Steve Kerr's gamble paid off.
Shortly before tipoff, the Golden State Warriors revealed a change to their starting lineup, one that inserted Andre Iguodala on the wing, slid Draymond Green to center, and pushed Andrew Bogut to the bench. It was a roll of the dice – Bogut is a great rim protector and often the team's defensive anchor – but a logical one, given how Iguodala had played LeBron James so far and how small Golden State lineups had performed.
Still, changing the starting lineup 80 wins into a season is a tough call. It worked, at least for one night, with the Warriors evening the NBA Finals at 2-2 thanks to a 103-82 Game 4 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Andrew Bogut: "The whole pride thing, I could really care (less) because if you have a ring at the end of the day, that'll be pride."
— Diamond Leung (@diamond83) June 12, 2015
It probably wasn't the element of surprise that shook the Cavaliers, but Kerr admitted after the game that he had made the call to insert Iguodala into the starting lineup much earlier in the day.
"I lied. Sorry," Kerr said. "I don't think they hand you the trophy based on morality. They give it to you if you win."
Kerr was open in his justification for making the change, and it's an easy logic to follow: Iguodala has "been our best player through four games." Iguodala has accepted a reserve role for the good of the team and had his minutes controlled to keep him fresh for the playoffs, and it really seems to be paying off.
"He's one of the smartest players I've ever been around," Kerr said. "The guy is brilliant on both ends."
He's done a masterful job on James, playing strong enough one-on-one defense that the Warriors have been able to build a game plan that sees just a single defender on the world's best player.
It seems exhausting, but Iguodala continues to meet the challenge – James had his quietest game of the series, laughably, considering he scored 20 points with 12 rebounds and eight assists – and Iguodala even kicked in a season-high 22 points with eight rebounds on Thursday.
LeBron James shot 4-14 when guarded by Andre Iguodala tonight
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) June 12, 2015
"My brain is, like, fried," Iguodala said. "Every playoff game is like a precious moment. Every possession, every timeout, you've gotta be locked in."
His brain may be fried, but he's got two days off to recuperate – and golf, probably – before Game 5 tips off Sunday back in Oakland. Kerr didn't say as much, but it stands to reason that the new starting lineup, which was a -1 in 14 minutes Thursday (and +10 in four minutes with Shaun Livingston in the place of Harrison Barnes), will remain in place.
"I think it worked," Steph Curry said succinctly of Kerr's big change. "I think (Iguodala) likes the challenge of this matchup, especially in this series."
The Warriors still got off to a slow start, down 7-0 at the 2:09 mark, but they cruised from there. The chess match continues, and it's now on the Cavs to find a counter to the new Warriors look.
