NBA: Are the Golden State Warriors Contenders With the Addition of Andre Iguodala?

Andre Iguodala congratulates Stephen Curry after the Warriors defeated the Nuggets in six games during last year's playoffs

At the conclusion of the NBA season, the Golden State Warriors had every reason to be optimistic for the upcoming 2013-2014 campaign.   The team was coming off of a spirited playoff run led by a budding superstar in Stephen Curry and solid supporting pieces in Klay Thompson and Harrison Barnes.  However, this playoff run, especially the series against the San Antonio Spurs, did expose some of the shortcomings of the team. The failure to defend Tony Parker and Kawhi Leonard showed that the Warriors lacked toughness and athleticism on the defensive end, especially against elite perimeter players.  Also, the team’s offensive struggles when either Curry or Thompson shot poorly indicated the need for a true second-option that could create their own shots and get to the rim with some frequency. In addressing these shortcomings, the Warriors went out and signed free-agent small forward Andre Iguodala to a contract worth $48 million over 4 years. This signing is significant in that it not only proves that the organization can lure big-money free agents, but also makes the Warriors legitimate contenders in the Western Conference.

The addition of Iguodala is significant in that it gives the Warriors a legitimate second-option.  Iguodala is a proven scorer in the league, with a career average of 15.1 ppg.  He is also a decent shooter, with a true shooting mark (TS%) of 55% and an effective field goal rate (eFG%) of 50.1%. The scoring ability of Iguodala will force defenses away from keying on Curry and Thompson, allowing those sharpshooters more time and space to get off open shots.  Iguodala’s all around game will also fit well with the Warriors’ other pieces, as he has averaged 4.9 assists and 5.8 rebounds per game over his career.  His ability to handle and pass the basketball, along with his propensity to chip in on the glass, will allow Iguodala to be deployed in a variety of lineups.  Some of these lineups will see Iguodala play as a point forward with the second unit, as the Warriors currently do not have a proven back-up point guard after the departure of Jarrett Jack to Cleveland.

Iguodala's top 10 dunks, showing off his ball-handling and athleticism

Another lineup in which Iguodala will have a major impact includes the “close-out” lineup during 4^th quarters.  I envision the Warriors sending out a lineup including Curry and Thompson as guards, Iguodala and Barnes as forwards, and Bogut at center.  This lineup provides the Warriors both offensive and defensive flexibility.  Offensively, the addition of Iguodala gives the Warriors another ball-handler and shot-creator on the floor during 4^th quarters.  This will take the pressure off of Curry to fight through potential double teams to try to make plays in crunch time.  Defensively, Iguodala’s presence gives the Warriors an elite wing defender to pair with Bogut’s rim-protection at center.  Iguodala’s role as the defensive stopper will also move Curry and Thompson off of the other team’s best player and will allow them to conserve energy for the offensive end.  The arrangement of this lineup should alleviate some of the problems the Warriors had in closing out games, and thus translate to more regular season and even playoff wins.

Time will only tell how successful the Warriors will be with Andre Iguodala on the team.  The lineup variability Iguodala provides certainly gives the Warriors a dimension they did not have during last year’s playoffs.  His offensive and defensive proficiencies are also important for a team that struggled to close out games down the stretch during the postseason.  If the other important pieces on the team remain relatively healthy, I can see the Warriors making a run at a top four seed in the Western Conference.