Iguodala out until Jan. 10
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Iguodala out until Jan. 10
The 76ers announced this morning from Los Angeles that swingman Andre Iguodala would miss the next five games because of his right Achilles tendinitis. Iguodala, who had been listed as day-to-day, missed the team's last two games against the Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns.
Sixers coach Doug Collins has decided to give Iguodala extended rest to heal the tendinitis, which has been a lingering issue for Iguodala all season. Iguodala's next scheduled on-court activity is Jan. 10. He will not play tonight against the Los Angeles Lakers.
More later from the Staples Center. This news means an extended opportunity for rookie Evan Turner.
--Kate
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Comments (37)
CBent1: I agree with you, BUT nobody has explained why a smart coach like Doug Collins gives him more minutes than any other player, why he calls him the team's best player (damning with faint praise?), why Kate Fagan has called him the team's best player. Would I prefer to watch this team, at least offensively, play without him. Yes! But, unlike Nuutron, I do not think he takes games off or plays only sporatic defense or is not a tough defensive rebounder. Nor does Collins, from what I understand. Thus, in order to move him, if at all possible, I would assume that Collins must agree to it. Will he?— chuckw- chuckw, there are plenty of other george lynch, bruce bowen type players out there who aren't overpaid. and george lynch and bruce bowen were much better because they didn't try taking over the game on offense. Iggy's defense is not so dominating that it makes it worth the major offensive liability he is. Weigh the pros and cons of him on this team and even a buyout would be worth it.— CBent1
brand and meeks for rip/big ben/ daye, jerebko or t mac. iguodala for kaman... rip. big ben and kaman are coming in.. jrue , rip, jerebko, sp8ts, kaman. lou, turner, thad, Ben, hawes.. battie and noc. look at those bigs...!! that big man rotation is a pretty good one if you ask me.. why keep both??? iif you are going to dump salary then dump it.. in brands case you are just shifting the money to another position with rip. and making room for a player who can contribute immediately (sp8ts).. DO!! IT!! detroit has the same problem.. trouble moving rip because of age and contract and a need at the 4 spot. they need to shift money. plus they have t mac waiting to replace rip... AT THE MINIMUM! and prob re sign for half of rips salary.. dumars' i think is waiting on a call for rip.. He's already ahead of the process of moving rip.. CALL HIM!!— combocancer1975- This team lacks a good closer. Iggy's not it but nobody else is either. When your two highest paid players can't get it done when the game is on the line then it is time to say goodbye. Trade Iggy this year for whatever you can get. Keep Brand for 2 more years; when his contract expires use the cap space to play the free agent game.
Make the assumption that you will be an attractive destination for a top free agent and give him the Philly Max that you gave Brand.
Doug Collins, a solid young nucleus ( Holiday, Turner, Young), and a rabid sports city are good inducements for someone to sign here.
If you can't get a superstar you can at least get players who bring needed skills like shot blocking or rebounding. Just don't overpay them!— Rick Wise Guy 
One wonders how many of these posts come from The Evil Empire. TooManyDala is not the team's best rebounder, period. TooManyDala is not a great defender for the very key reason that he routinely takes games off. Great defenders shut everyone down all the time. TooMany only shuts some people down when he is interested. TooManyDala is vastly overpaid. The NBA is a scorers' league. You can't pay all that money to a guy that is an offensive liability, who has a history of clanging 15 foot jump shots off the side of the backboard. Big money players MUST require a double team at the end of games. Every team in the NBA wants TooManyDala to take the last shot for the Sixers. Stop the insanity: TooMany can run the floor on the wing, is an adequate passer and an occasionally good defender; and, oh yes, stupidly overpaid. Keep your children away from the Comcast broadcasts, it rots the brain.— Nuutron- JonKap is right. Unless philly finds a Ed Wade-like GM to deal with or Thorn is willing to dump the team's best defender for scrap metal, then AI is here until his contract is near expiration. Certainly, unlike some have suggested here, no one in his right mind will trade a valuable center to philly for a swingman. AI is not overpaid when you look at others with his years of service (on their 2nd contract) in the league making a similar contribution (competent coaches/GMs are not just looking at the offense). The sixers have the misfortune of mismanaging the roster and cap to the extent that they are locked in a box.— barrywil
- 76erloyal: I don't disagree with you, IF we can get a solid defender at less money back in a package deal, including an expiring contract, because Collins might not be on board if Iguodala is traded simply for expiring contracts. He wants to instill a winning attitude here, especially reliant on solid team defense and good ball movement, not simply reliant on the fast break, as he was, in his own words, uncomfortable with that high-scoring, free-wheeling style of play in Phoenix. He clearly likes Iguodala and to change his view, Turner will need to replicate his game at Phoenix. JonKap, of course, says we are all nuts to think that he can be traded. We shall see.— chuckw
