NBA Golden State Warriors

Golden State Warriors Rumors: Andre Iguodala To Come Off Bench?

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By @JMartinezNBA

Andre Iguodala, Steve Kerr

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If you’re a Golden State Warriors fan, you probably don’t know what to think about this, but rookie head coach Steve Kerr said he may consider having Andre Iguodala come off the bench early in the season while Shaun Livingston is recovering from toe surgery. The main reason for this move is for “offensive balance” and to have a playmaker coming off the bench while Livingston is out.

There are a lot of pros and cons of this, though. If you put Iguodala on the bench, you lose his great defense in the starting lineup and his veteran leadership, and there’s really no one on the Warriors roster who could match or replace Iguodala’s defense and leadership skills in the starting lineup. The move of Iguodala to the bench would obviously mean the insertion of Harrison Barnes in the starting lineup. While Barnes has improved greatly, it seemed his role of coming off the bench fit this team perfectly. Barnes is very athletic, as we all know, and he’s young with a lot of upside.

But all those qualities you lose from Iguodala in the starting lineup, you gain those skills on the bench. Barnes is 22, Iguodala is 30, and with Barnes the Warriors get a little bit of extra size in the lineup.

You also lose Iguodala’s offense in the starting lineup. He’s able to move without the ball to score and he’s also great at setting up his teammates as well. He’s not a volume scorer like Kevin Durant or Carmelo Anthony, but he’s still a very good scorer and it’s very difficult to replace his offensive production in the starting lineup.

This would be a huge move if Kerr decides to do it. Kerr is a rookie head coach in the NBA, so before he makes a move like this he will have to be 100 percent sure that it will benefit the team. From my knowledge, it seems like it would be a short stint on the bench for Iguodala, as the Warriors do expect Livingston back in a couple of weeks.

With the injury of Livingston, having Iguodala on the bench would basically replace Livingston’s playmaking abilities and a whole lot more. It actually could prove to be a very smart move for the Warriors putting a player with younger legs in the starting lineup. It wouldn’t hurt at all to give it a test run. If it works out, I wouldn’t be surprised if this is a long term move for Golden State.

You always wonder though, how would the veteran Iguodala react to being benched? Who knows, but if Kerr does decide to go through with this, I do think it will pay off for the Warriors in a short term situation while they wait on Livingston to fully heal from his toe injury.

Joseph Martinez is a Brooklyn Nets/NBA writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @BKN_Martinez08, find him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.

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