With aches and pains mounting, a sweep would help.
PORTLAND, Ore. — Draymond Green is the Warriors’ best help-side defender, but Andre Iguodala might be their best one-on-one stopper.
Thanks to his knowledge of opponents’ tendencies, a high basketball IQ, quick hands and a 6-foot-11 wingspan, Iguodala, 35, does what few can: make the game difficult for players who have long made it look easy. His work on LeBron James and James Harden, among other world-class scorers, are staples of a growing Hall of Fame resume.
This is why Iguodala’s left calf tightness — at first glance, a seemingly minor ailment — could have major implications for the Warriors’ pursuit of a third straight NBA title. As Kevin Durant’s extended absence has illustrated, calf injuries are tricky to gauge. The recovery timetable can fluctuate hour to hour as pain comes and goes.
Iguodala is listed as questionable for Game 4 of the Western Conference finals against the Trail Blazers, but the Warriors seem likely to sit him. There is no sense rushing back Iguodala, whose Sunday morning MRI exam was clean, when Golden State boasts a 3-0 series lead over Portland. If the Warriors sweep the Blazers on Monday, they would have nine days off before the NBA Finals begin May 30.
This alone is plenty of incentive to not let the conference finals linger. A week-plus of relaxation and treatment could work wonders for a team that, despite regular-season efforts to manage loads, is feeling the toll of its fifth consecutive championship push.
Durant, who is poised to miss his fifth game with a strained right calf, has yet to get cleared for on-court work. DeMarcus Cousins — out since early in Game 2 of the first round with a torn left quad — appears closer to a return, having progressed to noncontact drills. Other players are nursing aches and pains.
“I think it’s very motivating for us to try to sweep this series and have that time off,” forward Draymond Green said. “Obviously, we’re a little banged up, so nine days off would be great for us. Allow Andre time to heal, Shaun (Livingston)’s old — but also allow the possibility of Kevin and DeMarcus to get healthy and come back as well.
“So I think it’s very important for us to come out (Monday) with the right mind-set. We didn’t do that against the Clippers. We extended the series, and all of a sudden, Klay (Thompson) and Steph (Curry) were going into the Houston series questionable because of some ankle injuries they suffered in a series that should have been over.”
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr isn’t exactly sure when Iguodala got injured. After leaving Game 3 on Saturday in the first quarter to get checked by a team trainer, he returned midway through the second, only to exit for good early in the third.
In a playoff-low 18 minutes, Iguodala posted two points on 1-for-5 shooting. His offense, however, has long been ancillary to his defense. During a combined 16 defensive possessions matched against Damian Lillard or CJ McCollum, he held Portland’s high-scoring backcourt to four points on 1-for-4 shooting.
Alfonzo McKinnie played admirably when Iguodala left the game. In 21 minutes off the bench, McKinnie had a plusminus of plus-24, chipping in five points, nine rebounds and a steal. Lillard went scoreless in the 13 possessions during which he was guarded by McKinnie. McCollum wasn’t much better, scoring four points on 1-for-4 shooting in his 15 possessions going against McKinnie.
“We’ll have to have more minutes from him,” Kerr said of McKinnie, who likely will start Monday if Iguodala isn’t available. “We’re confident he can do the job.”
Assuming the Warriors get by Portland (no team in NBA history has lost a series after going up 3-0), they figure to need Iguodala in the Finals. His length and defensive instincts would be important against either Milwaukee or Toronto.
If the Bucks reach the Finals, Iguodala might be asked to nag MVP front-runner Giannis Antetokounmpo for stretches. That workload would increase if Durant — one of the league’s better options on Antetokounmpo — is unavailable.
If the Raptors win the East, Iguodala could take turns with Thompson on Kawhi Leonard. Nine days of preparation — both physically and tactically — would well-position Iguodala for the sport’s biggest stage.
Monday is “a big opportunity for us to close out the series, get back to the Finals and take advantage of the little break to get healthy, get bodies refreshed,” Curry said. “We understand how difficult it’s going to be to win a championship.” Connor Letourneau is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cletourneau@ sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Con_Chron