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After a season stop with the Denver Nuggets, Andre Iguodala was traded to the Golden State Warriors prior to last season, and the once high-flying forward became more of an off the bench relic whose role would be to usher in the new era of NBA stars that litter the Warriors roster.
Fast forward to this year’s NBA Finals. After cruising through the Western Conference, Golden State found LeBron James waiting for them in the Finals. LeBron has had a historic Finals thus far, as his 123 points are the most ever scored by a single player through three games in the culminating series of the NBA season. At times it has looked like the Warriors have no answer for LeBron. He’s had his way with Harrison Barnes and Draymond Green whenever they find themselves matched up with him.
In fact, the only player on the Warriors roster who seems capable of at least slowing LeBron down is the 31-year-old Iguodala, the now wily veteran who started a grand total of zero games during the regular season. Two main factors contribute to Iguodala being able to befuddle the King’s plan.
First is his athleticism. He may get flack, and rightfully so, for his long range shooting, but one thing that has never been in question is Iguodala’s ability to move and elevate. He came into the league as an elite level jumper, and nothing has changed during his lengthy career. Unlike Green or Barnes, Iguodala has ability to move like LeBron and stay in front of him more importantly, which forces James to take contested jumpers, his least efficient shot.
Secondly, Iguodala is experienced. For many of these Warriors it’s only their second time in the playoffs, and they are in the beginning stages of their careers. Iguodala is just the opposite; having played in the league for 11 years, he has learned tendencies, recognizes patterns and has a memory bank full of moves that he knows may be coming. This gives Iguodala a leg up on the competition as he has been in the trenches long enough that a matchup with James is something that doesn’t intimidate him; and that’s half of LeBron’s game.
No matter how the series turns out, Iguodala will be remembered not only for his increased offensive production — 12.3 points, 4.0 assists and 4.7 rebounds — but his willingness to step up and make LeBron work for every point he scores.
