Perfect complement to scorers
The Chronicle is reviewing the season of each Warriors player after the team’s championship run.
Andre Iguodala’s role changed as much as any Warriors player with the addition of Kevin Durant. Unlike the previous two seasons, when Iguodala and Shaun Livingston were free to pace the second unit, Steve Kerr began playing at least two of his three primary scorers at all times.
It wasn’t until Durant missed 19 games with a left knee injury toward the end of the regular season that Iguodala began to actively look for his shot. With Durant sidelined the month of March, Iguodala averaged 12 points per game on 59.4 percent shooting.
The scoring uptick made analysts focus more on him. What they found was that,
whether or not he needed to shoulder much of an offensive load, Iguodala’s defense did not falter.
With 262 assists, 76 steals and 58 turnovers, he finished the regular season No. 1 in the NBA in assists per turnover (4.5-1) and No. 7 among players who played at least 70 games in steals per turnover (1.31-1). His plus-minus average of 6.9 topped all NBA reserves who played at least 50 games. A versatile defender, Iguodala also regularly guarded opponents’ top scorers.
He was the Warriors’ best defensive option on LeBron James in the Finals. In Golden State’s championship-clinching Game 5 win, Iguodala scored 20 points on 9-of-14 shooting. Offseason outlook: Of Golden State’s 10 free agents, Iguodala is perhaps the biggest question mark. He has long indicated that he hopes to finish his career with the Warriors, though he is open to leaving if another franchise can offer him a better contract and a chance to win.
Among the teams expected to pursue Iguodala are Atlanta, Utah, Minnesota and Chicago. According to Yahoo’s NBA news site the Vertical, Iguodala’s free-agency value could be as high as $20 million a season. If Durant signs the maximum extension for which he is eligible — which starts at roughly $35.4 million per season — the team would need to renounce its rights to Iguodala and Livingston to create room under the salary cap.
But Durant is more likely to delay his long-term extension and take almost $4 million less than his maximum next year, which would allow the Warriors to use their Bird rights to re-sign Iguodala and Livingston, among others, for deals that more closely align with their free-agent value. Still, Iguodala would probably have to turn down more lucrative offers to return to Golden State.