Let me preface this by reminding you guys that I’m far from an Andre Iguodala fan. Most people that know me joke and say that I hate on “Dre” . But that is hardly the case because initially I started out in his corner. Truth be told when the Philadelphia 76ers drafted him with the ninth pick in the 2004 NBA draft, I liked the move. From what I had heard, Iguodala was an athletic guy that had all the skills to be a defensive stopper.¬† So naturally I was excited and expected him to be a poor man‚Äôs version of NBA great Scottie Pippen.
At first, it looked like the Sixers hit the jack pot. They appeared to have found one of the missing pieces to the “How to play with (Allen) Iverson puzzle.” But after the team came to the conclusion that the center piece, Iverson, was no longer the right guy to build around, Iguodala was forced to be “the man.”
During this so called “Iguodala Era”, a lot of Sixers fans have been forced to suffer due to the lack of production by the team. The Sixers have yet to make it past the first round of the playoffs since the departure of Iverson, and have not had a representative in the All-Star game since 2006. And each of the last two off-seasons, Iguodala ‘s name has come up in trade rumors.
I once wanted him to be on the first train smoking out of Philly, but after hearing head coach Doug Collins say “Andre Iguodala should be an all-league defensive player at small forward…if he‚Äôs an all league defender at the three spot that means that we‚Äôre going to be able to get out and run. That‚Äôs what he does best; I want him to get to the foul line. I want him to use his jumper as a weapon, but I don‚Äôt want him to have to live with jump shots because then he‚Äôs not playing to his strengths‚Äù” a few weeks back, I started paying closer attention to what Coach Collins was saying about Dre.
Maybe Coach Collins is the guy that can take Iguodala to the next level. Maybe now Dre will go back to being a defensive stopper and take the challenge of locking up the best guy on the opposing team. Hopefully, he will find joy in creating turnovers and fast break points and not look to shoot jumpers so much on the offensive end. Iguodala is not at his best when he decides to settle for jump shots. He is much more affective when he is attacking the basket and filling the lanes.
Hopefully, these are all things Iguodala will be working on as he attempts to make the USA National Team. Making the National team should do wonders for Iguodala ‘s game. It will allow Iguodala to play with some of the best players in the world, and also give him a chance to show the world what he is really made of. Like the Sixers, Team USA doesn’t need Iguodala to be “the man.” All they need is for Iguodala to accept the role as the “defensive stopper” and really get his rocks off by holding star players under a specific point range.
True guys like LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, and Dwight Howard, who played on the 2008 Olympic team, said they wouldn‚Äôt participate this summer allowing Iguodala to have a chance. But that shouldn’t take away from what Iguodala is attempting to accomplish. He has survived so far and with only three cuts left to make, he appears to be a lock to make the team but stranger things have happened.
In fact after reading that head coach Mike Krzyzewski said “He had as good a week as any player in Las Vegas. He was efficient on offense, took easy shots and was a very good outside shooter..His athleticism on the defensive end…He’s one of the best in the NBA…” I am sold.
A true Sixers’ fan should have all eyes on the National Team’s tryouts. They should be checking Iguodala’s status and reading up on what scouts are saying about him. A lot is riding on if Iguodala makes the team or not. He has a great shot at making the final roster if he continue to play his part and become a lock down defender. Who knows maybe Philadelphia will get lucky and Iguodala will turn over a new leaf this summer and become what he was projected to become and really help turn around what was once a prominent franchise.
He isn’t a bad player. He was forced to be “the guy” and needs to be the best defensive player on the team and the 2nd scoring option. Coaching was always the problem. How many coaches has the sixes has since he was drafted? Too many. With a good coach he could be a very good player. Just stop shooting long jumpshots, play defense and drive to the basket.