Andre Iguodala’s return to the lineup only lasted six minutes in Monday night’s 110-98 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. In his first game action since Jan. 20, the veteran forward was shut down at halftime with lower back tightness.
“It’s a concern,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said following the victory. “He hasn’t played, then his first game back it tightens up. It’s definitely a concern. We need him, you could see how good he was in that first half. He just does so many things for us. I’m definitely concerned.”
Iguodala missed the previous eight games with a hip injury related to a balky knee that’s been bothering him all season. Knee, hip and back issues aren’t great for a 38-year-old trying to prepare for a playoff run.
For what it’s worth, Iguodala produced a plus-8 in his brief six-minute run Monday, a nod to his ability to affect the game despite taking one field goal attempt. He remains a step ahead of the game on defense when he’s on the floor, but Iguodala has played in just 26 of the Warriors’ 54 games this season.
Last week, Iguodala was in a good mood and said he was “100 percent” confident he’d be able to contribute come playoff time, but we’ll have to see if this latest injury dashes his optimism. Iguodala is averaging 4.1 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 19.9 minutes per game this season.
The Warriors will miss Iguodala if he remains out for an extended period of time, but are equipped to fill his absence, thanks to a couple of guys who are literally half his age.
“Moses [Moody] played in Andre’s minutes, did a great job,” Kerr said. “It was nice to get him some key moments in a pressurized game and he handled it beautifully.”
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Moody finished with five points, an assist, a turnover and two fouls in nine minutes. He missed a late 3-point attempt under pressure but Kerr enjoyed seeing Moody and fellow 19-year-old rookie Jonathan Kuminga get big minutes, saying it could pay off in the postseason.
“Just getting JK and Moses time in these situations is crucial for their development,” Kerr said. “You’ve got to use these opportunities both as a staff and as players.”
Considering the rangy 6-foot-6 Moody has also been tabbed to start when Otto Porter Jr. is resting, the 19-year-old looks primed to be a key contributor down the stretch. Over the past four contests, including three starts, Moody is averaging 10.5 points and 23.6 minutes per game. In that span, he totes a 46.7 field goal percentage and impressive 54.5 percent clip from 3-point land, as he has knocked down 12-of-22. He also threw down a bouncy dunk Monday.
Draymond Green went so far to say that Moody and Kuminga will be All-Stars one day. Moody was putting in the work with Santa Cruz in the G League earlier this season but now he has earned consistent NBA rotation minutes.
It’s still early, but the Warriors look like they hit on both of their first-round picks from 2021. Considering Jordan Poole is only 22 and James Wiseman is 20, Golden State's next wave of talent is forming before our very eyes.
