With the Houston Rockets now out of their way, the biggest concern the Golden State Warriors have is the health of Andre Iguodala, who missed the final four games of the Western Conference Finals due to a left leg contusion. During that stretch, the Warriors went 2-2, needing all seven games to advance to the NBA Finals.
While Iguodala's stats (6.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, and .8 steals) don't indicate that of an impact player, those who follow the Warriors know how instrumental Iguodala is to their success. What Iguodala brings to the Warriors is patience, veteran leadership, and elite defense. There's a calming effect he has on this team that makes everyone play better and more in synch. When he's on the court, everyone seems to be much more comfortable and at ease. When he's not on the court, the Warriors seem to be a bit lost, missing a key part of their identity.
When looking ahead to their matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the area where Iguodala can be particularly effective is guarding LeBron James. At 6'6", 215 pounds, Iguodala has the size, length, strength, and quickness to defend James and make him work. Without Iguodala, the only other guy on the Warriors who has the physical package to defend James effectively is Draymond Green. Unfortunately for the Warriors, Green can't guard James for the full 48 minutes. He's going to need some help and without Iguodala, it's unclear where that help will come from.
While the Warriors have plenty of offensive firepower to blow the Cavaliers out of the building, we've seen their offense go stagnant at times. Kevin Durant as good as he is tends to go iso more often than he should and stands around in the corner far too often, not doing a good job of moving without the ball. There are moments when he wastes possessions and doesn't run the offense the way Steve Kerr wants him to. As for Stephen Curry, he's like a volcano. When he erupts, he's unstoppable, but if he's not erupting, he tends to take a lot bad shots and give away possessions. The same can be said of Klay Thompson to a lesser extent.
When the Warriors are going through those rough patches, Andre Iguodala has done a good job of being the glue guy who holds everything together until everyone else finds their rhythm. That's why his absence has had such a huge effect. When he's not on the court and things start to go south, the Warriors start to panic and let their opponent gain confidence.
If the Warriors want to win this series, they're going to need Andre Iguodala. His presence on the floor and ability keep everything together is vital to their success. If he's not able to go, I don't see them coming out on top.
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