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| Andre Iguodala isn't the focal point of the Sixers' attack anymore. Will he be around to see some of Philly's better days? |
Take a second to mull that over.
After a 41-41 record made them a surprise playoff team last season, the 76ers are 7-2 and lead a division with New York, Boston and New Jersey after almost a month.
Tomorrow they play said New York team and these new kids on the block are going to bring the intensity of a Giants/Eagles game to Madison Square Garden.
We all know what the Knicks are about - Amar'e and Carmelo. But what does Philly bring?
Experience, a bench and slightly better team statistics.
Now this bench I speak of boasts leading scorer Lou Williams, veteran Thaddeus Young, former Ohio State standout Evan Turner and Swiss rookie Nikola Vucevic.
Former Kings lottery pick Spencer Hawes is averaging a double double and an aging Elton Brand is making a solid contribution to the ragtag group of misfits.
The backcourt boasts Jodie Meeks, who hasn't had the most impressive start of the season, as well as Jrue Holliday who averages the most minutes for the Sixers.
Lanphier graduate Andre Iguodala remains the face of the franchise, which has been the case since Allen Iverson was traded away. Despite the fact that Doug Collins has changed his role on the team from a scorer to more of a facilitator, Iguodala has proven that he can still lift his team after posting a double double Saturday against Toronto and putting up 20 points and 9 boards monday in a 10 point victory over Indiana.
Now what happens with this team the rest of the way is to be seen. It's a real possibility that Iguodala is traded. But it is also a real possibility that the Sixers make a big move or two this offseason or before the trade deadline. Maybe Philly wants to stick around with Miami, Chicago, New York and Boston. But tomorrow, it's all about New York/Philly.
It could quite possibly be Philly's coming out party.
Philly did end up losing this game to NY, but with Spencer Hawes being injured for the game, they lost an important double-double player that would definitely have made an impact. Now, one of my favorite things about this 76ers team revolves around Jrue Holiday. They have not had a point guard like this since The Answer was around, and this time, they have a player that actually wants to pass the ball. The conundrum with Iggy is similar to the problem the Hawks have with Josh Smith. Both of these players seem to fluctuate with their team-role year in and year out. Unless either of these men want to be traded, they need to figure out what their team needs.
ReplyDeleteI don't think it might be whether they WANT to be traded, but whether their organization wants them to be a part of their future plans.
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