Miami Heat: What does Andre Iguodala have left to give?

He’s a respected veteran and a quality addition for the Miami Heat, but what Andre Iguodala has left in the tank will say a lot about their title chances.

Nobody had seen new Miami Heat wing Andre Iguodala on an NBA court since last June, where he was attempting to help an injury-depleted Golden State Warriors squad take down the eventual champion Toronto Raptors in Game 6 of the Finals.

Since then, the former Finals MVP was MIA, waiting to depart from the young and inexperienced Memphis Grizzlies to an organization playing for something bigger.

Following the trade deadline this past Thursday, Iguodala had his wish fulfilled via a trade to the Miami Heat that included a two-year, $30 million extension — with a team option for the latter year.

The Heat have started off their west-coast trip 0-3, yet still find themselves an unexpected 34-18 on the season, good for fourth in the Eastern Conference and three games out of the No. 3 seed.

With Jimmy Butler, Duncan Robinson, Tyler Herro and Derrick Jones Jr. all soaking up significant minutes, wing depth didn’t seem to be an issue for Miami heading towards the deadline. Then again, it never helps to house a player like Iguodala, a high IQ two-way wing whose all-around contributions have helped spark five NBA Finals appearances and three title runs in the Bay Area.

Coming off a postseason in which he averaged just 9.8 points per game, many were led to believe the now 36-year-old would be better served never making an NBA return. Having not averaged double-figure scoring in a postseason since Golden State’s first title run in 2015, clearly scoring has rarely served as a barometer for his level of play.

He was one of only six players across the playoffs to chip in at least 4.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks per game. He also shot a respectable 35.0 percent from downtown on 3.8 attempts per game.

A combined -19 in those six games against Toronto, he admittedly struggled with far more responsibilities in the Finals than he’s been accustomed to on account of injuries to the likes of Kevin Durant and Klay Thomspon.

Iguodala has proven to be at his best without too much on his plate, allowing him to fill in the small cracks like crisp ball movement and savvy defensive rotations to help seal a victory.

On a roster with eight players averaging at least 20.0 minutes a game and six players scoring in double-figures, a physical overload shouldn’t be an issue. And having not played since mid-June, it should only be easier for Iguodala to take on some of the more daunting defensive assignments when the moment calls for it.

If his Heat debut was any indication, Iguodala is still plenty reliable. Versus the Portland Trail Blazers, he was a +10 in 23 minutes off the bench, chipping in six rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block.

It’s hardly a coincidence that even amid a 115-109 loss, it was Iguodala who posted the highest individual net rating on the team.

https://twitter.com/MiamiHEAT/status/1226716507855441920

It also helps that, with such a deep rotation, head coach Erik Spoelstra can mix and match lineups to better assess where Iguodala fits best.

Maybe that’s in a more defensive-oriented lineup alongside Jimmy Butler or positioned around outside snipers like Herro and Robinson.

Butler wasn’t available for Iguodala’s debut while Herro missed his third straight. Iguodala still managed to find symmetry alongside Kendrick Nunn and Bam Adebayo as Miami attempted to pull out a victory late in the fourth.

Spo has 30 games left in the regular season. Amid a slew of injuries, finding an answer in that stretch could turn Miami into even less of a desirable postseason opponent.

Even with an extended vacation, Iguodala still ranks fourth among current players on the regular-season minutes list and third in the playoffs. That’s attrition no amount of time off can make magically disappear.

It’ll be up to the entire Heat organization to keep that in mind and find a balance between building on-court cohesion while simultaneously keeping their deadline acquisition as fresh as possible for the moments that most require it.

Assuming that plan is followed, Iguodala’s game and resume should take care of the rest, and the Miami Heat’s championship pursuit will be that much more realistic with a player whose fingerprints can be spotted on several in recent history.