Andre the Giant

By: Chris

Soon after the 2010-2011 NBA Season got underway, the chorus of Sixer fans who wanted Shooting Forward Andre Iguodala to be traded grew louder and louder. Admittedly, I was one of them. After all, Iguodala still displayed his habits that made Philly fans grow to despise him over the years. Basically, he saw himself as a franchise player. Iso-plays resulting in long range jumpers with 15 seconds left on the shot clock became more and more frequent. Yes, the Sixers were and are a young team, but that is no reason for him to believe he can simply take over a game. Let's face it: he is not Kobe Bryant.

His play down the stretch in crunch time situations did not help either. Sure, he had some amazing game winning shots (i.e. playoff game in Orlando, away at the Lakers), but all in all it was fair to say that when we needed a dependable go-to guy, he did not deliver. Then came the rumors that he just fitting well with new Ohio State product Evan Turner. They were not gelling on the court, and a few awkward moments in games seemed to show that they could not move forward on the same team together.

At this point, the Sixers Front Office was absolutely screwed. Iguodala had long been rumored to be on his way out, and paired with his monstrous contract, they had absolutely no leverage. However, they did the smart thing, by announcing Iguodala would not be traded this season. I applaud them for this move.

All that being said, it is now almost the beginning of February, and the landscape has changed quite a bit. Iguodala is averaging 14.7 points per game, 5.2 rebounds, 6.1 assists, all while wisely shooting 54% from the field. His efficiency has increased dramatically. More so than what the statistics show, he is become a TEAM PLAYER. I am not sure whether it has been Doug Collins' coaching methods, or whether Iguodala has become mature enough to realize he is not, and will never be, the teams #1 option.

The Sixers now find themselves in the hunt for a mid to low seed for the playoffs. Although this is not what a lot of Sixer fans, they are winning games. The excitement, at least in some ways, is returning. Now, I believe that Iguodala can actually fit into the 76ers plan for the future. Paired with a young core of Jrue Holiday, Evan Turner, Jodie Meeks, and potentially Spencer Hawes (if the Sixers choose to resign him), basketball could be relevant again in the near future. All in all, Iguodala deserves credit for his transformation, and I hope he continues to play the way he has been in January.