Iguodala

[LongLiveHinkie]

As a Sixers fan I've been watching the guy every game since he was drafted. I'm pretty sure you've seen a lot of him, but from someone who has seen him every day, this is what you are getting.

-Great defense. One of the best in the league. He's smart, aggressive, knows how to play on the ball and passing lanes. He doesn't quit on plays and wants to be the guy who guards the other team's best scorer. He loves matching up against Kobe for example.

-Athletic. Probably the most known thing about him. He doesn't jump like he used to, but can still leap with the best of them. Has a nose for the rim, quick and can attack the rim. Long arms.

-Very good passer and unselfish. The Sixers often let him run PG duties. He gets other teammates involved and can run an offense in a pinch. Has pretty good floor vision.

-Hard worker. Doesn't have a great perimeter jumper, but works on it. It has improved a lot. Good 3 pt % numbers this past year.

-Rebounder. Will go up and rip it down better than most 2's and 3's.

-Good locker room guy. Doesn't get into trouble, good teammate, etc.

Cons:

-Sometimes he thinks he is better than he is. This is his biggest flaw. Gets caught up in the moment, thinks he is Kobe Bryant and shoots a 25 foot 3 pointer with 15 seconds left on the shot clock.

-Doesn't have great ball handling. It isn't bad, but sometimes he isn't sure what to do once he commits to driving and gets caught in the paint.

-Not a variety of moves offensively. Has a decent step back jumper from 15-18, but not a ton of moves to create for himself.

-His FT shooting plummeted and was one of the worst in the NBA this past year. Frustrating down the stretch when he constantly goes 1 of 2 from the line.

-Doesn't always assert offensively. Not a huge flaw, but when you get paid the money he does sometimes scoring 6 points(even when you get 7 assists and 9 rebounds) doesn't cut it.

[Nuggets_Talk]

very excited to have iguodala in denver!!

thanks for the post.

[The Rebel]

sounds like Igoudala may actually be happy to be on the team.
http://www.nba.com/nuggets/news/exclusi ... er-nuggets

[corona]

even if he wasn't/isn't....i doubt it'd last.

denver's too nice (not to malign philly...but it is pretty awesome here), and he's gonna be an important part on a young, winning team that plays a crazy fun style of basketball.

[The Rebel]

even if he wasn't/isn't....i doubt it'd last.

denver's too nice (not to malign philly...but it is pretty awesome here), and he's gonna be an important part on a young, winning team that plays a crazy fun style of basketball.

Agreed, as long as his goals are centered around basketball I think Denver is a great fit, when players are looking more for their names in national headlines daily, their wives getting on tv, and partying nightly at the clubs, then they may not love it here.

[blargh]

Another Philadelphia fan here. I think you guys are getting a great player, and one who will fit in as a nice piece of the puzzle. Your team this year actually looks pretty similar to some of the fast-paced team-oriented Sixers teams Iggy has been part of. Actually, if you really want a close comparison, take a look at the '08-'09 Sixers:

Iguodala = Iguodala: His game actually hasn't changed that much over the last few years. He's a little less athletic, and a little better of a shooter.

Miller = Miller: isn't quite as good today as when we had him; still you know pretty much what you're getting there.

Lou Williams = Lawson: Small, super fast PGs who can penetrate and score. '12 Lawson is clearly a better player than '08 Lou. Between 08 Miller/08 Lou and 12 Miller/12 Lawson, let's call it a wash.

Thad Young = Gallinari: Talented young SF/PF tweeners with strong offensive games. 08-09 was probably Thad's best year. Not as good of a shooter as Gallo, but more athletic. Both have defensive challenges.

Dalembert = McGee: Skinny, hyper-athletic centers with space cadet tendencies holding them back from their huge potential. McGee showed at the end of last season that he might be taking a step forward; it'll be interesting to see.

Brand/Reggie Evans = Faried: I make this comparison simply because Brand only play a third of that season, and all three of these guys provide a physical presence. Stylistically, Evans and Faried are more similar, although Faried is certainly more athletic and a better scorer.

Speights = Randolph: a pair of huge walking question marks at PF- you never know what you're going to get, but both have talent.

Willie Green = Chandler: high character swingmen of average talent who can score a bit, but don't do it particularly efficiently. Chandler's obviously more SF and Green is more SG, but the role they play is pretty similar.

