Curry: Iguodala Back On Court Would Give Warriors 'An Emotional Boost'
OAKLAND (CBS SF) -- For the last six games, Golden State veteran forward Andre Iguodala has had sit in street clothes and be an emotional cheerleader and wise sage from his seat behind the bench.
Iguodala suffered a left lateral leg contusion/bone bruise in the Houston Rockets playoff series. The painful injury left it difficult for the wily veteran to even walk.
But the pain is now gone. Iguodala can run again and his status has gone from doubtful to questionable. His availability for Game 3 of the NBA Finals Wednesday night in Cleveland will be a game-time decision for head coach Steve Kerr.
Kerr said Iguodala will warm up with the intention of playing in Game 3.
Star guard Steph Curry wasted few words in describing what his return would mean for the Warriors, who have a 2-0 lead in the Finals.
"We talk about his versatility all the time -- the ways he can fill holes defensively and offensively," Curry told reporters. "Especially against teams we have such familiarity with (the fourth straight year the Cavs and Warriors have played in the Finals)."
"He's such a high IQ kind of guy. He will most likely find himself in the right place at the right time to help our rotation get back to where we are consistently used to," Curry continued. "For him just as a person to be healthy and to be able to play in the Finals..I think that would mean a lot to him and give us an emotional boost as well."
Before leaving Game 3 with an injury, Iguodala has scored 10 points on 4-for-6 shooting, had 3 rebounds and 3 steals in 37 minutes. He has started 12 games in this year's playoffs in the Warriors renowned 'Hampton's Five' lineup and the club has gone 10-2 in those contests.
Kerr also can't wait to have Iguodala -- the 2015 Finals MVP for his defensive effort against Cavs star Lebron James -- back in the lineup.
"He's feeling better, he played yesterday (Sunday) some one-on-one and some full court drills," the Warriors coach told reporters. "I think he's getting closer and I'm hopeful he can't play if not tomorrow (Game 3) then in Game 4. It's day to day."
Even when he's not able to play, Kerr said, Iguodala has great value to the team.
"He's literally another coach," he said. "He pulled us aside during Game 1, during a time out, and made a suggestion, something defensively and we did it and it worked. Andre has that kind of impact on our team. He's one of the smartest basketball minds I've ever been around."