As the season unfolded I became more and more steadfast in my support of Andre Iguodala. His game evolved, he led this young group of players through a magical run, even putting the team on his back when needed. He sank game-winners and never shied away from a challenge.
Looking back now, with the Detroit series behind us, it's easier to have an unemotional take on things. Obviously, that's what will be needed going forward. The fact of the matter is that I truly believe Thad Young will be a better player than Iguodala. That fact leaves the Sixers in a tough spot.
Up until this point, I think my bias toward home-grown guys has blinded me to an extent. We've all watched this guy grow up as a Sixer and go from a bit player to a star. The problem is the larger picture. I've said all along that I think Andre can move to the two guard. I still think that, but I'm not 100% sure (probably more like 60% at this point). This leaves us in a pickle, and it couldn't come at a worse time.
With Iguodala's restricted free agency upon us, we're looking at the very real possibility of the Sixers spending $60M+ on a project that may fail. Thad is the future at SF. Signing Iguodala means he either adjusts his game to the two guard or Thad will be playing out of position for the first several years of his career. Neither is a favorable situation.
Add in the fact that while Andre may not fit in with the Sixers, just letting him walk for nothing is not an option. He's way too good for that.
Those are all of the problems I could come up with, so now let's try to find a solution after the jump.
By far, the best solution is to have Iguodala sign his qualifying offer for $3,800,625. The first benefit is added cap space this Summer. Iguodala's cap hold number (this is the amount counted against the Sixers' cap until he either signs his qualifying offer, signs an offer sheet from another team, or signs a new contract with the Sixers) is $7,012,223 by my math. (250% of his '07-'08 salary). So by signing his qualify offer the Sixers would immediately add $3,211,598 to their cap space. They'd also buy themselves a year. They could spend this season experimenting with him at the two guard.
If the experiment works out, the Sixers can outbid anyone and go over the cap to do it to sign him as a free agent next Summer. If it doesn't work out, well then at least they know. They can try to sign and trade him, or they can let him go. He'll be an unrestricted free agent. This would give the Sixers more cap room to improve the team in the short term, and a full year to evaluate Iguodala at a new position before deciding if it makes sense to give him a lucrative deal. This could backfire, obviously. If Iguodala turns himself into a viable threat from three he could earn a max deal that he hasn't up to this point, but I think it's worth the risk.
Option number two is a sign and trade this Summer. Let me start by saying this can't be your typical lopsided sign and trade deal. There has to be a threshold for what you to get back in a deal which sends Iguodala out of town. It's hard to come up with the names on this list, but you have to think about superstar caliber players whose teams either (a) are loathe to pay the luxury tax, (b) are realizing they need to make changes to the way they play the game or (c) both A and B. A few names that come to mind are Amare Stoudemire (owed $49M over the next 3 seasons on a team that does everything and anything to avoid the luxury tax and has to realize their window has closed), Tracy McGrady (not my first choice, but a true #1 scorer at the shooting guard position. Adding him wouldn't help much in the 3pt category, though), Jose Calderon (which would then allow the Sixers to move Andre Miller in a deal for Elton Brand or another low-post threat.)
It's a short list. Which brings me to option number three. Pay Iguodala. What's the worst-case scenario here? Or should I say, who is the worst-case, my mind keeps wandering to Lamar Odom. Miami paid him too much money and hoped he'd become a number one scoring option. He never did, but when the opportunity arose to land a once-in-a-lifetime talent and make a run at the finals, Odom was the main chip in the deal. Odom is a tweener, just like Iguodala, size-wise. Even if Iguodala never makes the transition to the two guard, he'll always be a valuable trading chip down the road. If you can't accomplish either of the first two option, then this is fine. You can't just let a guy with this much talent walk.
Hey Brian,
Been a while, how ya been?
I think you might be overthinking this issue a bit much. I've been reading a lot of blogs, message boards and articles that attempting to draw definitive conclusions from the Detroit series. Especially people saying Dala cannot play the 2. IMO, the only thing I got from the series is that Dala is not a dominant scorer. He needs to play with finishers at every position. He is not capable of carrying a team that plays 3 on 5 or 4 on 5 offensively, but that was never in debate.
Regarding Dala at the 3, the Sixers use more of a 3 guard offense anyway, with the wings being fairly interchangeable. Both he and Green and Lou(and Carney and Korver when he was here) tend to run through the same motions and cuts and receive the ball in the same places and situations. The only real difference is that Dala gets it on the Elbow and mid-post more. IMO, Dala playing the 2 only really changes his defensive responsibilities and who would guard him, not so much how he would play offensively, especially given that he will likely continue to expand his game anyway(his work ethic is not in question).
I've always believed that Dala and Thad were the future on the wings and see no reason why Iguodala would not be able to transition full-time to the backcourt on both ends. His physical attributes and skillset lend itself to the backcourt. He is a playmaker with an improving jumpshot(He shot 38% from 3 in March) And at the 2, he would have an advantage in strength, quickness, hops. Another advantage is that most of the league's better defenders are SFs(Prince, Battier, Bowen, Marion, Howard etc). By switching Dala to the 2, with a legit-sized offensive threat at SF(Thad), Dala gets to play against the likely weaker sister of the pair(i.e the Rip Hamilton and Ray Allen types).
