Iguodala's Turnovers.

[76erinSJ]

Ginobili is on the best team in the league with one of the best coaches of all time. He doesnt have to guard the best player on every team night in and night out. He has Parker and Duncan and Bowen. He is there just to score. U like to pick and choose stats with out looking at the big picture just to make your points looks better. If Gino was on this team we would be just as bad.

[SendEm]

Iggy doesn't guard the best player all game every night. That's an Iggy fan fallacy. Mo Cheeks switches the perimeter players and there defensive assignments according to what position they are usually playing on offense. Iggy slides between the SG and SF the entire game. Who defended Kobe Bryant? Who defended Lebron? See the games for what is ACTUALLY happening stop just going with the common accepted perceptions. I have seen Korver get roasted while guarding the best perimeter SG/SF too frequently to say that Iggy routinely has that responsibility like his name is Scottie Pippen or even Bruce Bpwen. Lebron was roasting Iggy before Iggy got himself into foul trouble and Willie Green ended up playing great defense in his place. Lebron had 12 points in the first quarter against Iggy. Lebron finished the half with 16 after Willie started guarding him and Iggy eventually went to the bench with his third foul anyway.

[freshie2]

It continues to amaze me how Iguodala has peaked @ 23, yet players like Roy and Gay still have amazing amounts of 'upside'.

[dond]

It continues to amaze me how Iguodala has peaked @ 23, yet players like Roy and Gay still have amazing amounts of 'upside'.

So ... you have determined that he cannot get any better. Care to let us in on how you know that ?

[freshie2]

It was sarcasm...I don't think he's peaked, but other posters seem to have determined this, while players like Roy and Gay still have unlimited upside. I'm not sure where this determination comes from either.

[MicrOLak3R]

I don't think he's peaked. But the same time. I doubt there will be any drastic improvement. He's like Lamar. Just like him. Always hoping next year he'll breakout.

[freshie2]

Nah...Lamar has never been known as a hard worker...Iguodala is a gym rat who has shown improvements over each season so far. I don't think he'll ever be a 30 ppg scorer, but he can be a 22/6/6 type player.

[MicrOLak3R]

If Iggy still plays hard and improves after he's signed. I wouldn't complain. It's the ones who play worse after signing that really irks me. Like Diaw

[freshie2]

Obviously this is an opinion without first hand interaction, but you always read about Iguodala's work ethic, character, and trying to improve his game. I don't think he'll be another Diaw, Francis, Marbury, etc.

[SendEm]

I don't like that Iggy's production is guaranteed to go down when better players are on board. Iggy isn't a score first mentality type of player but he does need to have the ball alot in his hands in order to produce points and make plays. I still can't get over how Manu Ginobili produces basically the same stats as Iggy but while playing 11 less minutes per game for the Spurs with Parker and Duncan on the same team. Hands down Manu is a better player than Iggy but it goes to show you just how overrated Iggy's numbers are. Some people will say that Manu gets those numbers because he plays with better players, well why couldn't Iggy have the numbers that HE is currently producing while Iverson and Webber were still around? That's because Iggy is benefiting from playing 39 minutes a game and having his hands on the ball every single possession with a complete greenlight. Average players have been known to compile huge stats on BAD teams, we are witnessing that here with Iggy.

[freshie2]

Some people will say that Manu gets those numbers because he plays with better players, well why couldn't Iggy have the numbers that HE is currently producing while Iverson and Webber were still around? That's because Iggy is benefiting from playing 39 minutes a game and having his hands on the ball every single possession with a complete greenlight. Average players have been known to compile huge stats on BAD teams, we are witnessing that here with Iggy.

Let's see...a young player paired with Iverson and Webber who dominate the ball and take about 40 shots a game between them...why wouldn't that young player thrive??? Take Webber out of the equation...what player in Iverson's career ever thrived playing next to him??

Conversely, why would any player thrive when they play with the best big man in the game, who, by the way, is probably one of the most unselfish and best passing big men ever to play the game??

Manu may very well be better than Iguodala...not really going to argue that, but comparing teammate production when paired with the Spurs and Duncan vs an old Webber and Iverson at any age is kind of silly.