- chuckw - We love AI9 and his outstanding defense, but who says that if we trade him we can't get a good defender in return? The Sixers have an overload of wing players, and it would be so much healthier for Holiday because he would get to handle the ball more often unlike Iggy's awkward point-forward position. Holiday will not truly blossom unless Iggy leaves. If they trade him for a reliable center (Chris Kaman most likely), then the ball handling duties will be more evenly balanced between Holiday, Turner and Williams. Don't get me wrong, Iggy is a great player, but he will not fit and make his team mates better if he stays in Philly. Until Elton Brand's contract expires (finally), he will and should be the best player on the team. Him and Nocioni are the only veterans that this team needs. It's time to let AI9 go.— 76erloyal
- This is a blessing to the future of the franchise!! More playing time for Turner & Young. When he comes back, Iggy should come off the bench; I don't care how many gold medals he has.— fillyfan
- CBent1: if you have read the posts over the past two seasons at least, you would know that I am not pushing for Iguodala to remain and yes, best defensive rebounder was a bit of a stretch (although not by much on the defensive end) but he is an excellent defensive rebounder for a two guard and is the best on-ball defender on the team. Do you think that Dorell Wright would have scored 28 points against Iguodala the other night had Iguodala played? Yes, none of us like Iguodala's overall offensive game, and most of us think he is inhibiting the play of Holiday, Young, and Turner, BUT at the same time most posters love Doug Collins as coach, the same Doug Collins who gives Iguodala more minutes than any other player on this team. Why? Because the GM ordered him to do so? No! Because Collins, like most NBA coaches, except Eddie Jordan and Mike D'Antoni and a few others, preaches defense, defense, defense, knowing defense and half-court sets win in the playoffs. Once again, Iguodala, whether we like it or not, is the best on-ball defender on the team and is an excellent rebounder from the two. That is why Collins, according to Eric Snow, has stressed to Evan Turner that he must rebound and play solid defense or else he sits. Ideally, Iguodala would be an excellent and more athletic, if overpaid, George Lynch, leaving much of the offense, particularly from the outside, to others, but boarding, defending, taking the wing on the break, posting up. If JonKap is correct, all this is moot; if Kate Fagan is correct, then Iguodala is gone, but only if the Sixers get someone of value in return. My guess: if Turner plays well for the next five games, the Sixers will do all they can to move Iguodala; if Turner plays poorly, Iguodala stays. If JonKap is correct, no matter what Turner does is irrelevant; Iguodala will stay.— chuckw
its a shame that iggy cant develop a jumpshot. he is a decent player that gets a bad rap because he is paid too much. however, if we could get a draft pick or player that could fit in right away, i say trade him. but do NOT trade hime for nothing. he has value.- we cant give him away.. caron butler. kevin martin. jeff green, lou deng. antawn jamison. peja. those deals are beyond hilarious.. if its not carmelo. kaman or tayshawn i say no... No.. NO!!! HELL NO! He has slightly bumped jordan off of my wish list but wouldnt be disappointed. melo will almost certainly lose money if he does not sign the ext before the new cba.. i say bring him in and retain his rights.. but jordan probably would be the best fit considering the pieces we already have. but the salaries do not match sterling prob has the cap space lol.. but to be serious we cant allow iguodala to walk w/o talent in return.. that would not be a good thing. would not be surprised if iguodala performed extremely well somewhere else..— combocancer1975
- Good to get him fully healthy for his next team. Join "Sixers Fans For Change" on Facebook.— ArtMooney
Comment removed.- Brand is averaging almost three rebounds a game more than Iggy and Hawes is averaging almost as many rebounds as Iggy despite averaging 16 less minutes per game. To say Iggy is our best rebounder is a pathetic attempt to justify his presence on this team. — CBent1
- Mediocre rebounder, huh? So I guess the 16 boards he pulled the other night is just a below average rebounding night. Get a clue, dude! Brand is balling this year.— Flock
- Chuckw I would respectfully argue against Iguodala being our best rebounder for some time. Dalembert was much better at rebounding than Iggy and Brand has been a solid rebounder this game. Iggy is above avg. as a rebounder for a small forward but that is it. If they want to use him for his defense then use him like a Rodman and don't let him shoot, ever!— CBent1
- Iggy continues to be everyone's favorite whipping boy and it is unjustified. The Sixers have tried to make him the go to guy and he is not that . He is a very useful complimentary player. Somehow Elton Brand has gotten off the hook. He is the max salary guy! Yes, he is playing ok this year but not near the level you need from a guy drawing a max salary. He is a defensive liability and a mediocre rebounder at best. He cannot create his own shot anymore. It's really not Brand's fault....blame management for giving him a max contract and handcuffing the team for 5 years. Brand has a good attitude and gives you all he's got, but at this stage of his career all he's got is nowhere near enough to justify the max contract. Somehow by just playing "ok" and being a "good guy", Brand has gotten a free pass.— dave13
- Brand is shooting over 50% from the floor and over 80% from the line. That is pretty darn good and he is averaging almost 9 rebounds a game. Yes, he is a bit overpaid, but he is not a liability. Iggy is shooting 43% from the floor and 66% from the line. HORRIBLE! Iguodala is a liability ESPECIALLY at his salary and he MUST GO! — CBent1