He had one good month shooting. His form still looked bad, and he was mediocre again in April and 2-14 in the playoffs. From season to season his percentages haven't improved at all. No trend there. And I can't think of that many examples of players who developed a shot five years into their career. So, even if the wings are interchangeable, do you really want to start two wings who can't shoot? You'd certainly be taking that risk, at least. I just don't think that's a way to build a legitimate contender, not unless you have a lights-out shooter at the point. I also think he's a mediocre ball-handler and turns the ball over a whole lot for a guy who isn't the greatest scorer. Iguodala was 20th in the league in TO's in the regular season and is still the league leader in this category for the playoffs. Once you move Thad to the 3, you'll have even more mediocre ball-handling on the wings.
Now, about trade options, I have a feeling we'd get a little less than Brian's hoping... and about Amare, I think Kerr wants to build around him. That's why they axed D'Antoni. T-Mac misses half the season every year and doesn't drive to the basket anymore. Calderon's a lot more realistic and I think he'd be a great addition.
First, I have to make a stat correction. Dala actually shot .396 for March in 15 games taking 3.5 threes a game. So I underestimated it. In April, he shot .348, not a bad percentage at all. he also shot .359 after the All-Star break, which now is a 2-month sample size, a comparable mark to Brandon Roy, for example. His form is fine, if not a bit unorthodox. As he gets older, he will improve, given his work ethic.
Mediocre ball handler is definitely an exaggeration, especially since most of his TOs have tended to come from because of the constant trapping off the pick and roll, since the roll man is not a threat, or the bigs bobbling passes. He does have a tendency to try for the "home-run" pass at times, but he has gotten better, and will get better.
As far as having two wings that "cannot shoot," many athletic players come into the league struggling from the perimeter because it was never needed. Many of them take years before adding a consistent jump shot, from Erving to Magic to Jordan to Pippen to Grant Hill to Kobe to Redd to Vince Carter etc.
Thad shot 41% from the line in college, which was a better percentage than Redd shot in any of his 3 years at Ohio State. Plus, he also has a great work ethic too. And both Thad and Dala work in the summers with Tim Grover, who also happens to be Jordan's former trainer. Chances are, both of them will be solid shooters in the near future, especially given the emphasis the Sixers have placed on it for them.
Neither player is near their prime yet, so making any presumptions of them not continuing to evolve is shortsighted.
Iguodala doesn't turn the ball over THAT much. In fact if you take away the first month, he turned the ball over very rarely and I would bet he wasn't even in the top 100 in TOs/48 minutes if you take away the first month.
Thad has good form on his jumper. He was a pure jump shooter in college due to holding the GTech coaching staff hostage and proved he can shoot.
Thad will be at least as good of a 3 point shooter as a Tayshaun Prince. Iggy... I really don't like that form.
I do agree about Iggy's TOs, they are not that bad and are easily correctable, especially if you get an offensively savvy big who can catch as well as be a threat that creates space. Regarding his form, the most important part is that he is consistent with his release and his arc, and he is for the most part. There are many good shooters who did not have classic form(Reggie Miller springs to mind).
Yeah, but you have to consider the worst-case scenario, not just the best-case, so pointing to outliers like Michael Redd (who learned how to shoot by his second season in the league) isn't that helpful... the fact is, if you keep Iguodala, you're running a very substantial risk that no one in your starting rotation will be able to shoot. I don't care who they train with. Wade works with Grover and he hasn't become a shooter.
You're absolutely right. Worst-case is that Iguodala is as good of a shooter right now as he ever will be. It's a scary thought that we could wind up with a 2 and 3 who can't really stretch the floor. That's why the qualifying offer is definitely the best option, I just don't know how likely it is.
Not really sure how this would work financially, but I think this would be a good idea for both teams. We trade Iguodala and either a pick or a Smith/Carney to Memphis for Mike Miller. Memphis can experiment with Iguodala or Rudy Gay at the 2, while the Sixers get there 2 guard and coveted shooter in the same deal. We can also add one of the two PF's I desperately want. Elton Brand or Josh Smith. If completed our roster would look like...
PG: Andre Miller
SG: Mike Miller
SF: Thad Young
PF: Elton Brand
C: Sammy Dalembert
Bench: Lou, Reggie, Jason or Rodney, and 1 more aquistion/draft pick.
Come on, tell me thats not worthy of being a contender!
I think the Grizzlies will just draft Mayo. Cheaper and potentially better than Iguodala.
I think Iguodala alone is plently enough to get Mike Miller if Memphis would indeed be interested. If not then to bad, I would feel salty about giving Dala up for m miller anyway.
I agree, but I don't think they'd want Iguodala when they can just draft Mayo.
There's no way I'd do a deal of Iguodala for Miller. I think Miller can be had for much, much less. It's a salary dump for the Griz.
That too. Just saying, Memphis wouldn't do it.
i wish yall would get out of the 1 man show and lets play as a team fuck scorin 30 points a game let have a balanced team iggy doesnt have to be the only 1 shootin and carryin the team. one men teams doesnt win see...AI.. philly fans make me sick u all are dum as hell iggy is good put him on detriot and i bet they win a another ring we need to play as a team like detrot the spurs etc u lames.