Andre Iguodala's Role With The Miami Heat Starting To Shape
There was a time when Miami Heat forward Andre Iguodala focused mostly on statistics.
Now in his 15th season, he understands it's about more than just numbers. Iguodala had a season-high 12 points in Thursday's loss to the Milwaukee Bucks but knows he impacts the team beyond stats.
"I'm just trying to play winning basketball and understanding that sometimes that may not reflect the contribution on the stat sheet and being comfortable with that," Iguodala said. "I think a lot of times we tend to look at the stat sheets too much to determine whether guys had a good game or not."
Iguodala, who won three championships with the Golden State Warriors, was thrust into a larger role because forward Jimmy Butler and guard Goran Dragic were sidelined with ankle injuries. He played 28 minutes, recording eight assists and seven rebounds. It was easily his most productive game since being acquired from the Memphis Grizzlies in a trade in February.
"Because we had Goran and Jimmy out, he handled the ball quite a bit with that second unit as really our point forward," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "That versatility is something that fits right in with what we do and who we are for sure. I'm really, in this short period of time, enjoy having this opportunity to coach him."
Iguodala is the Heat's second-oldest player behind forward Udonis Haslem. He's also stepped into a mentor role for the younger players.
"He's a tremendous vet," rookie guard Tyler Herro said. "He shines light on everybody. He's been in the league for a while. I couldn't thank him enough in what he does. Even on the court, he's helping me make adjustments on the fly. I can't appreciate him enough."
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