#DubNation is currently abuzz with the imminent return of Andre Iguodala to the Golden State Warriors starting lineup for tonight’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans, as we first reported this morning after shootaround.
He is reportedly officially listed as “probable”:
Kirk Lacob just walked by with a group of other #Warriors executives and I overheard, “Officilly, Andre is probable.”
— LetsGoWarriors (@LetsGoWarriors) December 17, 2013
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Yet it begs the question: Is he fully healed and how much at risk is Iguodala for re-injuring the hamstring?
The Warriors certainly want to avoid the fate of the Los Angeles Lakers‘ Jordan Farmar, who reportedly played with a “tight” hamstring, only to injure it further with an official diagnosis of “torn hamstring” (Iguodala’s diagnosis was a “strained hamstring”).
Farmar’s timetable was “at least four weeks”. Farmar has not played since the injury occurred in the opening moments of the Lakers’ game on december 1, 2013. Iguodala strained his hamstring against the very same Lakers on November 22, so it’s been 25 days or a little over three weeks.
Iguodala was made available to media after practice five days ago on December 12 (he did not practice that day). It was a rare occurrence because injured players are typically not made available to the media by the Warriors.
Rusty Simmons of the SF Chronicle had filed this report:
If that’s the 101 part, here’s the catch: Iguodala said Thursday that he feels well enough to play and positively affect the reeling Warriors, but if he comes back before he’s completely healed, he could reinjure his hamstring and miss the entire season.
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“That’s the hardest part,” Iguodala said. “We’ve had some disagreements, because some days you feel really good. Your body can trick itself into thinking it feels all right, but it’s not really there.”
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Iguodala said he’s running at a good rate, shooting well and jumping better than he was three weeks ago when he was injured. He still needs to pass tests that prove he can cut, slide and abruptly start and stop before he’ll return to games.
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The Warriors haven’t put a timeline on Iguodala’s return, but he says it’ll be “really soon.” Non-Warriors doctors say a Grade 3 hamstring strain – a hamstring tear, which Iguodala calls his injury – usually requires a four-to six-week recovery.
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Warriors strength and conditioning coach Mike Roncarati reinjured his hamstring four times while trying to return from a tear this summer.
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“I guess I could listen to him, because he’s been through it,” Iguodala said.
Matt Schwab of the San Jose Mercury News was also there for the Iguodala interview:
Iguodala didn’t offer a timetable for his return but seems to expect it to be sooner rather than later. He said he is running, jumping and shooting well, but it’s the sharp cutting, an NBA necessity, that might need a little polish.
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He believes he can rely on his instincts as a 10th-year player to manage his game effectively. But hammies can be tricky reads.
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“The hamstring is one of the toughest muscles to heal,” he said. “There’s some crazy numbers out there of guys that get reinjured from hamstrings. So being really careful with it, but still getting a lot of work in. Our trainers are doing a really good job. I’m running at good rate now, and my body weight, so things are looking good.”
Over the next few practices, we witnessed him increasing his shootaround workouts. Three days ago, he began catching passes off of cuts during his shootaround:
LetsGoWarriors.com was also there for the interview. Iguodala looked in good spirits and was his usual calm, calculating self. He often talks about how he’s very observant of how he feels mentally and physically. His approach to the game is very meticulous.
“I’m being careful with it, but still get a lot of work in. Trainers are doing a really good job, I’m running at a good rate, and I’m at my body weight,” Iguodala said five days ago after practice, “The main thing is just cutting, sliding, starting and stopping…because my lift is there, I’m shooting the ball, I can jump the same way, I might jump higher than I did two weeks ago, but it’s really what hurt it, coming to an abrupt stop. You gotta make sure that’s in place because the game’s so up and down.”
Even back then, his return seemed imminent.
“Really soon, I mean, that’s the plan. I feel pretty good,” Iguodala added, “I think another thing is my experience. I’ve been in the league, it’s my tenth year. I can be effective and still gauge, not trying to overdo it when I’m out there on the court and still be effective, so I feel I’m gonna let that be a factor being able to come back sooner than later as well.”
That and the usual extra-cautious approach the Warriors staff usually has with injuries, should help calm some of the fears #DubNation has with Iguodala’s comeback.
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