Warriors forward Andre Iguodala has been ruled out for Game 5 on Wednesday due to left cervical disc (neck) injury, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
According to Kendra Andrews of ESPN (Twitter link), Iguodala will be reevaluated in one week, which means he’ll also be unavailable for Games 6 and 7 of the first round, if they’re necessary. He would also miss at least Game 1 in the second round, assuming the Warriors advance.
Once a crucial part of Golden State’s lineup and an NBA Finals MVP, Iguodala battled injuries this season and was limited to 31 regular season appearances. However, the 38-year-old has been a part of the playoff rotation when he’s healthy, logging at least 12 minutes in three of the team’s first four playoff games. He missed Game 2 due to a bilateral neck spasm.
“It’s a huge loss,” head coach Steve Kerr said of Iguodala’s latest injury, per Andrews.
With Iguodala unavailable, reserves like Gary Payton II or Nemanja Bjelica will likely play slightly larger roles for the Warriors. The team could also consider inserting rookie Jonathan Kuminga into its rotation.
Iggy’s mere presence on the bench suffice.
AI was supposed to be what PJ Tucker is for the Heat right now… age is a MFer man…
Addition by subtraction. Kerr’s smiling on the inside.
Gotta be his last year.