OAKLAND -- We don't know how severe Andre Iguodala's back strain is, only that it is serious enough to force the veteran forward to the sideline for the season opener.
For a game he definitely wanted to play.
"It doesn't make sense to play him," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Tuesday, two hours before tipoff of the opening-night game against the Houston Rockets.
Iguodala's absence will hurt the Warriors not only against the Rockets but also anybody else, for as long as he is unable to take the floor. Back problems have a way of choosing when they go away. Until then, Iguodala is at its mercy.
Losing Iguodala for this game means, first and foremost, that Klay Thompson will be mostly alone in chasing James Harden. It's an important defensive assignment typically shared by Thompson and Iguodala.
Furthermore, the Rockets' fast-paced offense is designed to generate constant pressure. They led the NBA last season in 3-point shots, made and attempted, and they stretch the floor as well as any team in the league, including the Warriors.
Iguodala's intellect, defensive instincts and superior anticipation are most valuable against such teams as Houston. Draymond Green and Iguodala can wrecking offenses as well as any two players in the league, their quick hands causing havoc that is one of the keys to the Warriors playing championship-level defense.
Sports
"Andre is as smart a defensive player as I've ever seen," Kerr said. "Draymond is incredibly smart, too. Scottie Pippen (Kerr's former teammate with the Bulls) was so brilliant. Andre reminds me a lot of Scottie in terms of quarterbacking the defense and disrupting plays before they happen, anticipating where people are going to be, where the ball is going to be.
"So Andre is critical to our defense. "
For at least one night, and maybe more, Green will have to turn to another sidekick when Kerr unleashes the "Death Lineup" without Iguodala.
Shaun Livingston and Nick Young can deliver some of what Iguodala provides on offense.
Thompson can compensate for some of the lost offense, but he'll have his hands full with Harden. Though Kerr said Pat McCaw would fill some of the minutes lost with Iguodala, the coach can't reasonably expect McCaw to physically cope with Harden, a crafty veteran who also is 40 pounds heavier.
So let's see what happens when the Rockets come down the floor with three or four players, all capable of launching from deep, scattering to get to their spots.
"It'll be a challenge for us to play without (Iguodala) tonight against one of the best offensive teams in the league," Kerr said.
The coach believes Iguodala will be ready for the next game, Friday in New Orleans. The Warriors, for the sake of their defense, can only hope so.
