The 14-15 and 15-16 seasons for the Golden State Warriors were defined obviously by the offensive juggernaut that was the Curry-Thompson-Green trio, but they were also defined by a phrase which gave the bench mob and non-star members of the team the credit they deserved: Strength In Numbers. The two best examples of the bench guys who moved from starting roles their whole careers to bench leaders on the Dubs were David Lee (now retired and spiritually succeeded by Nemanja Bjelica) and Andre Iguodala (who last year didn’t look like he was going to be in the league much longer).

After spending two seasons with the Miami Heat as a veteran who didn’t seem like he had a ton of gas left in the tank, Iguodala has found a semblance of his youth in his return to the Bay. Iggy was a key piece in seasons past, even through the Kevin Durant years when the bench wasn’t as loaded as it was before, and is one of the few Warriors who was there for all three championships and, more importantly perhaps, championship losses. Iguodala is a winning player, coming to the Warriors in the 2013-2014 season after starting with the Sixers for 8 seasons and spending another with the Nuggets in 2012. Two years removed from being an All-Star, he was playing on the bench behind Harrison Barnes. He’s always been a very solid all-around player, averaging 7.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.4 assists on 48/34/63 splits in addition to some clamps defense in his career with the Dubs (all coming off the bench).

His impact nowadays isn’t just as a veteran presence, despite being 38 years old now. He’s a playmaker, a versatile piece the Warriors can throw out in any lineup and he’ll gel with them great. In bench-centered lineups without Draymond or Steph, Iggy’s the shot-caller who’s directing traffic to get guys like Jordan Poole and Otto Porter Jr. open for their looks. He knows how to play championship basketball, experience that will be incredibly valuable as the season goes along. While he may not be as active everywhere as he once was, his presence on the floor inspires winning play. His current impact sets up younger guys (like Iguodala protege, Oakland native, and fan favorite Warrior Juan Toscano-Anderson) to take over his role in the future, as his imprint is all over the blueprint for the Warriors dynasty.

Iguodala’s presence is inspiring to a lot of the older guys as well because of his familiarity with Kerr’s system. Andre is notorious for his ability to buy in to a system. Iguodala is currently one of the few team members (alongside Steph Curry) who has been consistent on both ends of the floor through the games they’ve played so far. His age may begin to show down the stretch, but as one of the elder statesmen, his presence is nonetheless very important for the Warriors as they move forward.

(Photo credit: Tim Warner / Getty Images)