One thing that was obvious during Game 1 of the 2018 NBA Finals was that the Golden State Warriors really miss Andre Iguodala. While his calming presence on offense is a big loss, the much bigger loss is that the veteran wing is nominally the team’s LeBron Stopper on the other end of the floor.
Seeing as how LeBron James had an NBA Finals career high 51 points in the loss, Golden State could use someone who has a track record of pestering him over the remainder of the series. But as it turns out, the Warriors will likely need to win at least one more game with Iguodala on the sidelines.
Steve Kerr announced on Friday afternoon that the knee injury that has plagued Iguodala since the Western Conference Finals will make him doubtful for Sunday’s Game 2.
Steve Kerr: Andre Iguodala (leg) is doubtful for Game 2.
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) June 1, 2018
Iguodala still has a few days to rest up and recover, and perhaps that extra time on the sidelines will accelerate his healing process and he’ll be able to give it a go. But as of now, it seems more likely that Iguodala will be out for his sixth straight game.
Of course, the Warriors have already shown that they can win without him, even in a game that sees James tear them apart, but you can bet that Golden State would strongly prefer that Iguodala is on the floor as much as possible once he’s healthy.