[SendEm]

Carmelo seems to be doing just fine playing alongside Iverson, Carmelo is a young player that's even younger than Igoudala...
Iggy just had no game that's why he couldn't shine before. Now that nobody is around he can put up numbers while playing 39 minutes a night then some games not even show up and still manage to have his fans make excuses for him. So far Iggy has 1 thirty point game this season. The future doesn't look as bright for Iggy as his fans and Sixers brass attempt to paint it. Iggy is a clumsy coward in the half court, he NEVER takes it to the hole with authority in the half court. His fastbreak skills cover that fact and his fans are blinded by his fastbreak dunks, but I can't overlook the halfcourt cowardice and clumsiness. I haven't seen Iggy take it to the hole STRONG since Al Jefferson blocked Iggy's soft two handed dunk attempt. Boy I can't stand a soft player...

[tk76]

From what I read, all you seem to focus about is whether a player is a scorer or not. Manu gets his because he always looks to score, same with Carmello. That is their games, which is great.

Iguodala is seen a player whose contributions are not primarily due to his ability to score. He is a guy who ideally locks down his player, gets the rebound or steal, pushes it the length of the floor and then creates for himself or others. He also draws a ton of fouls. You seem quick to dismiss these parts of his game as over-rated or unimportant.

There are plenty of people Iguodala can lock down that Manu struggle against (that is why the use him as an uber 6th man.) Carmello is not exactly a multi-dimentional player- he is a scorer.

Again, pointing out this doesn't diminish how good Manu or Carmello are- just like Shaq used to be great even if his game was limited to close to the basket. But by the same token, you can't just look at scoring and then routinely dismiss Iguodala's more rounded game, or that he has the ridiculous athletic ability, and proven track record that he will continue to add to his game.

People initially though Dala could be a good player even if he never scored more than 15 ppg and never developed a jumper. He has already exceeded expectations in this regard.

I'm sure you can find lots of scorers who will always be better scorers than Iguodala- because that's their ticket. Its like trying to diminish Kidd because he is not an elite scorer or Shaq in his prime because he lacked an outside shot. Iguodala is not and will never be at that HOF level (so don't go replying that I said Dala was as good as Shaq in his prime) but you judge players by how they perform there roles, not soley based on there scoring ability.

[SendEm]

Who has Iggy "locked down." All I know is that he didn't guard both Kobe and Lebron for the whole game or anywhere near even a half of game. So what is this "lock down" defense coming from? He guarded Paul Pierce extremely well one game in the past and the same with Kobe. What has he done lately? Who is he guarding? Who is he "locking down?"

[THFM]

I wouldnt' say he is a lockdown defender like holding a player down with his points but he def knows to make them uncomfortable and give them problems trying to score.

[tk76]

And Bruce Bowen routinely shuts down those guys? This is the NBA, if you don't have to double team a superstar everytime they touch the ball you are doing well.

I may be reaching, but I think Iguodala has been shifted off some of the better player to keep him out of foul trouble and let him focus on offense- because the rest of our team is so offensively challenged. I hope that we eventually get more offensive options so that Dala can thrive in a more natural role for him and be less forced to carry the scoring burden- which is not best suited for his game.

[SendEm]

Yeah Iggy is good on defense, definitely nowhere near being a liability. But when people use the term "lockdown defender" that player has to be on the Scottie Pippen level, Tayshawn Prince, Bruce Bowen, John Starks, Raja Bell. Micheal Cooper, Eric Snow. Those are all players who either for their whole careers or a few seasons went around from NBA city to NBA city night after night making prime time offensive players have fits. Iggy has done that a hand full of times in his career, there are 82 games in a season, Iggy is not a "lockdown defender" but he is good.

[freshie2]

Exactly...he's the main option offensively, and Mo has stated that he likes to use Willie defensively on the opponents best player to rotate that defender and mix up what the opponent sees. Most times, they switch men each time down, and the best wing player may be guarded by Iguodala, Green or Miller.

Of the Sixers, Iguodala is the best defender...of most wing players in the league, Iguodala is one of the best defenders.

[tk76]

I overspoke.

I think Kobe is a better defender, and Bowen too. Lock Down may be too strong a word. Defense is a stength, and part of his good (and improving) all around game.