Golden State Warriors star Andre Iguodala will undergo an MRI after suffering a lower-leg injury in his team's 110-99 win over the Portland Trail Blazers, head coach Steve Kerr told reporters in his postgame press conference.
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Despite turning 35 in January, Iguodala continued to be an effective presence on the floor for Golden State. He averaged 5.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 23.2 minutes on the floor during the regular season.
According to NBA.com, the Warriors' net rating fell by 4.5 points per 100 possessions when Iguodala went to the bench. The drop was particularly precipitous on defense, where Golden State's rating climbed from 103.4 with Iguodala to 108.9 without him.
In the 2018 Western Conference Finals, the Warriors narrowly avoided an exit at the hands of the Houston Rockets, and it wasn't a coincidence that happened while Iguodala was out for four of the seven games.
While the two-time All-Defensive star isn't the most irreplaceable member of the squad, his perimeter defense and positional flexibility is vital to the team's quest for a third straight NBA title.
The Warriors remain the team to beat even after factoring in Iguodala's injury, but their margin for error grows a lot smaller this postseason, especially with Kevin Durant continuing to miss time due to a calf strain.