The Golden State Warriors will go into the first game of the NBA Finals without defensive stalworth Andre Iguodala as he recovers from a lingering leg injury. Iguodala suffered what the team is calling a leg contusion in game three of the Western Conference Finals against the Houston Rockets, and has not played in the playoffs since then.
The Warriors announced the 34-year-old wouldn’t be ready for the game on Wednesday but said he had made progress in his recovery. Iguodala will be re-evaluated before game 2 of the Finals.
Following from Warriors PR,
“Warriors forward Andre Iguodala, who missed the last four (4) games of the Western Conference Finals after suffering a left lateral leg contusion/bone bruise in Game 3 vs. Houston on May 20, was evaluated by the team’s medical staff yesterday. The evaluation indicated that Iguodala is making progress; however, the pain that accompanies the bone bruise persists, as does inflammation of the nerve surrounding his left knee. He is currently listed as out for Game 1 of the NBA Finals and will be re-evaluated again prior to Game 2.”
Iguodala’s absence, while not damaging to the Warrior’s overall chances of winning the series, will dampen the effectiveness of the team’s defensive strategy against LeBron James. Iguodala was awarded Finals MVP in 2015 for his defense against the four-time league MVP – although James averaged 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds, and 8.8 assists in 6 games in that series.
Iguodala told reporters that he feels he is close to returning after an extended layoff but is still dealing with a longer-than-expected recovery process.
Following from ESPN,
“Grinding away at the process,” Iguodala said. “Just trying to figure out how to move in general. Making some progress, [but] it’s slower than we expected.”
Game 1 of the NBA Finals is scheduled for Thursday at 9 p.m. EST on ABC.
