Sixers' Iguodala is an NBA all-star

These last few days have been good to Andre Iguodala. By the all-star break last season, the plantar fasciitis in his foot and his achy knees were killing him.

And on the court then, the Sixers were feverishly trying to rebound from a 3-13 start under a new coach. Though they were starting to turn the corner, Iguodala wanted to rest and get away.

But there is no getting away from it now. Iguodala is a first-time all star. A reserve on the East Team, Iguodala is the first 76er not named Allen Iverson to play in the game since Dikembe Mutombo joined Iverson in representing the Sixers in 2002. Tipoff for tonight's game is 8 p.m. in Orlando.

It has been an interesting journey for Iguodala, 28, the ninth overall pick by Philadelphia in the 2004 NBA draft. In that time he has played for three general managers, five coaches, on lottery teams, and teams bound for the playoffs.

Fans have criticized him for not being worthy of his draft status, not being a good enough No. 2 player behind Iverson, and ultimately not being good enough to be the team's top player. And for many he will never be deserving of the six-year, $80 million deal the Sixers awarded him in 2008.

"I'm happy to have gone through all those situations," Iguodala, a member of the 2010 U.S. world championship team and a finalist for the 2012 U.S. Olympic team, said last week. "You are going to have some good times and you are going to have some bad times."

His average of 12.4 points per game is the lowest of the 24 all-stars, and if it continues on its current course will mark the fourth year in a row his scoring average has dropped since he posted a career-best 19.9 in the 2007-08 season.

Iguodala was clearly named to the team because the Sixers, despite their current five-game skid, sit atop the Atlantic Division. He has been the team's best player for reasons that fans either don't recognize or ignore. Reserves are named by head coaches in each conference.

"'Dre is a stat-sheet stuffer," said Sixers coach Doug Collins, a four-time all-star. "He might be one of the most dominant players on the floor and he might just score nine points. He might get you seven or eight rebounds, he might get you nine assists, and he might shut down the other team's best wing.

"When we play teams that have dominant scorers, he guards them," Collins continued. "We play the Lakers, he plays Kobe. We play Atlanta, he guards Joe Johnson. We play Boston, he has to guard Paul Pierce. If you are going to have a chance to beat those good teams, one of the things you have to be able to do is guard those guys. 'Dre always draws that assignment."

Response to Iguodala from Sixers fans has always run hot and cold, a fact that was clearly illustrated in two home games against Detroit, both wins, in January. In the home opener when he was introduced, boos could clearly be heard in the Wells Fargo Center.

Three weeks later, on his 28th birthday, Iguodala left the court to a standing ovation after the eighth triple-double of his career.

He acknowledges hearing the cheers that night but says he did not hear the boos. He has heard the criticism and admits that it once bothered him, but not anymore.

"I don't know that there's been that much bad," said Iguodala, who was raised just outside Chicago. "At the end of the day, I'm doing what I love to do and enjoying it. Where I'm from there aren't too many people who can say that they have gone through the things that I've gone through and accomplished the things that I've accomplished. I've been blessed beyond what I ever thought I would have experienced when I was growing up."

NBA players are often judged by their contract and how it relates to their offensive production. This, Collins says, is the main reason fans are so hard on Iguodala.

"The problem you have today is that everything is so gauged on how much money you are making. So if you make X number of dollars then you should have X number of impact," Collins said. "It's the culture we live in. Unfortunately we look up and ask, 'What's he scoring?' Nothing else matters. With our team, everybody has put individual achievements aside and has committed to just winning."

When Iguodala helped Team USA win the FIBA world championship, he and Memphis Grizzlies forward Rudy Gay became close friends while on the team.

They talk often, and one of their conversations has been about making an All-Star Game. Gay, who helped lead the Grizzlies past the Sixers last week, said that he could not be happier for another player.

"The first thing I said was, 'You beat me,' " Gay said. "After that, it was all love. Andre is a great guy who puts the team way ahead of himself. That's why coaches like him, that's why he's got a good shot at playing in the Olympics this summer.

"He's grown so much as a player because he understands that you have to do what you do best and make some sacrifices. The Sixers are where they are - trying to win that division - because of his leadership."

Gay rattled off the names of Derrick Rose, Kevin Durant, and Russell Westbrook. Then he smiled a knowing smile.

"That's the cream of the crop," Gay said. "Andre's a part of that."