Andre Iguodala is not the player he once was, but he is still crucial to the Golden State Warriors with the experience that he brings. While his playing time is far less impactful than it was in 2015, he is the same mentor and guiding light for players like Steph Curry and the others in the locker room. That’s why he came back even after being traded away from the team in 2019.
Iguodala has garnered the respect he has over years of service, which means he knows a good team when he sees one. Despite being a Warriors icon, Iguodala is going into this post-season a little unsure about what his team can achieve.
The expectation for the Warriors in the Playoffs during their last few appearances was simple. Win the NBA Championship, as anything less than that would be a catastrophic failure. However, they aren’t the favorites anymore and could fall to possible MVP-elect Nikola Jokic in the first round of the playoffs.
Andre Iguodala: “We can be a team that loses early or win it all.”
— Mark Haynes (@markhaynesnba) April 13, 2022
There are players from the Warriors championship dynasty still on this team, primarily Iguodala, Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Kevon Looney. However, outside these five players, the team is very lean on playoff experience. The Nuggets have been playoff regulars in the last few years and have consistently gotten out of the first round since 2019, the last time the Warriors made the playoffs.
With doubts over Steph Curry’s ankle and the larger depth on this team for a playoff run, it does look like the Warriors could fail early. However, they have all the pieces of their previous championship squads still on the team, which makes them as dangerous as they always have been.
Projecting the Warriors’ success this season is very hard, but it does look like they may end up somewhere in the middle of their expectations. The season won’t be a total failure but it may not lead to making another run at the title, at least for now.
