Selflessness of Golden State Warriors’ Veterans Paying Off

Coming into this season, the Golden State Warriors had a dilemma: start a veteran frontcourt consisting of All-Stars and stalwarts in the NBA or younger guys who may have more upside, athletic ability and are a better fit for the Warriors’ system?

The Warriors chose to go with the younger guys (Harrison Barnes and Draymond Green) rather than the former All-Stars (Andre Iguodala and David Lee) and they have not disappointed.

The Warriors ended the regular season with their best record in franchise history and one of the biggest reasons has been their depth. Iguodala and Lee could have easily voiced their displeasure because they were not starting and created a rift in the locker room, but that did not happen. Instead, the former All-Stars bit their tongues and did whatever they could to help this team, and it was never more evident than in Game 5 on Wednesday night.

The duo combined for 23 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists in a 98-78 drubbing of the Memphis Grizzlies. Iguodala had his best game of the postseason, scoring 16 points on 7-of-10 from the field, including 2-of-3 from three-point range. He was instrumental in the transition game, filling the lane for a couple of fastbreak throwdowns.

May 5, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Andre Iguodala (9, right) controls the basketball against Memphis Grizzlies forward Tony Allen (9, left) during the fourth quarter in game two of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. The Grizzlies defeated the Warriors 97-90. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

He provided a calmness to the Warriors when they needed it most when he checked into the game with his team down by 10 late in the first quarter. The Warriors proceeded to outscore the Grizzlies by 11 to end the quarter, and never looked back.

Iguodala only scored two points in the quarter with Stephen Curry doing most of the damage, but it was his leadership that provided the Warriors to calm down, get in their flow and really take over the game. It is no surprise that Iguodala’s plus-minus was the highest on the team at +23, even higher than that of the MVP. Iguodala’s plus-minus has always one the best in the league due his on-ball defense but in this game, he showed off his shooting prowess.

Iguodala is a very streaky shooter and this series has been no different. Coming into Wednesday night’s game, Iguodala was shooting 42 percent from three-point range, a far cry from his horrible shooting in Round 1 against the Pelicans where he shot at an abysmal 12 percent clip from distance. Once again, Iguodala had the shooting touch, which really spread the court in the Warriors’ most complete win of the series.

While Iguodala was doing it on offense, surprisingly it was Lee that was doing much of his damage on defense.

May 13, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward David Lee (10) battles for position with Memphis Grizzlies center

(41) in the first quarter in game five of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Lee has been much maligned for his defense this season, with many pundits saying he was one of the worst defensive players in the league. Throughout the season, Lee’s minutes diminished more and more because he was such a poor defender. Coach Steve Kerr would play Marreese Speights, Festus Ezeli and even James Michael McAdoo over Lee because he did not trust Lee on the defensive end. He would always bring up “matchups” but any Warriors fan knew Lee was not playing because of his defense.

Lee finally got his chance in Game 4 when Speights suffered a right calf injury in Game 3 that end his series against the Grizzlies. Lee contributed in Game 4 with 5 points but he let his presence be known back at Oracle in Game 5. Lee scored six points and grabbed seven boards, but it was his effort on the defensive end against Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph that was most impressive.

Usually when you see Lee playing defense, you see false hustle, lots of reaching and a hand of the hip of his opponent, resulting in a foul. But on Wednesday night, Lee dug in against the two of the best postmen in the league and held his own. He made it tough for Gasol to get any room in the paint and many times forced him to give up the ball. It may not sound like much, but that is a win for Lee.

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Like Iguodala, Lee provided a calming influence on the Warriors when they were down in the first quarter. Lee came into the game with 1:57 left in the quarter with the Warriors down 25-15, but after the end of the quarter and a barrage of Curry threes, the Warriors were up one. Lee did not score during this stretch and only had one rebound but his defense was superb and his rebound led to a Curry three.

Lee continued to play well throughout the game and the Warriors extended their lead to high of 24. Like Iguodala, Lee’s plus-minus was off the charts at +18 but unlike Iguodala, it was Lee’s defense that was most beneficial to the Warriors’ success.

If the Warriors want to continue to their path to an NBA championship, these two former All-Stars will be instrumental to their success. Iguodala needs to continue to shoot the ball with confidence and provide that lockdown defense while Lee needs to be a beast on the glass, fill the lane and give effort on every play on offense and defense.

If both of these veterans can give effort every night, the Warriors should win this series and have a great opportunity to make it to the NBA Finals.