Warriors’ Andre Iguodala Ruled Out for Game 5 vs. Nuggets with Neck Injury

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Golden State Warriors forward Andre Iguodala has been ruled out for Game 5 of the Dubs’ first-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday with a cervical disk injury in his neck.

According to ESPN’s Kendra Andrews, Iguodala will be reevaluated in one week, and Warriors head coach Steve Kerr called his absence “a huge loss.”

Iguodala, 38, was a crucial part of Golden State’s run of five straight NBA Finals from 2015 to 2019, providing the team with a veteran sixth man on the wing. Iguodala’s impact went beyond counting stats, however. Namely, he was an excellent defender, and the “death lineup” of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green and Iguodala was one of the most devastating in NBA history. 

Famously, Iguodala did a remarkable job guarding LeBron James during the 2015 NBA Finals and was named NBA Finals MVP.

He was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies ahead of the 2019-20 season, though he never played a game for the young Grizzlies, who were building around prospects Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ja Morant. Instead, he was eventually traded to the Miami Heat, offering them veteran depth on the wing. 

Iguodala returned to Golden State this season but only appeared in 31 regular-season games primarily because of a back injury, averaging 4.0 points, 3.7 assists and 3.2 rebounds per contest.

In three appearances against the Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs, Iggy averaged 1.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 14.0 minutes per game.

While he’s out injured, expect rookies Moses Moody and Jonathan Kuminga to see more run off the bench, particularly in Game 5 when the Warriors will try to close out the Nuggets after taking a 3-1 series lead.