The X-Factor

By: Lamar "L.A." Smith

The X-Factor is not just the name of a music competition TV show created by former American Idol judge Simon Cowell. The X-Factor is the difference maker. The independent variable which could alter the outcome of anything. A large part of the 2015 NBA Finals saw us cast Matthew Dellavedova the Australian irritant in this role. A series defined by pace and experience is tied 2-2 heading back to Oakland.

Andre Iguodala is a two-time All-NBA Defense selection (2014 All-NBA Defensive First Team selection) and a former All-Star and before this year he's played 758 games all as a starter. Though, this year everything changed. This year Iguodala was asked to come off the bench by rookie head coach Steve Kerr, something Andre has not been asked to do since his freshman year at Arizona.

A two-time gold medal winner with Team USA in the 2010 World Championship and the 2012 Olympics in London. He was now being asked to be the team's sixth man and his ego had to be checked at the door. Iguodala came off the bench in all of the 77 games he played this year and this led the Golden State Warriors to the best record in the NBA and in franchise history (67-15).

A golden season started to dim a bit when the Warriors faced a 2-1 deficit against the injury riddled Cleveland Cavaliers in a city who is fiending to taste NBA gold for the first time. Steve Kerr started to get criticized for his coaching efforts for the first time this season.

A jolt of energy was needed to inspire an otherwise energetic and prolific offense. Steve Kerr needed to make a move and a previous shootaround interview with Kerr where he told reporters the starting lineup would remain unchanged suggested Golden State would continue to play uninspired basketball.

Kerr lied to the reporters and the result was a change in the starting lineup. A super small speed lineup consisting of: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andre Iguodala, Harrison Barnes and Draymond Green. Draymond starting at center for the first time since high school he said in an NBA Gametime interview and Kerr giving the player who he raved about being the best player for the Warriors in this series his first start of the season.

"Enter Andre Iguodala", in his first start of the season Iguodala scored a season-high 22 points and grabbed 8 rebounds while also stealing the ball from LeBron James once. The Cavaliers were 6/45 outside the paint in Game 4. Iguodala was 6/13 and scored just as many points outside the paint as the Cavaliers entire team did in Game 4.

Watch Andre Iguodala put up one of the biggest individual performance's in his life in Game 4 of the NBA Finals.

Andre Iguodala outscored King James 22 to 20 and James was 4/14 from the field with 12 points when guarded by "Iggy". Iguodala and the other role players: Harrison Barnes, David Lee and Draymond Green played well to help the Warriors tie the series 2-2 heading back to Oracle Arena.

A series where Kyrie Irving goes down, King James dominates and the Splash Bros are not shooting 3-pointers at a particularly high clip; one may not have saw Andre Iguodala as a realistic Finals MVP candidate.

Watch Iguodala score at all of his 22 points in Game 4 of the 2015 NBA Finals.

I picked the Warriors in 6 games and I'm sticking with my pick. Shall the Warriors win the NBA Finals all of Golden State will truly be able "to get Iggy with it".