Iguodala not on the market?
The front end of the 76ers schedule this season is crushed with away games. And the first blast comes this week as the team starts a four-game road trip tonight against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The trip continues at the Dallas Mavericks, at the San Antonio Spurs, at the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Iguodala not on the market?
The front end of the 76ers schedule this season is crushed with away games. And the first blast comes this week as the team starts a four-game road trip tonight against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The trip continues at the Dallas Mavericks, at the San Antonio Spurs, at the Cleveland Cavaliers.
On Sunday, the Sixers looked effective in a win over the New York Knicks. In that game, the Sixers were without swingman Andre Iguodala, who will also miss tonight's game with tendinitis in his right Achilles. With Iguodala out, the Sixers started a lineup of Jrue Holiday, Evan Turner, Andres Nocioni, Elton Brand, and Spencer Hawes. Also, Iguodala's spot on the active roster was taken by Jodie Meeks, who played 16 effective minutes. In addition to Iguodala's absence, the Sixers will likely be without Jason Kapono (personal reasons). Without those guys, both Meeks and rookie Craig Brackins will dress for tonight's game.
Barring a setback, Iguodala will be back in the lineup on Friday night against the Mavericks.
A win against the Knicks, without Iguodala, is little proof as to this team's abilities without its swingman. The Knicks peppered that game with poor possessions, something the Sixers likely won't see tonight against Kevin Durant and the Thunder. There's been a lot of talk about including Iguodala in a trade, but as of right now, it seems the Sixers are not trying to trade Iguodala. There will need to be a change in upper management's thinking before Iguodala gets peddled because right now -- according to a source close to Iguodala -- he has been repeatedly assured that the team is not trying to trade him and does not want to trade him. Obviously, there is a difference between the Sixers trying to trade Iguodala, and a team approaching the Sixers with a great deal. There is no guard against the latter.
For now, Sixers fans will need to concentrate on how to get the most out of these main roster pieces.
Oklahoma City Thunder (3-3): No Iguodala, no Kapono means probably the same starting lineup as we saw against the Knicks. We'll need to keep an eye on how the offense performs in its second game without Iguodala. Brand excelled as the team's go-to option in the first half against New York, but the level of competition is much higher. Backcourt of Holiday and Turner needs as much time as possible together. Even when Iguodala returns against Dallas, that pair needs as much time as Doug Collins can find. Maybe even trying out a starting lineup of Holiday/Turner/Iguodala/Brand/Hawes (and maybe Battie can sneak in there sometime soon ...).
Games against the Dallas Mavericks (4-2), San Antonio Spurs (5-1), and Cleveland Cavaliers (4-3) make this quite a difficult road trip for the Sixers (2-5), but if Sunday's improved play is any indication, perhaps the team has found a formula for putting together victories here and there.
More coming after tonight's game ...
--Kate
Each week, Kate will check in from the road and answer fan questions about the Sixers. Click here to ask Kate a question or e-mail her at kfagan@phillynews.com.
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The Sixers had a dilemma on draft night; if they did not take Turner, a three-year college player who won virtually every award, and instead took a very raw one-year college player like Favors or Cousins, they would have been committed to playing Iguodala at the two guard again, where he is erratic offensively and might not have allowed Holiday to develop his point-guard skills because of his tendency to dominate the ball, and also would have alienated much of the dwindling fan base who wanted Turner and have shown little love for Iguodala (perhaps unfairly). Right now, much will depend on whether Turner and Holiday continue to develop together, on whether Hawes can hit that 15-foot jumper consistently, and on whether Battie can stay healthy and spell him with his usual defensive intensity. Another wildcard is Speights, who thus far has not shown much improvement.— chuckw- chuckw- Evan Turner isn't a 2 either, anyone who watched him could see he was a pg that needed the ball to create. This wasn't a one year fix anyway, they should have moved iggy over the summer, but they should have gone with their area of biggest need the interior. Fvaors made much more sense then Turner Stefanski caved to misguided fan opinion. Evan Turner was completely redundant on this team.— Ed Gein
- the NBA game has slowed over the years and is mostly half court basketball. Iguodala's game is suited to open court fast break basketball. Iggy puts up some good games here and there but is not a consistent player or someone you can count on to make a team a winner. I am all for trading him and unloading his massive salary..Basketball is all about getting the right parts to fit together and clearly Iguodala is not a right part here of making the team any better.— bradco
Flock every player should WANT to be the best... scratch that EVERYONE should all strive to be the best at what ever it is they do. I would like to be the greatest filmmaker of all time. It won't happen but I won't let that stop me from WANTING to be that.- and lets be real Iguodala knows he won't be greater than Wilt, Doc, or Barkley. We know this, he knows this.
- all these labels are meaningless PG SG SF. Evan is a versatile ball player. He is only going to get better.
Idiots: Iguodala is a damn good player. Stop blaming Dre for Stafanski's checkbook blunder. Yes, he is overpaid and he is not a shooting guard. But he plays defense, goes to the rim, hustles, rebounds and dishes the ball. He had to be the go-to guy at the end of games because, until recently, we had nobody else. In the future I hope to see Evan, Jrue, Lou and Jody in the back court, and nobody else,
If we could trade Young for a better center we'd have a pretty good team. Or keep Young and trade Iggy. Either move would work Right now we have too many small forwards and not enough post players, especially since Speights looks like he's lost in space.
- BigVil, I get what you're saying, but Iguodala consistently jacks up jumpers, when he knows his jumper is not his strength. Maybe it also falls on the coach to tell him what his role is. Which is play tough perimeter d, fill the lanes on the break, rebound, and get to the line. He shouldn't shoot more than 4 jumpers longer than 18ft a game.— Flock
- I read the brick layer article....Iguodala may shoot jumpers and some of them does go in the basket, but he's not a shooter...he's a dunker, defender, and a rebounder...that should count for something right ?? I get tired of people talking bad about him as he try to add another part to his game on offense. Iverson wasn't a dunker but he would dunk from time to time if he had an open floor, not on no body— filly fan
- Many strong points (many weak ones too) and many strong opinions here. Rationally, the way I see it, this team is just not put together well. To hate on the players may not be directing the hate properly. Iggy is what he is and will never be more than that, decent player whose love for long range J's kills his game (and team), Brand is and never was a good fit for this team, decent player whose slow feet (which should have been obvious w/achillies history) kills his game on this team. Brand would fit well with playoff bound team with more half court style players. ET might be good but I dont think a star. Jrue could be a star someday...All this being said, the team needs to be broken up a bit and Iggy is probably their most coveted asset. But hate the management, root for the team!— thepittpanther
Keith Pompey has been an Inquirer reporter since September 2004. He takes over the Sixers beat after covering the Temple men’s basketball team for the past three years and Temple football the past two seasons. Pompey also previously covered the Penn and Drexel men’s basketball team and Villanova football team after initially focusing on high school sports.
Pompey is a native Philadelphian and a University of Pittsburgh. Follow him on Twitter @PompeyOnSixers or reach Keith at kpompey@phillynews.com.
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.
