How the Miami Heat can best utilize Andre Iguodala in the NBA playoffs

Let’s take a look at where the Miami Heat perform significantly better with Andre Iguodala and how the team can help him play better in the NBA playoffs.

The Miami Heat acquired Andre Iguodala from the Memphis Grizzlies on February 5th because the organization believed that he was still a premier player on both ends of the floor, especially in the NBA playoffs. Team president Pat Riley told reporters afterward that Miami’s analytics department determined Iguodala had an elite assist-to-turnover percentage and still was a fantastic defender.

Unfortunately, the trade is producing mixed results for Miami as he is seeking to improve his defensive performance with a lower effort level. Iguodala has instituted a style where he leaves his defensive assignment until they receive the basketball.

Iguodala’s style led him to run 0.72 miles per game at an average speed of 3.97 miles per hour in his first 20 games with the Miami Heat. These statistics are significantly down from the rest of his career as he averaged 0.91 miles per game at an average speed of 3.83 mph.

A prime example of this can be found late in the first quarter of a home game against the Boston Celtics. Iguodala’s defensive assignment, Jayson Tatum, brought the basketball up the court. Consequently, Iguodala waited for him at the 3-point line and stayed close to him until he passed the basketball. Once Tatum passed the basketball to Brad Wanamaker, Iguodala retreated to the elbow for the rest of the possession.

The defensive style helped Iguodala hold opponents to 39.7 percent shooting from the field on 7.5 attempts per game in his first 20 games. Iguodala’s defensive field goal percentage has allowed opponents to create 7.1 points per game.

These numbers are better than in previous years as he held opponents to 43.2 percent shooting on 7.2 field goal attempts per game from 2013-14 to 2018-19. The field goal percentage helped opponents create 7.7 points per game.

However, it is an entirely different story on the offensive side of the floor as Iguodala is posting the worst statistics of his career. Iguodala averaged 4.8 points, 2.6 assists, shooting 45.2 percent from the field with an assist to turnover ratio of 1.96 in his first 20 games.

The dropoff in offensive statistics is related to how the Miami Heat are using him on the floor. Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra runs a ball movement offense when he is on the floor, as the bench is averaging 201.1 passes per game, accounting for 64.6 percent of the team’s total passes.

Consequently, Iguodala is spending a significant amount of time as a floor spacer. Iguodala is currently taking 54.8 percent of his field goal attempts from behind the arc as he averaged 2.3 per game in his first 20 games.

Sadly Iguodala doesn’t have the skill set to thrive in this role, as he has a career shooting percentage of 33.3 percent from behind the arc on 2.7 attempts per game before this season. Iguodala’s shooting struggles have continued as he shot 31.1 percent from behind the arc in his first 20 games.

Consequently, defenders have routinely left him wide open to provide help defense elsewhere. For example, Mason Plumlee left Iguodala wide open on the left wing to help Nikola Jokic double team Kelly Olynyk. Olynyk passed the basketball to Iguodala, propelling Jokic and Plumlee to rotate over to him.

Then, Iguodala passed the basketball to Jimmy Butler down in the post. Butler ended up missing a fade-away jumper.

More importantly, the ball movement offense has only allowed Iguodala to touch the basketball 30.8 times per game. These touches have helped him attack the basket 1.1 times per game enabling him to create 0.3 points and 0.2 assists per game.

The extra defender has hurt Miami’s offense as they are shooting 44.5 percent from the field on 34.8 attempts per game. It is a decrease of 3.2 percentage points in field goal percentage as the starters are shooting 47.7 percent on 51.3 attempts per game.

The field goal percentage has helped them score 46.6 points per game, a 31.5 percent decrease from the starters’ production. The decrease in production has played a vital role in the team experiencing a swing of 3.2 points with Iguodala on the floor as they are outscored by 0.8 points per game.

If the Heat want Iguodala to be more productive in the NBA playoffs, they should make him the primary ball-handler when he’s on the floor. Iguodala’s best season in the last six years came during the 2013-14 season when he averaged 44.1 touches per game.

These touches allowed him to attack the basket 3.4 times per game and accumulate 0.9 points and 0.5 assists in the process. The drive statistics accounted for 9.7 percent of his scoring output and 10.4 percent of his playmaking as he averaged 9.3 points and 4.8 assists.

More importantly, Iguodala only took 30 percent of his field-goal attempts from behind the arc averaging 2.7 per game. In conclusion, Miami should give Iguodala more time as a ball-handler to maximize his value. If Miami refuses to accentuate to Iguodala’s strengths, it will cost them in the NBA playoffs as opponents will leave him open, forcing the team to play at an offensive disadvantage.