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Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has always been hopeful that Andre Iguodala will be healthy enough to have a significant impact on the franchise’s season.
Iguodala has only played 29 games this season. However, the forward has featured in the last few games as he rounds out his form heading into the postseason.
In the Warriors’ win over the short-handed LA Lakers, Iguodala underlined his importance to the Bay Area team’s title chances yet again. “Iggy” only played 21 minutes but finished with five points, two rebounds, seven assists, and two steals. He remains an underrated but crucial ingredient to Golden State's success.
Following the game, Iguodala had an iconic and hilarious response when asked about his status after playing the last couple of games, including tonight’s win:
“I got 20 minutes tonight. I’m 38. So, um if he dies, he dies. At this point, it’s whatever.”
The iconic line came from Dolph Lundgren’s character Ivan Drago in the movie Rocky IV. Drago said it in a post-boxing match review as Rocky cradled Apollo Creed in his arms.
Just as Creed lay quivering and about to die, the fictional Russian boxing champ stared down Rocky and delivered the unforgettable words.
Andre Iguodala’s analogy maybe a little too extreme, but it perfectly captures the idea behind getting his conditioning right and his play in rhythm.
The one-time Finals MVP doesn’t need to play heavy minutes at this point, but his importance has been stressed throughout the season by Steve Kerr and Steph Curry.
Kerr and the coaching staff have been very careful with Iguodala’s minutes this season. He is only averaging 19.5 minutes per game, which is a career-low.
His minutes are expected to go up come the postseason, given how much Kerr depends on him for playmaking and defense.
The return of Andre Iguodala and Klay Thompson will usher in the Golden State Warriors’ new Death Lineup
The last time “Iggy” suited up for the Golden State Warriors in the postseason was during the 2019 NBA Finals, where they lost Klay Thompson to a gruesome injury.
It seemed like a lifetime ago, but at some point, the Warriors’ Death Lineup featured Iguodala, Thompson, Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Kevin Durant.
Once Curry gets back on the floor, the Golden State Warriors could roll out a different version of their vaunted, fearsome quintet.
The iconic foursome of Iguodala, Curry, Green, and Thompson will be back in harness, while All-Star Andrew Wiggins can complete Steve Kerr’s best five-man unit.
Kerr’s Death Lineup has terrorized opponents during the Golden State Warriors’ five consecutive finals appearances. If not for their historic meltdown in 2016 against the Cleveland Cavaliers and KD and Thompson’s injuries in 2019, they could have been 5-0.
A healthy Bay Area team will be a tough team to beat in a seven-game series, particularly if they get vintage Andre Iguodala.
