most, he’s been in the league for 10, 11 years, he’s guarded him an awful lot so we stayed with him.”
Iguodala played 32 minutes and ended up with 15 points on 6-8 shooting. He also made 2 three-pointers, including one without a shoe on his foot.
June 4, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
He made timely passes and understood when to push the tempo. He gave the Warriors numerous momentum swings. In the first quarter, Iguodala had a crossover on James and ended the quarter with a dunk. In the third, he had another timely play to get a dunk off to end the quarter.
He hustled harder than any Warriors player Tuesday night despite being one of the oldest on the team. His presence on the court during overtime was essential, and Kerr knew it. There is a reason why he wasn’t taken out of the game. He served as the primary playmaker to help the other guys get easy baskets.
The numbers won’t always show it and that’s been the story of Iguodala’s career. Look for him to continue to defend the best player in the game during the rest of these Finals.
Games like this is why Andre Iguodala was acquired. With the way he’s playing in the postseason, he’s demonstrating why he was given that big contract. If Andre Iguodala keeps up this effort and hard work, the Warriors will be in a great place at the end of this series.