Andre Iguodala says his last two years with the Philadelphia 76ers were uncomfortable – NBA Update
In Doug Collins, Philadelphia 76ers have one of the best coaches in NBA; they stretched the Boston Celtics to seven games in the Conference Semifinals last season and with Andrew Bynum in the mix now, a new era beckons.
However, the man who was at the centre of Philly resurgence in the last four years does not have fond memories of his time there. He is Andre Iguodala, the star shooting guard who made it to the All-NBA defensive team last season
and won a gold medal with the US Olympic basketball team.
Iggi was traded to the Denver Nuggets in the off season as part of the four team trade that saw Dwight Howard move to the Los Angeles Lakers. In an interview with Matt Moore of CBSSports.com recently, Iguodala candidly expressed
the frustration which he experienced in Philadelphia, especially in the last two years.
“I haven’t really enjoyed basketball a whole lot the last couple of years,” Iguodala said. “Last year was a big year for us, but it was just draining for the criticism to be there every single day….”
“Once again, you get that perception that you’re just a defender, you’re just an athlete, blah, blah, blah,” Iguodala said. “I think that’s what the perception was based on my last two years in Philly because I was the facilitator.
They didn’t want me to go out there and get 20-25 (per game) because when I got that, they said we couldn’t win….”
His outburst didn’t spare the veteran coach as well.
“So in Doug Collins’ first year, I didn’t shoot threes because he was like, ‘I don’t want you shooting threes, I don’t want that shot.’ Last year, I said, ‘I’m shooting it.’ And what happened? Shot 38 percent from three, top-25
in the NBA from three and I’m supposed to be a non-shooter. You put so much work in, and then to be told, ‘Don’t do what you worked on all summer.’”
Iguodala’s frustrations do have solid basis, as Phillies never ran offensive strategies circled around him and looked at him as more of a facilitator and a defensive specialist, while others fed off his exploits. The role did not
go well with the player and he is more than happy to have landed in Denver.
The Nuggets, coached by George Karl, were one of the most potent offensive sides in the league last season. They love to run and gun, play in transition, convert defense into offense, put a lot of touches on the ball, and shoot
at the first available instance. For Iggi, that is pretty much the way to go and is excited at being part of such a team.
The Nuggets also have a lot to gain from the guard. They have so far been a team which puts defense on the back burner and Iguodala can act as a lead for them to improve in this regard.
Tags: