Andre Iguodala - hall of famer?

[durantbird]

Most role players aren't hall of famers, but he got FMVP, plus was an All-Star. With Iggy's retirement, do you think he has a reasonable case for HOF?

[McBubbles]

Not even close, and if he gets in then the already relatively easy to get in basketball HOF becomes a joke.

Heard people say he's "one of the legends of the game" like wtf are you **** talking about.

[RCM88x]

He's got a way better case than a lot of guys in there already if that means anything.

[JimmyFromNz]

No, and that's a pretty strong no. Considering accolades is the key factor, here's what he has:

4× NBA champion

- 2015 Finals MVP: on 16/4/6 and negative Lebron shooting %s, having averaged 10/4/3 across the broader playoffs.
- 2017: 26 minutes per game, 5th best player on the team.
- 2018: 26 minutes per game, 5th best player on the team
- 2022: 8 minutes per game, appeared in 7 playoff games.

NBA All-Star (2012)
NBA All-Defensive First Team (2014)
NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2011)
NBA All-Rookie First Team (2005)
2010 FIBA Gold - playing 18 minutes per game
2012 Olympic Gold - playing 12 minutes per game.

After battling away in Philly/Denver (with very limited moments of success), Andre deserves a lot of credit for how he refined his role for the Warriors to counter his limitations after struggling with effectiveness as a lead offensive option. He was an elite defensive plug in on the perimeter, the corner 3 worked incredibly well in a system with so much pressure at the top on the two lead guards in Klay/Curry, whilst he also provided a valuable 2nd ball handler option who could initiate basic sets when required.

So I want to give him credit for that, but it simply doesn't translate into being a hall of fame calibre player - that is if we have any regard to context. I think we should all know having watched and been present during the 2015 finals that the greatest argument for his finals MVP candidacy was actually the performances of the best player on his team and the guy he was guarding.

I'm sure there's the advanced analytics argument to consider here, which gives greater credence to his defensive impact. But we also need to consider how noisey any on/off metrics are in Golden State when you're running the 'death lineup' for a large part of his minutes.

On a side note I would say he probably deserves a longer list of defensive all nba team accolades than he ever ended up receiving.

[Doctor MJ]

Most role players aren't hall of famers, but he got FMVP, plus was an All-Star. With Iggy's retirement, do you think he has a reasonable case for HOF?

Yup. He's definitely an edge case, but he's got an argument certainly.

As I'm wont to say: This isn't the Hall of Most Talented Players, it's about history and storytelling. For this reason, satellites on dynasties tend to have a shot if they add some character to the story, which Iggy does.

[ronnymac2]

I'm going to answer two different questions, because I'm not sure what "do you think he has a reasonable case for HOF?" actually is asking.

1. Do you think the people with the actual HOF votes will put Iggy in the Hall of Fame? - I wouldn't bet big money on it, but I would say yes. Fans and posters sometimes forget how much credence an Olympic Gold Medal is given. This is a major accomplishment. Quibble with the pros making the team or Team USA having loads of talent all you want, but that is a special accomplishment on the world stage that is respected by all sportspeople, not just the basketball community. The 2004 loss actually bolsters the relevance of subsequent Team USA Olympic victories because it shows the international community has caught up.

So you take a guy with a gold medal (best defender on the team), a world championship, and four titles with a Finals MVP to boot...I think Iggy would either have to have ludicrously poor longevity and/or off-court issues to auto disqualify him. Instead, he's got nearly 20 years of play, an All-Star game, and All-Defense selections to go along with being a solid citizen.

So yes, he has a shot. A good shot.

2. Would I put him in if I had a vote? I would. My criteria for the HOF would be: If a human with no knowledge of basketball history really wanted the history of the game described to them by me, could I omit this player when talking about the era they played in? Would I be doing that time period justice by including them or omitting them? I don't know how I could talk about the dominant international team of the time AND a dynasty in the world's biggest basketball promotion without including Andre Iguodala.

[Ainosterhaspie]

Are there any FMVPs that aren't HOF? Is so how many? Seems like that alone makes someone close to a lock, but maybe there are more exceptions than I realize.

[Fadeaway_J]

Are there any FMVPs that aren't HOF? Is so how many? Seems like that alone makes someone close to a lock, but maybe there are more exceptions than I realize.

Think Cedric Maxwell is the only one.

[MiamiBulls]

Are there any FMVPs that aren't HOF? Is so how many? Seems like that alone makes someone close to a lock, but maybe there are more exceptions than I realize.

Chauncey Billups is the only Finals MVP who made an All-Star team that isn't in the Hall though he is a recent finalist for the Hall.

Cedric Maxwell never made an All-Star, All-NBA or All-Defense team.

Iguodala will get in the Hall, that FMVP, All-Defense, Gold medalist all but guarantees a spot. He won't be first ballot, but he will get in.

[Rapcity_11]

Say no to players who aren't consistently all-star level.

[JimmyFromNz]

I guess one other thing I'd say is the continued reference to benchmarking when we have these discussions.

Past performance isn't indicative of future results - the same applies to hall of fame committee voting.

You can draw a thread through the common factors that have seen past inductions, but there are players that sit below that line that have got in and others that remain out. Being an outlier Finals MVP doesn't guarantee you a place, it just reflects the rarity of such an achievement.

The league is more talented than it ever has been, hall of fame classes likewise will become more packed as time goes on, the types of resumes will continue to expand and that needs to be taken into account.

[dooki667]

A one time all star in the hall feals off to me but if people want him in it is what it is to me

[LA Bird]

HOF probability has Iguodala at 12.7% so probably not. He is in the same category with Horace Grant as guys who were really good on multiple title teams but not notable enough in anything (besides defense) for the Hall to include them.

[Ainosterhaspie]

He should get in. Yes he was merely the 4th most important player on the Warriors, then 5th when KD showed up on the roster, but he was also a key piece of record dominance. The death lineup doesn't work without him and he along with Green, was critical to Warriors elite defense. 2015 title doesn't happen without him. 73-9 doesn't happen without all of Curry/Thompson/Iggy/Green. Durant gave them a buffer in 2017/18 but Iggy was still critical.

Guys who sacrifice personal glory to be cogs in a machine that is more than any individual deserve recognition. Hall needs those glue guys, not just the glory hog perpetual mediocrities who put up good personal stats while missing the playoffs or being first round chew toys. Melo will undoubtedly get, in but I'd rather have Iggy than Melo if building a team. Neither is good enough to be the main guy on a long term successful team. Iggy though is a way better supporting player for a guy who can because he has the right attitude and willingness to sacrifice.