Iguodala will not play in Game 5 of the Warriors first-round series against the Denver Nuggets because of a left cervical disk injury. He will be out for the rest of the Warriors series against the Nuggets and possibly the start of the second round.
Steve Kerr said it was a huge loss for the Warriors. He knows exactly what is happening and we can use him in a variety of ways.
Iguodala missed Game 2 against Denver with a neck injury, but it is not the same as the one he had in his neck. The back injury that kept him out seven weeks is believed to be the cause of the neck injuries. He missed eight games due to a hip injury. He played 31 games in the regular season.
One of the reasons the Warriors were cautious with Iguodala during the regular season was to make sure he was available in the playoffs, which would provide the younger, less experienced players in the rotation a stabilizing veteran presence.
Jonathan Kuminga, who played just over 11 minutes in the second quarter, scored nine points, the first time he had played more than 11 minutes in a game. Before Iguodala was ruled out, Kerr wouldn't speculate on how much he planned to play Kuminga in Game 5 but said that Kuminga has a role with the team in the first-round series and moving forward.
Ahead of Game 5, Kerr said the Warriors would explore the possibility of shortening their rotation.
It depends on how the game is going.
One of the things we talked about when the playoffs started was that we didn't have our whole group during the regular season so we didn't test lineups. I think we will have to mix and match now. We have to feel each game and figure out what we need.
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