Golden State Warriors: Breaking down the NBA Finals position matchups
By Justin Fried
Small Forward (Andre Iguodala vs. Kawhi Leonard)
The previous two entries weren’t necessarily matchups decided by a close margin — but this position is clearly where the greatest disparity comes in terms of talent level.
Of course, this comes with the apparent proviso of Kevin Durant’s lasting injury that has cheated the NBA world out of one of its most marquee talent matchups in years. Still, as the days go by, it seems less and less likely that Durant will play any significant factor in this series and there still remains a decent chance he doesn’t play at all.
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In his place, the veteran Andre Iguodala has stepped up from the usual bench role he’s occupied for quite some time with Golden State. While Iguodala remains a gritty, intelligent defender, he simply isn’t Durant.
And he certainly isn’t Kawhi Leonard.
Leonard has channeled his inner LeBron James and completely taken over these NBA Playoffs. His late-game heroics helped lead the Raptors over the Bucks and it isn’t a stretch to say that he’s the best player in the NBA at this very moment.
Iguodala is a fine player, but this one isn’t even close.