By John McMullen
I've never been high on Andre Iguodala.
To me -- he was always the type of player that defined what's wrong with the NBA -- a wonderful athlete who seemed more concerned about making the nightly highlight reel on ESPN instead of focusing on the little things that win basketball games.
Yet, he was always portrayed as unselfish and deferring to the self-centered Allen Iverson by a Philadelphia media with nary a clue about the NBA.
The truth was far darker. Iguodala lost interest in the game without the ball in his hands and often loafed on the defensive end.
But now -- with Iverson tucked safely out of the way -- the new A.I. has flourished on a bad team with no reliable scoring option.
"Andre Iguodala is growing up right in front of our eyes," Sixers coach Maurice Cheeks said. "The things that he is doing and the plays that he is making are going to carry us a long way as we continue to play."
Perhaps most importantly Iguodala has also learned the secret to becoming a consistent scorer in the NBA. Draw contact -- when the jumper isn't falling, the great ones all get to the line.
Thanks to his epiphany, the former Arizona star is turning into one of the most well-rounded players in the league. He recorded his second triple-double of the season with 25 points, a then career-high 13 assists and 10 rebounds against Golden State and followed that up by outdueling an eight-time All-Star in Vince Carter on Monday when he netted 23 points and another career-high with 15 assists against the New Jersey Nets.
And he's loving every minute of it. "I am just learning from every game," Iguodala said. "My turnovers were up pretty high in the first half of the season, so I am really working on that. Also, I am talking to my big men and letting them know exactly where to be, where [I'll be] putting the ball - they are catching the ball and finishing."
Believe it or not Iguodala is one of only two players in the NBA this season with multiple triple-doubles -- the other being Jason Kidd -- and one of only three players to record a game with 30 points, five rebounds, five assists and five steals.
Those are Scottie Pippen type numbers and that's always the player I envisioned Iguodala being like -- if he ever got "it".
But -- as we all know -- Pippen was Robin to Michael Jordan's Batman. The lanky swingman accepted his role as the co-star and thrived on it. Iguodala has already failed miserably as Iverson's wing-man.
As the headliner, the third-year player has averaged over 23 points and seven assists per game in his last nine contests and has reached the 20-point plateau in 16 of 32 games since Iverson was barred from the building.
But, for the Sixers to take the next step they still need to get lucky at lottery time and that means Greg Oden or Kevin Durant. With either of those two players around, Iguodala will have to take a step back and resume the Robin role.
Can he do it?
"He's been playing unbelievable," Kyle Korver said of Iguodala. "He's really stepped up his game. He's doing stuff that he didn't previously do, like being a lot more vocal in the huddles. You can tell that he wants to be the guy here. At the end of the game, he wants the ball in his hands."
How he handles the end of the game without the ball in his hands will likely define his legacy as a Philadelphia 76er.
-You can chat about Andre Iguodala's development with John McMullen at jmcmullen@phanaticmag.com.
I've never been high on Andre Iguodala.
To me -- he was always the type of player that defined what's wrong with the NBA -- a wonderful athlete who seemed more concerned about making the nightly highlight reel on ESPN instead of focusing on the little things that win basketball games.
Yet, he was always portrayed as unselfish and deferring to the self-centered Allen Iverson by a Philadelphia media with nary a clue about the NBA.
The truth was far darker. Iguodala lost interest in the game without the ball in his hands and often loafed on the defensive end.
But now -- with Iverson tucked safely out of the way -- the new A.I. has flourished on a bad team with no reliable scoring option.
"Andre Iguodala is growing up right in front of our eyes," Sixers coach Maurice Cheeks said. "The things that he is doing and the plays that he is making are going to carry us a long way as we continue to play."
Perhaps most importantly Iguodala has also learned the secret to becoming a consistent scorer in the NBA. Draw contact -- when the jumper isn't falling, the great ones all get to the line.
Thanks to his epiphany, the former Arizona star is turning into one of the most well-rounded players in the league. He recorded his second triple-double of the season with 25 points, a then career-high 13 assists and 10 rebounds against Golden State and followed that up by outdueling an eight-time All-Star in Vince Carter on Monday when he netted 23 points and another career-high with 15 assists against the New Jersey Nets.
And he's loving every minute of it. "I am just learning from every game," Iguodala said. "My turnovers were up pretty high in the first half of the season, so I am really working on that. Also, I am talking to my big men and letting them know exactly where to be, where [I'll be] putting the ball - they are catching the ball and finishing."
Believe it or not Iguodala is one of only two players in the NBA this season with multiple triple-doubles -- the other being Jason Kidd -- and one of only three players to record a game with 30 points, five rebounds, five assists and five steals.
Those are Scottie Pippen type numbers and that's always the player I envisioned Iguodala being like -- if he ever got "it".
But -- as we all know -- Pippen was Robin to Michael Jordan's Batman. The lanky swingman accepted his role as the co-star and thrived on it. Iguodala has already failed miserably as Iverson's wing-man.
As the headliner, the third-year player has averaged over 23 points and seven assists per game in his last nine contests and has reached the 20-point plateau in 16 of 32 games since Iverson was barred from the building.
But, for the Sixers to take the next step they still need to get lucky at lottery time and that means Greg Oden or Kevin Durant. With either of those two players around, Iguodala will have to take a step back and resume the Robin role.
Can he do it?
"He's been playing unbelievable," Kyle Korver said of Iguodala. "He's really stepped up his game. He's doing stuff that he didn't previously do, like being a lot more vocal in the huddles. You can tell that he wants to be the guy here. At the end of the game, he wants the ball in his hands."
How he handles the end of the game without the ball in his hands will likely define his legacy as a Philadelphia 76er.
-You can chat about Andre Iguodala's development with John McMullen at jmcmullen@phanaticmag.com.
2 comments:
I agree...can Andre handle being second fiddle?
I don't think it is fair to judge Iggy's game when Iverson was here, because thug life himself proved that no other scoring option can play effectively with him on the court. Iverson demands the ball and can't be paired with any other scoring threat. Ask Melo.
I think a natural point guard like Miller is something the Sixers need to groom for the future.
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