Andre Iguodala will be FANTASTIC with the Warriors-a post by popular request.

One request for my thoughts on the Iguodala signing counts as a popular request to me.  Iguodala will be better with the Golden State Warriors than he ever was in Denver or Philadelphia. 

One of my great pleasures in life is playing quality team basketball with a group of smart and diverse teammates.  Iguodala is a smart diverse basketball player, and the Warriors are a smart and diverse team.  Here are some aspects of quality team basketball and how Iguodala fits. 

Hustle Play:  Teams that work find ways to make the extra plays.  They crash rebounds with more aggression, they play good man defense but even better help defense, they beat their man down the court on offense and defense, and they fight for extra possessions.  The losing Warriors teams did not do this.  The 2012-13 Warriors team, a fun winning team, was great at this. 

Iggy's Fit: Iguodala is awesome at hustle basketball and will take the Warriors to another level in defense, transition play, and in winning 'fifty-fifty balls.' 

Offensive Cohesion:  Fun offensive teams fit through versatility and specialization.  Every Player sets screens and moves off screens, but one or two players specialize in it (Bogut and Lee).  Every player moves in tandem, creating a constantly changing puzzle that the defense must stay ahead of (All of the Warriors are good at this).  These teams must have stretch players (the more the better); making the defense work to protect every inch of the court (the Warriors have several elite stretch players, especially Curry). 

Iggy's Fit:  In Philadelphia Iguodala was forced attack set defenses off the dribble because his teammates were limited in their ability to move in tandem and create offensively.  Andre did his best, but those Philadelphia teams were built to struggle on offense.  In Denver Iguodala's transition speed and offensive movement was better put to use, but the team’s lack of stretch players still hampered the teams ability to create when trapped in a half court game.  In Golden State Iguodala will be freed to play his natural offensive game.  He will use his athleticism in transition, he make smart cuts to the basket, he can set a screen and roll to the basket before his defender can recover, he can catch a pass and quickly make the next pass to an open man, and he can do all of this with the freedom of not having to face the opponents best defender every night.  Iguodala's numbers might not be spectacular, because this Warriors team shares the ball so well, but his efficiency and enjoyment of the game will both be much higher. 

Hard Smart Defense:  Cohesive teams play hard defense in the system that maximizes their talent.  Teammates communicate, cover for each other, and funnel help towards the threats, and challenge shots without fouling (Individually several of the Warriors are not very good defenders, but in their system they play excellent defense, largely because of Bogut's brilliance as a defensive anchor). 

Iggy's Fit:  Iguodala is an elite perimeter defender.  Individually he is fantastic on the ball, and he possesses the rare tenacity to really battle around screens.  In the team concept he is a great help defender with the agility and quickness to flash in to help against a drive and then to run out to challenge a jump shooter.  He is excellent at anticipating passes and jumping to intercept.  The Warriors do not have the pieces to be an elite defense, but with only one great defender (Bogut) they were a very good defense, and with Iguodala to hassle the oppositions best perimeter threat that defense will improve. 

Camaraderie:  Some teams are just fun to be a part of, professional but fun.  The Warriors look like one of those teams.  Iguodala looks like a player who will fit in. 

I am wrong if:  I am not wrong, so I put the odds of his not fitting well at 0.5%.  I guess I would be wrong if he tries to force himself on the team as a isolation player, and if he becomes lazy on defense.  In Iguodala’s long and successful career those have never been his qualities, it would be insane for them to manifest now that he is on a team where he fits so well.