Time to be concerned about Andre Iguodala?

With a 4-year, $48 million contract to his name, a lot is expected of Andre Iguodala.

Through 10 games, he’s currently averaging an underwhelming 5.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.7 assists. It is pretty clear that his box score production isn’t currently coming close to matching what he’s earning. Tony Parker, Serge Ibaka, Joakim Noah, Rajon Rondo, and Kyle Lowry are all players making roughly around $12M this year and their teams are all enjoying their respective contributions in a more obvious fashion.

So should we start worrying about Iguodala’s declining play at this point in the season? Simply put, no. We know Iguodala won’t be the scoring threat he was in his Philadelphia days. We also know he isn’t a stat stuffer like the other players on similar contracts. The good news is that this team, with all its offensive firepower, doesn’t need him to be even a third or fourth scoring option. He role is to run the floor in the fast break, hit open looks that come in the offense, and guard one of the opponent’s main scoring threats. That’s mostly what coach Steve Kerr is asking of him this year.

The primary reason to believe in a turnaround for Iguodala is the overall movement and efficiency of the Warriors offense.

What is becoming a legitimate concern is Iguodala’s timidity with the ball in his hands. There have been multiple occasions this year where he doesn’t seem to even be looking at the rim. There is a marked difference between being a distributor and being afraid to shoot. At times during the game against the Spurs last week, he would have an open shot or lane, hesitate to take advantage, and force the ball to a teammate for a lower percentage look. That’s not being a distributor — that’s being a detriment to the offense.

One potential cause of this could be coming off the bench for the first time in his career. Maybe he hasn’t developed chemistry with the bench unit yet. Perhaps he isn’t able to get in the rhythm of the game coming off the bench. Finally, he could still be feeling lingering effects of last year’s knee and hip injuries. While there are numerous reasons to have doubts, I remain confident in Iguodala’s future.

The primary reason to believe in a turnaround for Iguodala is the overall movement and efficiency of the Warriors offense. While the starters are producing better offensive results than the bench, the ball movement remains consistent across both units. This fluid on and off ball movement leads to more high percentage looks for everyone involved. It’s no wonder that Draymond Green and Harrison Barnes are shooting career high percentages from the floor (54% and 47% respectively). Keep in mind these shots are coming from the same spots Iguodala would be in if he was to be inserted into the starting line up.

Another thing to consider is the effect of David Lee’s eventual return. Lee will be another offensive weapon for Kerr to employ as he sees fit. If Lee comes off the bench, Iguodala will draw less attention and won’t feel the need to be “the guy” for the second unit. It’s worth noting that both Barnes and Iguodala have seen their performance dip when forced into a starring role coming off the bench. However, Kerr has left the door open recently saying that he’s open to making lineup changes, including putting Iguodala into a starting line-up.

But at this point — sitting at a 8-2 — if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.