Warriors see ‘playoff Iguodala’ right now

LOS ANGELES – The Warriors’ trusted veteran has made 3-point shots with dependable accuracy. He has covered the opposing team’s best scorer. He also attacks the basket as if he were in the prime of his career.

The Warriors have become accustomed toward Andre Iguodala fulfilling that familiar role in April, May and June. This season, though, Iguodala has done the same thing during those forgettable games in November, December and January.

“It’s nice to see playoff Andre every once in a while during the regular season,” Stephen Curry said with a grin.

The Warriors enter Monday’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers with Iguodala averaging 5.6 points on 46.8 percent shooting and 3.0 assists per game. Technically, those numbers bode similar to last season in points (6.0), field-goal percentage (46.3 percent) and assists (3.0). Iguodala has shot better this season from 3 (34.8 percent) than last season (28.2), and he has also played more efficiently with an average of 23.3 minutes per game after averaging 25.4 minutes last season. And ever since acquiring him in the 2013 offseason, the Warriors have always evaluated Iguodala with their eyes instead of their spreadsheets.

“Andre is having a hell of a year,” Kerr said. “It doesn’t always show up in the box score with Andre because he’s not a big scorer. But night after night, he is making a dramatic impact. I wouldn’t have said that a year ago.”

What would Kerr have said?

“Last year, he had a slow regular season. We knew he was sort of saving it for the playoffs,” Kerr said. “But I think he has been awesome the entire first half of the season.”

Iguodala has often scoffed at the narrative that he simply coasts through the regular season before changing his identity in the playoffs.

“I just embrace what we need on this team,” Iguodala said. “There’s up and downs to it.”

Instead, Iguodala has stressed he evolves his role to account for the Warriors’ All-Stars in Curry, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson - and now DeMarcus Cousins. Iguodala, 34, also pinpointed relatively improved health after missing a combined 17 regular-season games in 2017-18, including left knee soreness (eight), sprained left wrist (three), rest (two) and back and hip strain (one). He also missed six playoff games because of his left knee injury. After having a non-invasive offseason procedure on his left knee, Iguodala has only missed four games this season for right hip tightness (three) and rest (one).

“My body is good because of the summer I had,” Iguodala said. “The body is feeling good, so I’m trying to maintain it and be smart with it.”

Because the Warriors rarely scrimmage partly to preserve Iguodala, he said he simply has relied on his instincts and experience as a 15-year NBA veteran, one-time All-Star and Finals MVP.

“Dre is a hard worker in terms of his preparation every day. He gets the job done,” Curry said. “You can highlight how old he is and the miles he has on his legs and all that stuff. But you’ve seen the way he’s been playing the last two months. He’s still got a lot of life left in those legs.”

The Warriors expect Iguodala to keep those legs alive for another expected championship run.