Andre Iguodala is still one of the best glue guys in the league

He might pretend he’s washed, but he’s still got it.

Andre Iguodala is thirty-five years old, and constantly jokes about how it’s the end of the road for him. Once one of the best athletes and defenders in the league, he’s clearly not an All-Star level player anymore.

Last year, Iguodala looked washed in the regular season. After signing a lucrative contract in the offseason, Andre couldn’t make a shot, didn’t compete as hard on the defensive end, and frequently became invisible. In last year’s playoffs, Iguodala played well, but missed a large period of time due to injury. He simply can’t play huge minutes anymore.

This year, Iguodala is averaging the fewest minutes and points of his career. But a closer look at his play and statistics reveal he’s having a much improved year, and is still a crucially important piece for the Warriors. Even nearing the end of his career, Iguodala does enough as a jack-of-all-trades role player to fill in the gaps.

Iguodala brings two main skills to the Warriors: defense and playmaking. He’s not an All-World defender anymore, but his quick hands and smart instincts still make him the Warriors’ best wing defender. He can switch to guard multiple positions and direct his teammates to the right spots. On the opposite end, the Warriors love Iguodala’s ballhandling and passing, which works well for Steve Kerr’s complex off-ball motions.

Iguodala has improved over last year in almost every statistical category per possession: his assist to turnover ratio of about 2.3 is great for a wing, and he’s increased his steals and blocks. His greatest weakness last year, his shooting, is no longer a problem: he’s shooting 34.4% from three, which is perfectly fine, instead of 28.2% last year.

Even with his athleticism declining, Andre will surprise you with a random dunk out of nowhere. He still has major hops.

Andre turned thirty-five a few days ago, and there might not be much of his career left. He’s transformed over the years from an athletic dynamite to one of the smartest role players in the league. He’s definitely worth consideration for the Hall of Fame