In summary, that 08-09 Sixers team started slow, fired their coach, but then gelled and played pretty great down the stretch, finishing 2nd in the division before losing in the first round to Orlando. They were great in transition, generated a lot of turnovers, but weren't as good in a set offense as your Denver team is. However, I think at the end of the day, we were still missing somebody who we could rely on as a go-to scorer in close games, with that role often falling in Iguodala. You guys might have the same issue. Not trying to troll, simply making an honest observation.

[The Rebel]

Another Philadelphia fan here. I think you guys are getting a great player, and one who will fit in as a nice piece of the puzzle. Your team this year actually looks pretty similar to some of the fast-paced team-oriented Sixers teams Iggy has been part of. Actually, if you really want a close comparison, take a look at the '08-'09 Sixers:

I'm sorry but your post reeks of someone who is looking at a roster on paper and going off of rep while never really watching the team, either that or you think much higher of that 76ers roster then it really was.

Iguodala = Iguodala: His game actually hasn't changed that much over the last few years. He's a little less athletic, and a little better of a shooter.

Miller = Miller: isn't quite as good today as when we had him; still you know pretty much what you're getting there.

Lou Williams = Lawson: Small, super fast PGs who can penetrate and score. '12 Lawson is clearly a better player than '08 Lou. Between 08 Miller/08 Lou and 12 Miller/12 Lawson, let's call it a wash.

Williams is a natural scorer, Lawson is a natural distributor and reluctant scorer, Karl is trying to change that but even still Lawson is nothing like williams. Lawson is a top 10 pg in the league, Williams was maybe a top 10 6th man scorer in the league. Lawson is incredibly efficient and has a great assist to to ratio while scoring and throwing more assists then williams has ever even come close to.

As for the 08 Miller/08 Lou against todays Lawson and Miller, Lawson was better by the end of last year then Miller ever was in his prime. Add in a horribly inefficient Lou Williams as compared to Miller last year and even trying that comparison is a joke. neither one is/was especially efficient at scoring, but one can run an offense very well, while the other has never capably run an offense.

Thad Young = Gallinari: Talented young SF/PF tweeners with strong offensive games. 08-09 was probably Thad's best year. Not as good of a shooter as Gallo, but more athletic. Both have defensive challenges.

Galinari has a rep of being a bad defender, but that is crap, the Nuggets were 6.9 points per possession better on defense with him on the court then they were when he was off the court, and that is with most of those backup minutes being played by Afflalo and Brewer both defensive role players. Galinari is also considerably better at passing and creating for others then Young has ever been. Fact is Gallo was an all star candidate last year before he got injured, Young has only been a full time starter one time in his career.

Dalembert = McGee: Skinny, hyper-athletic centers with space cadet tendencies holding them back from their huge potential. McGee showed at the end of last season that he might be taking a step forward; it'll be interesting to see.

While Dalembert and McGee both have lower BBIQ, are both good rebounders, and shot blockers, on offense there are some pretty considerable differences. McGee is considerably more efficient a much better post game then Dalembert ever had(which should be much better after spending time with Hakeem this summer).

Brand/Reggie Evans = Faried: I make this comparison simply because Brand only play a third of that season, and all three of these guys provide a physical presence. Stylistically, Evans and Faried are more similar, although Faried is certainly more athletic and a better scorer.

Evans and Faried are stylistically the same? that is just ridiculous. The only thing similar about them is they are both undersized and rebound, Faried actually has a decent bbiq and soft hands, and even with his rookie mistakes Faried was a better defender. As for being a better scorer, not only did he score almost twice as much in his rookie year then Evans did in his best year, his ts% is 75 points higher. You cannot say players are the same because their biggest strength is the same, when one is useless at everything else on the court, and the other is solid to good at everything else on the court. Let me put it this way, Karl had both Evans and Faried, on 2 different teams that needed rebounding, Evans was traded for a hurt Steven Hunter due to never being able to get on the court for Karl, Faried made the all rookie team.

Speights = Randolph: a pair of huge walking question marks at PF- you never know what you're going to get, but both have talent.

you are right they are both question marks, but the odds are the Randolph will never see the court, right now I figure him to be at the 3rd pf or 4th center with Chandler, Mozgov, Koufos, McGee, and Faried all getting considerably more minutes then him.

Willie Green = Chandler: high character swingmen of average talent who can score a bit, but don't do it particularly efficiently. Chandler's obviously more SF and Green is more SG, but the role they play is pretty similar.

