OAKLAND -- Andre Iguodala insists he is doing the same thing now that he did last month, or three months ago, or at the beginning of this irregular Warriors season.
He is right.
He is wrong.
He is both.
For Iguodala, doing the "same thing" means constantly changing. The bedrock aspect of his 14-year career, and the most accurate way to judge his value to each roster along the way, is his ability to adapt to his surroundings. To become whatever the team needs at that particular time, within a single game or a stretch of games.
Iguodala's emphasis may change, but his principle approach does not.
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"It's just what the game calls for," Iguodala told NBC Sports Bay Area late Tuesday night, after a 92-81 loss to Indiana. "I've always tried to tell people that. I'm doing what the game says. I always try to play the game the right way. If the game says shoot, shoot. If the game says pass, pass."
With their top four scorers and the combined 84 points per game they typically produce out of the lineup, at least until Thursday, the Warriors lately have needed more scoring. So Iguodala, unable to pass to the likes of Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson, has become a more aggressive shooter.
After averaging 4.7 shots over his first 56 games this season, Iguodala averaged 7.9 over the past six. After averaging 1.7 3-point attempts per game, he's averaging 3.3 over the past six.
And, of course, the percentages are rising. It didn't lead to victory in either of the last two games, but Iguodala's shot looks good. Comfortable. He attempted 17 field goals over the past two games, making nine. He jacked nine 3-pointers, making five. He's shooting 51.7percent in March, including 44.0 percent beyond the arc.
"Knowing who I'm in the game with tells me exactly what to do," Iguodala said. "It's like, ‘OK, I'm in with this group? I know the strengths and weaknesses of everybody out here, so I know I've got to go to the ball. Or, I'm with this guy and he might not know where he's going, so I might have to bail him out.
"So if the game tells me to be a little bit more aggressive, that's what I do."
Iguodala made one play in particular Tuesday night that was breathtaking in its athleticism. He baited Indiana center Myles Turner into a pass, jumped the passing lane to pick it off in mid-flight and took off on a one-man fast break that ended with a dunk, tying the game late in the third quarter.
It looked a bit like a linebacker baiting the quarterback to throw a screen pass, and then scrambling back for the interception and punctuating it with a pick-6.
"Andre looks great," coach Steve Kerr said. "The last month his body, his athleticism, his bounce – it's all coming together. That's a great sign for us. You always know you can count on him to know what is happening on the floor and make the right plays. But when he's looking this spry and athletic, that's when we're really tough to beat."
Iguodala doesn't necessarily agree with the "Playoff Andre" nickname that has followed him around a bit since he was named the MVP of the 2015 NBA Finals. In his mind, he doesn't do anything different. Same thing.
Except he does. He finds another level, usually when it's absolutely needed.
"It's almost like a boxer," Iguodala said earlier Tuesday. "You've been in a couple title fights and you know what goes into it. You know how to press yourself. You don't want to be too sharp too early. You want to be sharp just at the right time. It's pretty much that I take that approach."
Rarely is Iguodala's best work illustrated by individual statistics. His teammates and coaches seem to understand that stat sheet totals don't do justice to his game.
"I'll say this: A lot of people don't know the game of basketball," Iguodala said. "They just assume that by looking at a piece of paper that it will tell them exactly whether somebody played good or bad. Which is never the case."
Durant is more succinct: "Watch the game. You'll see. We know what he brings."
Here's another way: Check out Iguodala and any four teammates at any given time. If he's playing with shooters, he tends to pass. If they're shot-blockers, he has one eye on his man and the other on the passing lane. If they're youngsters looking for leadership, he becomes a player-coach.
Iguodala's game is dictated by specific factors. The factors change, and he changes with them. Game after game, month after month, year after year, it's the same thing.