- I think Brand is playing well above "ok". Is he the 20 and 10 guy they thought they were getting? Well he has been damn close this season and on a nightly basis he has defended the teams best big and held his own. I agree that Iguodala takes a lot of heat in this town and some, but a lot of it comes from his demeanor. Brand's influence on this young team has been incredible and you have to be concerned if Iguodala is having a negative impact. Brand is leading the team in points, rebounds, blocks, and steals. Not bad for a 31 year old coming off some major injuries. — Mattb
- NBA trades are trading contracts as much as players. No one will ever trade for Iguodala until the last year of his deal.— JonKap
- I think Iguodala can be moved and as much as we want to dis his play, he is a tremendous defender and passer. I wouldn't be surprised to see him included in a deal that involves Carmelo Anthony, with the Sixers being the 3rd team in the deal. As much as people harp on his salary, he isn't one of the top 30 highest salaries in the league. His skill as a defensive stopper would be very valuable on a contending team. The issue here is that many times he has been forced to carry the load offensively and that isn't his strength. — Mattb
- Well I guess that depends if Collins is telling them to give him the ball or Iguodala is just choosing to shoot so often. I would think the latter because I find it hard to believe that Collins would continue to let Iggy shoot when he is having all these nights where he shoots below 40%. — CBent1
- CBent1: I would argue that Iguodala has been the Sixers most consistent defensive rebounder for quite some time, more so than Brand or Hawes or Young, although his injury has hurt his numbers. Turner has a chance to become that kind of rebounder, but he needs to work at the defensive end while also improving his jumpshot. He must be consistent on defense especially or Collins will shorten his minutes. My hunch is that the Sixers really want to see what they have in Turner before trying to move Iguodala, IF possible, and also see if Holiday continues to play better without Iguodala in the lineup. By not having to defer to Iguodala, particularly in crunch time, the younger players should continue to progress, at least we all hope that is the case. Keep in mind, that Collins is a defensive-minded coach, and he loves the way Iguodala plays defense. Would I like to see Iguodala traded? You bet. Can they trade him and do they want to trade him? Anybody's guess.— chuckw
- Not happy when someone gets injured, but now we can see what we have with Turner over an extended period. He plays much more freely when he doesn't have to share the court with Dre or know that Dre is breathing down his neck, case in point, the game in PHX. I think with Turner, right now he's mentally struggling, not knowing his role, looking over his shoulder, etc.— Flock
- Unless the Lakers treat tonight's game the way they did on Christmas, the Sixers are going to face a very good test tonight. However, that is what Collins should want. I want the other teams in the league taking the 76ers seriously; the 76ers will benefit in the long run. Regarding Iguodala, I want him to rest until he is completely healthy. It's an excellent opportunity for the other players, including Evan Turner, to get minutes, and he needs minutes, and the 76ers brass need to see what areas they need to address by mid February.— 76erfn
I hope he never plays in a sixers uniform again!— dexter55- chuckw, it is a tough crowd when a 12 million dollar player is a major liability on offense. He's not our best rebounder but if his only uses are defending and passing than that's all he should be doing and not even trying to shoot on offense. 12 mil is way too much for a passer-defender either way but the fact that he is a cancer cell whenever he tries to score, which is often, is why we need him off the team ASAP.— CBent1
- Wow: tough crowd. Let's hope Turner continues to play well at both ends of the court; same with Nocioni. Smart move by Collins to rest Iguodala, who, despite his offensive failings, particularly inopportune shots at inopportune times, is the team's best defender and rebounder, passes well and finishes well on the break. Nonetheless, IF the Sixers can trade him, they should go ahead and do so.— chuckw
- Comment removed.
- IGGY IS A PUTZ----HAPPY NEW YEAR— richsal
yesssssssssssssss!- Who cares!— paris4053
- if you don't care then why even visit this site? — CBent1
- That ought to really boost his current trade value.— CarpGuy
- At this point I don't care what we get in return, I just want him gone. His absence will allow Nocioni and Turner to play more. A draft pick and expiring contract in return for Garbagedala is fine with me. — CBent1
- hooray!!!! now our useful players will get the opportunity to show what they've got!— CBent1
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John Mitchell is in his second year covering the 76ers for the Inquirer after joining the paper in November 2011. He covered the Washington Wizards for the Washington Times from 1998 to 2008. He's also worked at the Philadelphia Tribune, the Wilmington News Journal, Courier-Post, Trenton Times and Elmira Star-Gazette.Born and raised in West Philadelphia - not too far from Will Smith - he graduated from Overbrook High School the same year the 76ers won their last championship. He's a proud graduate of Howard University and the proud father of two sons, Jared and Jordan.
ABOUT MARC NARDUCCI
Marc Narducci has served in a variety of roles with the Inquirer since beginning in 1983. He has covered the 76ers as a backup and a beat writer. In addition, Narducci has covered everything from the Super Bowl to the World Series and a lot in between. Narducci also has a true passion for South Jersey scholastic sports, which he has covered for many years.
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