The last comparison you make is the worst one, if you think chandler is on the Nuggets due to his scoring you should watch some tape of the guy. I will give you that they are both inefficient on offense, but Green was only good for his inefficient offense, Chandler is a defensive guy, in Chandler's last full season with the Knicks the Knicks were 5 points per possession better with Chandler on the court, even with him playing out of position at the 4 sometimes.

In summary, that 08-09 Sixers team started slow, fired their coach, but then gelled and played pretty great down the stretch, finishing 2nd in the division before losing in the first round to Orlando. They were great in transition, generated a lot of turnovers, but weren't as good in a set offense as your Denver team is. However, I think at the end of the day, we were still missing somebody who we could rely on as a go-to scorer in close games, with that role often falling in Iguodala. You guys might have the same issue. Not trying to troll, simply making an honest observation.

Let me put it this way, the Nuggets are considerably better then the 2008-2009 76ers, or last years 76ers for that matter. Only picking bits and pieces of the Nuggets players games to do a comparison is ludicrous and shows the view you went into it with. The Nuggets have went from Afflalo to Igoudala, and from Harrington to Chandler (who is healthy and will get most of Harrington's minutes), last year they won 57.6% of their games despite their players missing 150 games, which would put them above a 47 win pace for a full season. If all they did was as well as the 76ers did in that year some heads will roll, when healthy they were the 2nd best team in the leauge. It is stupid to say they compare to a team that won 1/2 of their games just because some of their players have similar strengths as other players. The fact is the Nuggets are better at every single position then that 76ers team was, fact is have of your list would never make it off the bench without significant injuries if they were playing for these Nuggets.

[corona]

gosh, if we're like a .500 team in the east....i'm gonna be pissed.

sorry, this is why the individual comparisons (either statistical or general) don't ever really add up or predict team success or playoff matchup outcomes.

and with the exception of andre miller & iguodala.....every player on the right in that comparison is slightly better or significantly better than on the left, and fits better with the team, is more well-rounded of a player...etc.

mcgees floor is pretty much dalembert's peak as a player.
we had to watch reggie evans for a couple years....and he is just terrible. sure, he can rebound....but if he couldn't do that, he'd probably be cut from a standard highschool JV team. compared to a rookie with a PER over 20.
chandler & willie green....cmon.

[corona]

beat me to it.

[RRFB]

The press conference introducing Iguodala as a Nugget was this morning. Pretty good stuff all around, Iguodala seems like a smart, well-spoken guy.

He seemed pretty adamant about this not being a one-year thing, and that he wants to be here long-term. Also had good things to say about Karl and a few of the other guys on the team that he already knows.

[Kova]

Sixers fan here.. You are going to love Dre and what he brings night in and night out.. You will probably be pissed with his poor free throw shooting, but he improved his 3pt percentage and his shot selection..
In a team like Denver with a lot of offensive options, you will get the best out of Dre.. Good luck, I hope you beat both LA teams..

[SJSF]

As a Sixers fan I've been watching the guy every game since he was drafted. I'm pretty sure you've seen a lot of him, but from someone who has seen him every day, this is what you are getting.

-Great defense. One of the best in the league. He's smart, aggressive, knows how to play on the ball and passing lanes. He doesn't quit on plays and wants to be the guy who guards the other team's best scorer. He loves matching up against Kobe for example.

-Athletic. Probably the most known thing about him. He doesn't jump like he used to, but can still leap with the best of them. Has a nose for the rim, quick and can attack the rim. Long arms.

-Very good passer and unselfish. The Sixers often let him run PG duties. He gets other teammates involved and can run an offense in a pinch. Has pretty good floor vision.

-Hard worker. Doesn't have a great perimeter jumper, but works on it. It has improved a lot. Good 3 pt % numbers this past year.

-Rebounder. Will go up and rip it down better than most 2's and 3's.

-Good locker room guy. Doesn't get into trouble, good teammate, etc.

Cons:

-Sometimes he thinks he is better than he is. This is his biggest flaw. Gets caught up in the moment, thinks he is Kobe Bryant and shoots a 25 foot 3 pointer with 15 seconds left on the shot clock.

-Doesn't have great ball handling. It isn't bad, but sometimes he isn't sure what to do once he commits to driving and gets caught in the paint.

-Not a variety of moves offensively. Has a decent step back jumper from 15-18, but not a ton of moves to create for himself.

