Andre Iguodala’s absence will create issues for the Golden State Warriors

The Golden State Warriors dealt away Andre Iguodala this offseaosn, and it may hurt them more than they realize.

Yes, the Golden State Warriors will be just fine without Andre Iguodala.

In no way is those post about the team not making the playoffs or having a successful season without Iggy, but it’s hard to assume they won’t miss his presence on both sides of the court many times throughout this upcoming year.

Defensively, he’d guard the team’s best forward and offensively he’d help space the floor while making the best play possible in most situations. Iggy, a 15-year veteran forward, was the team’s 2015 Finals MVP and has played a critical role the past half a decade.

The Warriors, who traded him to the Memphis Grizzlies to relieve cap space, could actual sign Iguodala if Memphis trades him to a team that eventaully buys him out. While extremely unlikely, there is a scenario where he does return.

Now, the far more likely scenario is that he doesn’t return.

Iggy was the team’s starting small forward while Kevin Durant was out in the 2019 playoffs. When Iggy took a seat, he was replaced by Alfonzo McKinnie. This was a problem for Golden State who put an inexperienced forward on the league’s brighest stage.

This season, they’ll have to deal with that situation all over again except it’ll be worse without the presence of Kevin Durant. Iguodala and Durant were the team’s two main options at the three, and now it’ll be Glenn Robinson III and McKinnie.

Although he had arguably the worst numbers of his career throughout the regular season, Iguodala averaged 9.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists during the postseason.

Those numbers are not easily replaced. However, what’s really difficult to replace is Iggy’s 49.4% from the field and mere 1.0 turnovers per game. That along with his defensvie apittude will hurt the Warriors more than many think.

Iggy was the key to much of the Warriors gameplan, and now, they’ll have to find a way to make do without him. As we saw in the postseason, McKinnie’s defensive ability and playmaking just isn’t near the level of Iguodala’s.

That said, the addition of D’Angelo Russell, the absence of Klay Thompson due to injury, and the lacking defensive awareness in the backcourt and at the three will debilitate Golden State in the regular season, or at least it could.

Stephen Curry can will them through that though. The only concern is if those issues continue to be present during the postseason run, a time which the Warriors hope to have Thompson back for.

During those situations, Iggy will be missed.