Throughout the entire offseason, Golden State Warriors fans were excited at the prospects of the Warriors making a run at signing All-Star center Dwight Howard. Just the fact that the Warriors gained enough respect from Howard to get a visit from him felt like a win for everybody in the organization. As the Howard sweepstakes was playing out over the summer, out of nowhere the news broke that the Warriors had signed Andre Iguodala.
The signing of Iguodala was shocking for Warriors fans, especially because it meant they were definitely out of the picture to sign Howard. However, the signing of Iguodala was a huge consolation prize, and allowed the Warriors to get rid of the horrible contracts of Richard Jefferson and Andris Biedrins. Let's be honest, nobody shed a tear over losing either of those players, although it did cost the Warriors a few draft picks.
The Warriors had a great playoff run last season with guys like Jarrett Jack and Carl Landry coming off the bench, but Jack and Landry were never going to be good enough to get the Warriors any further than maybe the Conference Finals. The acquisition of Iguodala meant the Warriors couldn't sign Jack or Landry, but it also made them a greater playoff threat and a team that opponents would prefer to avoid in a playoff series.
Iguodala hasn't put up huge numbers by any means this season, but his impact on the Warriors is bigger than anybody on the team with the exception of Stephen Curry. He continues to prove that he is an elite level defender who has some of the best defensive instincts in the entire league. Not only that, but Iguodala was once a big-time leaper who could throw down huge dunks. The video below is a perfect illustration of what Iguodala can do for a team in a nutshell. In a span of a few seconds, he makes two huge blocks and shows off his leaping ability with an impressive put-back dunk.
[embed]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvCYTE1PshU[/embed]
One statistic that gives a good idea as to how big of an impact a player has on a team is the plus-minus. Iguodala has the highest average plus-minus out of any player in the entire NBA at +8.6 points per game. To give a better perspective on that number, LeBron James has a plus-minus of +4.8 and Kevin Durant a +6.6. Even though the plus-minus is a number that depends on how well teammates are playing, it's currently the best way to judge how effective players are when on the court.
The Warriors record with and without Iguodala is also a good measure of his impact on and off the court. When Iguodala plays the Warriors are 37-19, and when he doesn't play they are just 7-8. It's clear that the Warriors need Iguodala to remain healthy because it makes their team a lot deeper by allowing Harrison Barnes to come off the bench and it greatly improves their effectiveness on defense.
In addition to being an elite defender and a leader in the locker room, Iguodala is an outstanding passer and a willing rebounder. He is always looking to push the ball up the court and find open shooters and cutters. His ability to push the ball gives Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry wide open 3-point shot opportunities because the majority of the time he isn't looking to score, he is looking to find an open teammate. The video below showcases a little bit of his passing skills.
[embed]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPSYonhZjO8[/embed]
Another way that Iguodala will have to contribute for the Warriors is on the offensive side of the ball, specifically scoring. Since Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry are elite 3-point shooters, opposing teams in the playoffs are going to give their best efforts to defend them, which will often leave Iguodala wide open. If he can shoot a high percentage from the perimeter as well as attack the basket and create opportunities for his teammates, the Warriors will be extremely difficult to beat in the playoffs.
The two most important players for the Warriors in the playoffs will be Stephen Curry and Andre Iguodala. It's obvious that Curry is key for the Warriors, but Iguodala has to play well and make a huge splash for the Warriors to make a deep playoff run. His defense, passing, shooting, and leadership will be crucial for the Warriors and he has to play at an extremely high level for the Warriors to win in the playoffs.
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