Eleven years ago, Andre Iguodala did the seemingly impossible: He made Mark Jackson look like a good basketball coach.
Turns out, it didn’t help Jackson, who had already burned enough bridges with the Warriors that they fired him despite back-to-back playoff appearances.
Jackson has never been hired as a head coach again—maybe because he could never convince Iguodala to come with him.
The veteran swingman remained with Golden State, where his mere presence helped Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Harrison Barnes and Draymond Green post better numbers in 2014—his first year with the Warriors—than they had the season before.
One year later, with the proverbial coach on the floor helping a guy who had never been at the head of the bench before, Steve Kerr and the Warriors won an improbable championship—the franchise’s first in 40 years.
In a rare moment of sensibility, Iguodala was selected MVP of the 2015 NBA Finals, even though Thompson had suffocated J.R. Smith, he had been outscored by Curry, and he had been outrebounded at one end by Barnes and at the other by Green.
All Iguodala had done was spearhead a defense that held LeBron James to 39.8% shooting.
Oh, he also did all the little things, as the saying goes. He passed to Curry. He covered defensively for Thompson. He encouraged Barnes. And he kept Green focused.
He surely was the MVP, and he was acknowledged as such.
In an era of 3-point shooting and what some would call soft basketball, the NBA needs more Iguodalas. Fortunately, it already has one.
When the Warriors scheduled the Mavericks as the opponent for Iguodala’s jersey retirement Sunday, they did so to allow Thompson to share in the moment.
Never did they think they’d also be providing that opportunity to Iguodala’s mirror image.
The Warriors were a lottery-bound team led by a coach with an uncertain future when they dealt four players and a first-round draft pick to acquire Jimmy Butler from the Heat earlier this month.
Five games later, Kerr looks like a genius again, Curry has been rejuvenated, Green has gotten his head on straight, and Golden State’s supporting cast—led by Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody, their current version of Barnes—has suddenly looked ready for prime time.
All because of Butler.
After being banished for all but five games since Dec. 20, Butler has been Iguodala-like since joining the resurgent Warriors.
He’s scored—102 points, second on the team to Curry’s 144—and done so efficiently, shooting 45.5%.
He’s rebounded—31 boards, just three fewer than team leader Kevon Looney.
He’s gotten the ball moving—28 assists, second only to Green’s 34.
He’s defended—eight steals, third to Green’s 13 and Podziemski’s 11.
Most importantly, he’s injected an aggressive mentality by example—getting to the free-throw line 47 times (making 41) and crashing the offensive glass with a team-leading 19 rebounds.
All of a sudden, Curry is shooting better (27-for-67 on 3-pointers), Green has rediscovered his all-around game (44 points, 24 rebounds, 34 assists, 13 steals, eight blocks), and Moody and Podziemski have silenced the pundits who complained about trading away valuable depth—combining for 135 points, 40 rebounds and 32 assists.
With four wins in five games in the Butler era, the Warriors have distanced themselves from the Spurs, passed the Suns and Kings, and—with a win Sunday—would move within a half-game of Dallas for the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference.
A top-six finish, which guarantees a postseason berth, looks realistic. A fifth championship in 11 years?
Never underestimate Iguodala … er, Butler.
Actually, the confusion is understandable, even though one has made his biggest impact on offense and the other on defense.
Iguodala is 6-foot-6, Butler 6-7. Both played for the Warriors, 76ers and Heat. Both have been All-Stars and All-Defensive selections.
And in the 21st-century version of the game, who would have imagined this? Both will get their numbers retired—possibly by multiple franchises—despite ranking among the worst 3-point shooters of their era.
At least they were smart enough to limit their attempts.
And get this:
Butler has played 844 career games, accumulating 4,513 rebounds.
In the first 844 games of his career, Iguodala totaled 4,606 rebounds.
The difference is negligible.
Butler has 3,622 assists; Iguodala, through game 844, had 3,947. Advantage: push.
Butler has 1,358 steals; Iguodala had 1,413. You get the idea.
Butler has 373 blocks; Iguodala had 407.
Butler has shot 47.2% overall and 32.9% from 3; Iguodala was at 46.2% and 33.3%.
The Warriors will raise Iguodala’s No. 9 on Sunday, but Chase Center has a high roof with plenty of room for more banners.
Butler might get his No. 10 retired up there someday. In the meantime, he and Warriors fans can improbably dream of something else.
An eighth championship.
