Andre Iguodala played with one of the greatest shooters in the NBA – Stephen Curry. And yet, that wasn’t enough to sway him from giving his honest choice when it came to the last-second shot. Joining The Ryan Russillo Podcast, the 4x champion said that he would go with Kyrie Irving when it comes to tie games or playoffs.
Iguodala did not simply give his answer and leave it there. He went ahead and explained his reasons as well. But he might have to rethink his decision.
Andre Iguodala might just have to eat his words
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The 2015 Finals MVP said that Steph has proven that the ball can be taken out of his hands if he is double-teamed. But with Kyrie, there is no chance of getting the ball away. And he was sure that anybody in the league would agree with him that Irving is a “scary guy to see”. All that’s all well and good. But unfortunately, the statistics suggest otherwise.
Highest clutch TS% for an NBA Champion, last 10 years (min. 20 clutch PTS):
1. Steph (2017) – 99% TS
2. AD (2020) – 87% TS
3. Steph (2022) – 67% TS
4. Steph (2015) – 62% TS
5. Kyrie (2016) – 61% TSVia @WarriorsMuse https://t.co/dU9v63wafW
— LoonMuse (@KevonLooneyMuse) February 29, 2024
The True Shooting Percentage or TS% is a metric intended to provide a more accurate analysis of a player’s shooting efficiency than just FG%, FT%, or three-point percentage. And Stephen Curry still holds the top place with a consistent record of 60% or above throughout his career. The above post, though, goes the extra mile and provides the stats of the highest clutch TS% of players with rings in the last 10 years.
Among players who have a minimum of 20 clutch points, Curry ranks at the top with the highest percentage in the three years he’s been an NBA champion. Irving, though, takes the last position with 61% during the 2016 title run with the Cavaliers. In fact, that year must have been what prompted Andre Iguodala to go with ‘Uncle Drew’.
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Kyrie Irving’s cold shot prevented the Warriors’ back-to-back titles
Russillo’s question to Iguodala included the fear factor – who he would be scared to take on in a tied game. In his defense, Andre might have been reliving the 2016 Warriors‘ championship run. If the Dubs had won that year, it would have been straight four titles, with the fifth in 2022. But no, Kyrie Irving was determined to get his ring after having to end his 2015 Finals with a fractured knee.
Read More: Andre Iguodala Gives 4-Word Response to Stephen Curry’s Hyped Reaction to New NBA Role
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Everything was against Cleveland. They were 3-1 down in the series. The Warriors were steadily and meticulously ensuring that the Cavs stayed where they were. After the timeout and 69 seconds remaining in the shot clock, the Cavs switched things to get the ball in Irving’s hands. Steph was defending Kyrie, and the latter kept calm while looking for an opening.
He got that with 53 seconds remaining when he stepped sideways beyond the arc and drained a 25-footer on the right wing. We all know what happened after that. The Wall Street Journal even dubbed it “the biggest shot in the NBA history”. Clearly, that night impacted Iguodala in more ways than one, it would seem.