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The Golden State Warriors veteran rest schedule marches on. With the upstart Philadelphia 76ers in town, Andre Iguodala will be inactivated, just as Shaun Livingston and David West were in recent games.
Andre Iguodala (rest) will be inactive for tonight's game vs. Philadelphia.
— Warriors PR (@WarriorsPR) November 11, 2017
On the flip side, Kevin Durant is back, after missing one game with a thigh contusion. It was only one game, but it’s still good to get KD back.
Iguodala resting means more time for Nick Young and Omri Casspi. Both of these free agent signings have shown strong play in recent games. Casspi, in particular, is starting to find his rhythm on the team, and it will be fun to see him absorb some of Iguodala’s minutes as a versatile swingman.
As for Iguodala and the other veterans getting so much rest; don’t expect that to change. The Warriors are trying to trim 14 active roster members to 13 for each game day, and every one is deserving of playing time. This isn’t so much about Iguodala needing rest as it is about everyone getting minutes, and keeping everyone energized.
It’s the first time that Golden State will play runaway Rookie of the Year favorite Ben Simmons, as well as do-everything center Joel Embiid. Who Steve Kerr elects to have defend Simmons - a 6’11” point guard - will be fascinating.
It will also be interesting to see who gets the bulk of the center minutes when Embiid is on the floor. Embiid is a physical freak of nature (not a great fit for Zaza Pachulia) who can play from the perimeter (not a great fit for David West) and destroy the pick and roll (not a great fit for JaVale McGee). That will be a matchup worth keeping your eye on.
It should be a really fun game, Dub Nation. Enjoy!