OAKLAND – Warriors coach Steve Kerr had a reasonable plan, but the day he finally felt comfortable unveiling it was too late for Andre Iguodala.
Because of injuries elsewhere on the roster, Iguodala had played in excess of 20 minutes for 15 consecutive games for the first time in nearly two years. Kerr knew Iguodala was overdue for a rest and vowed to oblige.
“I anticipate doing that at some point,” he said Monday, two hours before tipoff against Minnesota. “We’ve had to get through this stretch the last few weeks without Steph [Curry] and Draymond [Green], so Shaun [Livingston] and Andre have pretty much played every night. But we will definitely be looking at some of those options.”
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Twenty minutes after tipoff against the Minnesota Timberwolves, it was announced that Iguodala was out due to tightness in his right hip. It wasn’t serious, according to the Warriors, and Iguodala likely would be back Wednesday night against the Toronto Raptors.
Well, no, he won’t. The Warriors announced Wednesday morning that Iguodala would miss the game against the Raptors with the same hip tightness. On Wednesday evening, Kerr declared the 2015 Finals MVP as day-to-day.
No sooner than the Warriors get Curry and Green back -- each was sidelined for about three weeks – to form a healthy roster, they’re not as healthy as they thought.
[RELATED: NBA advance scout says Steve Kerr doesn't run a single play from Phil Jackson]
Golden State Warriors
Iguodala turns 35 in January. His knees require routine maintenance. The Warriors have long acknowledged he is going to miss maybe 20 percent of the regular season. They accept it because Iguodala’s value rises appreciably in the postseason.
That’s why they’d like to rest him once roughly every couple weeks. The same applies to Livingston, who is only 33 but whose body has endured severe physical trauma.
“Shaun and Andre have come through this stretch really well,” Kerr said Monday. “And we have a long way to go, obviously, so I anticipate giving them a night off here and there.”
It’ll be at least two nights, out of necessity, for Iguodala, with the hope that Livingston – who has played at least 14 minutes in each of the last 15 games – can hang in long enough to get his rest once Iguodala is able to return.