-His FT shooting plummeted and was one of the worst in the NBA this past year. Frustrating down the stretch when he constantly goes 1 of 2 from the line.

-Doesn't always assert offensively. Not a huge flaw, but when you get paid the money he does sometimes scoring 6 points(even when you get 7 assists and 9 rebounds) doesn't cut it.

Very well written. But his biggest flaw is his overconfidence or thinking he is more then what he is. He isn't Kobe or LeBron. But he sure thinks he is on their level. ANd another point that is made is his physical condition. He isn't as quick or explosive anymore. He has an achilles and knee issue that has come from wear and tear. And when his quickness is gone or athletic ability is done. His game will be gone. He doesn't posess the offensive skill set to make up for his physical skill that may not be on there. Just to use a player like Jason Richardson as an example. J RIch was an explosive dunker but now he is a good 3 point threat. And VInce Carter when his knees went, he still had the skill set to score at will. If Iggy loses his legs, he won't be able to stay in the league

[ChuckS]

I should warn that I have been a Sixer fan from the franchise's beginning. But I, too, hoped to be able to come here and read, and maybe post, because you now have two of my favorite players, as well as what I think is an exciting and potentially very good team. I remember loving watching Alex English, etal, and I know he's a sore point but Melo led my college team to its only NCAA championship. I understand the rancor, but you must admit that you are far from the low point you were at when he entered the league.

I know that Miller is no Big "O", particularly now that he is on Social Security, but as a purist I have long enjoyed his guts, unbelievable will to win, passing and floor leadership, and have been amazed at his skills and what he has done with his (or maybe more correctly without what we consider) athleticism. I was so disgusted with our then GM and floor game for a while that I followed him to Portland where he provided at least five more lifelong memories.

That leads me to Iguodala. I think he is the most underrated player in Sixer history, even if certainly not by most outside of that town with the cracked bell, and a few like fans and sports writers. I think his selection to the World and Olympic teams, the praise of Doug Collins, Mo Cheeks, and a couple of hall of fame national team coaches, and his perennial rating by every respected statistician as in or near the top five at his positions is evidence of that.

And please to not believe that he thinks he is as good or better than Kobe or LeBron. All ballplayers know their place in the hierarchy, unlike some less steeped in the culture. He, I, and most others who have watched him, just know he is better than a few ignorant or biased fans believe he is.

I know you have given up two nice players for him, but join most other Sixer fans in believing you will be even better for it. If you're into such things, look at "own vs opponent" production ratio while considering that he guards the most dangerous offensive player, and you will understand why we think you will be improved. Of course we do not have CP3 or the like, but also consider that he had more assists than our point guard, at a higher (near 3:1) ATO ratio, and you might be excited about adding him to your two exceptional point guards, and the resultant potential for great ball movement and many open shots.

Everyone now knows about his great defense, and when you consider he is also an excellent rebounder, you begin to realize that he does everything as well or better than the higher paid "elite" players except shoot prolifically. That is not inconsequential of course, but do not believe a career 46% shooter (who shot only 12 shots/per last year) really "bricks" a lot of shots. And remember that in the four years before Doug Collins he averaged 17 to 20 points. I attribute that to his selflessness and the need (or coaching desire) for him to be even more of a point forward than usual. It bemuses me when some criticize his shooting when he has had a higher FG%, eFG/TS% and, last year, 3pt%, than any of our current perimeter players, although our three new guys do seem to be better, or at least more willing, instinctive, and purer, shooters.

In retrospect, I probably will not be reading and posting as much here as I originally hoped. If I can stay awake later, I'll still try to watch, though. I underestimated a couple of the Iguodala haters and internet stalkers. I fear you will find the only down side of getting Dre has nothing to do with his (I think) impressive basketball skills, but instead the nerve wracking, repetitive, banality that you have probably inherited.

[Nuggets_Talk]

even if he wasn't/isn't....i doubt it'd last.

denver's too nice (not to malign philly...but it is pretty awesome here), and he's gonna be an important part on a young, winning team that plays a crazy fun style of basketball.

Agreed, as long as his goals are centered around basketball I think Denver is a great fit, when players are looking more for their names in national headlines daily, their wives getting on tv, and partying nightly at the clubs, then they may not love it here.

im not sure those are the guys we want here. melo wanted the fame and lights of NYC. glad hes gone.