MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Standing as an alternative of sitting for his postgame press convention, Andre Iguodala mentioned he was feeling his age Monday evening following his first recreation in about seven weeks.
“Effectively, I’m 38 and never too many individuals at 38 play within the NBA,” Iguodala mentioned after the Grizzlies dominated the Warriors 123-95. “So simply very lucky to have the ability to get to assist the man.”
The Warriors had been further affected person with bringing again Iguodala, who had been experiencing tightness in his decrease again that had restricted him to taking part in in lower than six minutes since Jan. 21 earlier than Monday’s recreation. The assumption had at all times been that he can be able to play come the postseason.
Iguodala, who missed 21 video games, had six factors and three rebounds in a little bit over 15 1/2 minutes.
After the sport, he mentioned he was unable to sit down down.
“That is nearly as good because it’s gonna get,” he mentioned when requested about his well being. “However I feel I mentioned this earlier than, the video games have been dumbed down a lot that a decrease proportion of me continues to be I assume fairly good in right this moment’s recreation.”
Monday was one other tough evening for the Dubs, who suffered their worst lack of the season and completed the disappointing street journey 1-4.
“We’re struggling defensively with type of simply our ball strain and we received dangerous habits with our fouling. And once we can’t foul, we wrestle with containing the ball,” Iguodala mentioned. “I did an honest job within the third quarter, guarding the purpose guard [Tyus Jones] who was very artful and was giving us issues within the first half. And I feel I simply gave us type of a blueprint of being in the proper place, whether or not you’re on the ball or off the ball, and that’s the rationale why we’ve been giving up a s— ton of factors the final couple weeks.”
Iguodala’s return was a welcoming sight for the workforce riddled with accidents.
The Warriors haven’t had their roster at full energy all season, taking part in all however one recreation with out Klay Thompson, Draymond Inexperienced and Stephen Curry. The attainable beginning lineup of Curry, Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Inexperienced and Kevon Looney and even have but to collectively step foot in a recreation collectively this season.
Curry is out for the foreseeable future as he nurses a sprained ligament in his left foot.
Golden State is 19-62 during the last three seasons with out Curry. The hope is that he’ll be again in time for the playoffs, however there isn’t a transparent timeline for him with solely six video games remaining within the common season.
Regardless of being losers of six of their final video games, coach Steve Kerr has remained optimistic that the Warriors would be capable of get their season again on observe with Curry’s assist.
“The way in which I have a look at it, the primary 50 video games of the yr, we have been one the very best groups within the league, the primary protection within the league, I do know it’s in us,” Kerr mentioned. “We’re making an attempt to make it to the end line however in doing so, making an attempt to construct a little bit momentum on the finish, I nonetheless really feel we are able to try this.”
However Iguodala isn’t so certain.
“I’m usually a pessimist,” he mentioned. “I can’t be as trustworthy as I would love, however you haven't any alternative however to get it executed. And it’s simply part of the sport, accidents are, and… what we are able to’t do is play the blame recreation when issues don’t end up the way in which they need to.”
Iguodala mirrored on a number of the greatest points dealing with the Warriors, together with protection. He mentioned the workforce must be extra intentional on that facet of the ball if it desires to be the lock-down workforce it was in the beginning of the season.
“We don’t get mad anymore when somebody scores on us,” he mentioned. “Clearly, this can be a scorer’s league, I do know that greater than anybody as a result of I’m a defender, nevertheless it’s similar to, I’m gonna make you're employed as onerous as attainable to get a bucket. And we would like you to get to your weak spots and… we have been getting away from the nuances on protection.”
Igoudala additionally careworn the significance of taking part in it protected with Curry, who mentioned docs beforehand warned him the damage may linger if he tries to do an excessive amount of too quickly. However he additionally famous that the workforce may need to make use of the playoffs to rediscover their id and discover rhythm — a troubling actuality for a workforce beginning to lose its grip on the third seed of the Western Convention.
As of Tuesday morning, the Dallas Mavericks are simply 1 1/2 video games behind the Dubs for the third seed. In the meantime, the hole between the second-place Grizzlies and the Warriors has swelled to 5 video games.