Andre Iguodala’s injury situation went from bad to worse for the Warriors

Iguodala’s injury situation went from bad to worse for the Warriors

HOUSTON, TX - MAY 28: Kevin Durant #35 and Andre Iguodala #9 of the Golden State Warriors talk after Game Seven of the Western Conference Finals against the Houston Rockets during the 2018 NBA Playoffs on May 28, 2018 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Andre Iguodala won’t suit up for Game 1 of the NBA Finals

The Golden State Warriors won’t have the “Hamptons Five” lineup available for Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Andre Iguodala’s leg contusion and bone bruise hasn’t healed enough for him to play, and he’ll be reevaluated before Game 2.

The Warriors released this earlier today.

Andre Iguodala injury update: pic.twitter.com/nkmrQNTRbt
— Warriors PR (@WarriorsPR) May 30, 2018

This is a huge development. Iguodala is Golden State’s best LeBron James defender, and the Cleveland Cavaliers should be able to get some offense going in Game 1 as a result.

If they can steal the first match on the road, then that will completely change the dynamic of the series. It would give Cleveland home court advantage for the duration, and you know the fans there will turn up for what might be LeBron’s final playoff games in Ohio. The Cavaliers will still be underdogs even with Iggy out of the lineup, because they have three of the best ten shooters in the league.

Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson will have to step up defensively, but they can also probably make up for the lack of depth with 3-point shooting. Replacing Iguodala with Kevan Looney or Shaun Livingston puts less shooting on the floor. Nick Young can shoot but is a less-than-stellar defender.

Iguodala will be missed though. He was the 2015 NBA Finals MVP after Warriors coach Steve Kerr inserted him into the starting lineup to combat James. Iggy averaged 16.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.3 steals per game in that series.

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He would be on the court if he could be, and so this must be a serious injury. He even sought a second opinion on it, which drew uncomfortable parallels to Kawhi Leonard’s situation in San Antonio, but Iggy seems to like his role on the Warriors. However, if he is able to return and be effective, then this series will over quite quickly.

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