When the Cleveland Cavaliers take on the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals there will be a lot of storylines and players focused on. LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson all will draw attention. Even J.R. Smith, Draymond Green, Tristan Thompson and Harrison Barnes will get some love. The men in the middle, Timofey Mozgov and Andrew Bogut, will play huge roles both teams defenses.
Yet Andre Iguodala could be a key player in the results of the NBA Finals. Iggy has long been a favorite of this writer but has fallen out of the limelight a bit since his signing with the Warriors. Once one of those “Almost Max Players” who was not good enough to carry a team but versatile and talented enough to make a huge impact, this AI has been relegated to the bench.
In Philly, Iguodala put up big number for a few years, averaging over 17 points in 4 straight seasons to go along with over 5 board and almost 5 assists per game. Never a great shooter, Iggy still managed to put up a solid FG%, 46% from his career, while shooting around 31% from deep for most of his 10 seasons. AI was always a strong defender who could match-up with point guards, shooting guards and small forwards. He has averaged over 1.7 steals per game for his career as well.
When he signed with Golden State he seemed like the perfect compliment to the Curry and Thompson bombs away backcourt. Last year, in his first season, he averaged over 32 minutes but so his scoring drop to 9.3 PPG, lowest since his rookie campaign. This year, not only has his scoring dropped again, but his minutes have plummeted under 27 a game. That is by far a career low. His post-season numbers are similar as well.
Yet, Andre Iguodala could be the key to this series. If Iggy is able to play well, he will allow the Warriors to match-up with the Cavaliers when they go small. When the Cavs go with Thompson at center and James at the 4, the Warriors could move Green to the center spot if Iggy can take on the task of guarding LeBron, something he has done in the past. He will also need to be a threat on the offensive end so that LBJ can’t just play the passing lanes and/or free safety as a weakside help defender.
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The Andre Iguodala that once averaged over 21 points and almost 45 minutes in a Philadelphia 76ers playoff series, way back in ’08-09, could get it done. The Andre Iguodala that is averaging 8 points and 27.5 minutes per game in this post-season may have problems on both ends of the floor.
Maybe the Warriors were taking it easy on the veterans legs, saving him for this match-up. Maybe the big men they faced in the post-season didn’t allow them to go small (The Pelicans, Grizzlies and Rockets did cause him some trouble). Or maybe, just maybe all those 6 seasons in a row averaging 37 minutes a game have caught up to him.
If Andre Iguodala can keep the Cavs honest, on both ends of the floor, when they go small he could change the NBA Finals. If he can’t, the Warriors could be left scrambling to find an answer for the Cavs quick, tough defending and great shooting small lineup. Is Iggy up for the challenge?
Do you think Andre Iguodala will play a big role in this series?