I’m sure you heard the news. Sixers acquire Andrew Bynum from the Lakers and Jason Richardson from the Magic. I’m breaking down the trade in 3 ways. First, we’ll be looking at what the Sixers gave up; mainly Andre Iguodala. Then, we’ll talk about how the Sixers stack up vs contenders. Then, we’ll look at what more the Sixers need to do. I personally don’t see them as a contender but only time will tell. Obviously, if Evan Turner plays like he was the 2nd pick overall and if Jrue Holiday continues to improve, the Sixers could be looking to contend in a year or two.
But again we’re looking at Andre Iguodala. A lot of Sixers fans wanted to see him as a scorer. But this just wasn’t him. He wasn’t meant to lead a team in scoring. When I watch him in the Olympics, I see his actual role: A guy that can do well in everything. He rebounds, defends, passes and we all know about his dunking. Without a doubt he is one of the very few all around players in the league. Some say mini-Lebron.
If there was one thing Sixers fans have shown is that they wanted a scorer. They wanted somebody that can hit the big shot. This was not Iguodala; it never was. And it turned into an under appreciation of what Iguodala brings to the table. Watch, you’re going to miss him. You’re going to miss his leadership. You’re going to miss the defense. Oh God you’re going to miss the defense. He was a do everything guy.
And he never complained. He just played his game. He became an all-star this past season and he was stilled booed. To me, most fans never really appreciated Iguodala and his game. One of the first posts I ever wrote for this site was about this very thing.
We won’t know how special Iguodala was until the season starts. Keep an eye on the Denver Nuggets. Whenever you get a chance, watch him play. He’ll be surrounded by many scorers and so he’ll be able to focus on what his game really is.
Sixers will suffer from his loss. I’ve said this before. When the Sixers trade Iguodala, no matter what, they are going to be a worse team overall. Bynum is a great player. And he fits what I’ve been saying the Sixers need. The Sixers’ interior improved greatly. I still feel the Sixers took an inevitable step back in trading Iguodala.
When Iguodala makes his return to Philly, I would hope for a standing ovation. That’s right, I said it. You’ll get your chance soon. The Sixers host the Nuggets for the season opener! “But what did he do?” Sure, the Sixers had only one winning season with him as the top player of the team. But guess what? Iguodala is a true professional. He may not have shown it, but he played hard every night. His knees failing and all. But I guess it’s 20 points or nothing, huh?
When will we understand that the rebounds, defense, passing, ans steals, and blocks all lead up to points and/or helping the team? Hustle plays don’t make the stat sheet. He may not have had many “dive for the ball” plays but he sure as heck worked his butt off. I think it’s a shame that Philly never embraced the special player they had. A shame.
So that’s it. Thank you Andre Iguodala for a solid 8 years. Good luck in Denver although I will always be rooting for my 76ers.