Will Iguodala get the same payday as J-Smoove?While other marquis guys in their contract year have seized their time on the national stage of the playoffs to make a case for their future paychecks, Andre Iguodala hasn’t even come close to his regular production. His numbers during this six-game series are significantly down from his regular season totals. He’s posted 13.1 points and 4.8 boards during the Pistons series despite averaging 19.9 points and 5.4 boards before the playoffs.
What does this mean for Iguodala’s hope for a max contract? Can he make the same case that Josh Smith and Antawn Jamison are making as game-changers who can do more than carry their team into the Top 8 teams in the palsy East. They’ve picked their games up come playoff time. Jamison’s been a menace on the boards in one of the most physical playoff series we’ve seen in recent memory. He’s pulling down 11.4 per game during the Wiz’s series. And J-Smoove has the country on red alert, toasting the best defensive team in the League for 18.4 points and swatting 3.2 shots per game on the other end.
With the series on the line last night, AI only pulled seven times from the floor en route to 16 points. But he lacked the aggressiveness that Philly needed as the Pistons jumped out to an early lead. By the time the first quarter was over, Detroit led 30-12, and Iguodala was 1-2 from the floor. When Atlanta’s offense looked out of sync during the Hawks’ game five loss to Boston, Smith asserted himself, drawing fouls on his way to the basket over and over again. He shot 10-10 from the stripe.
“The offense is centered around me, and they did a good job of making other guys do the scoring and I had to find other ways to be effective,” Iguodala said. “You learn a lot about yourself, whether you shut down or keep fighting.”
“I learned a lot about what I have to do this summer,” Iguodala said.
Does that include lobbying for a max deal?
May 2nd, 2008 at 8:20 am
Dennis Castro says:
That means working on your post game, footwork, and shooting.
Prince, owned Iguodala this series and I hope he wakes up and realizes that a franchise player takes the team on his shoulders when they’re struggling.
May 2nd, 2008 at 8:51 am
Chuck says:
Iguodala Is very athletic, I mean he’s a descent player. But only the best players get max deals.
Iguodala is basically saying that he should get paid the same as Lebron and Wade. One led a team to a chip and the other to the finals with a boo-boo surrounding cast.
he must be out of his freakin mind. Him, Gordon, Deng and Okafer need to get real. Okafer is constantly injured, Deng is okay as a complimentary player as well as Iguodala and Gordon is a nice spark off the bench, but he is a defensive liability.
So he can hold out for more money all he wants, but if I was the owner, I would tell all of them to go jump in a lake and get real and if they want to walk, let them go, whoever is foolish enough to pay a player the max who can’t carry a team deserves what he gets.
And if any of the GM’s need advice just think (Juwan Howard, Ben Wallace). Nice talent and desecent averages, but that dude didn’t have the heart to carry Washington and Ben Wallace just sucks now!
And they will experience the same thing.
May 2nd, 2008 at 8:52 am
Kobeef says:
You can tell Iggy thinks of himself as the best player on this team and that is probably the beginning of the end.
Iguodala turned down a contract for 6 years at more than $9 million per which is more than fair for a guy who shot less than 15% from 3 and less than 35% from the floor in the playoffs (when stars are supposed to step-up)
Let him walk. The league is full of guys who could be just as effective as Iggy playing starter’s minutes as the SG in Philly. The Sixers problem is that NOBODY on the team can shoot 3’s and spread the D. They only made 11 3’s in the entire Detroit Series. To compare, Orlando makes 5 a game.
Also, CDR and Rush are both elite SG’s and are going to be available late in the draft. They would be nice beside Miller in the back-court.
May 2nd, 2008 at 8:56 am
Chuck says:
@Kobeef
I’m woth you man
Let the chump walk. He can’t carry a team. He’s freakin delusional!
May 2nd, 2008 at 9:00 am
jaceofspizades says:
andre stop it! you’re going to ruin your chances at being a hero in philly. you can be a great player.. all-around game. you’ve got the mentality that philly loves. but i really dont see you as the franchise player. maybe a CO-franchise player? or a second option? the handles and the jumper needs work. if you dont agree to a smaller contract that that franchise type contract you might be forcing the sixers to repeatedly be at the bottom of the playoff seeds. take a smaller contract and let philly do somethin else with that leftover money. then we got somethin special.
May 2nd, 2008 at 9:24 am
DaPro says:
I think he’ll get a decent offer or maybe a 1 year qualifying offer if he accepts.
I can see AI 2.0 working on his games heavy this summer. He doesn’t strike me as the kind of dude that would be happy getting a check and underperforming.
He’s a warrior Philly fans, stick it out with him.
May 2nd, 2008 at 9:43 am
imung lolo upaw says:
makes you think.. what if the sixers didn’t trade korver for nothing? dude can shoot the lights out..
May 2nd, 2008 at 9:45 am
jz_smoove says:
definitely not max-type player. 3rd good option on a legit squad. his agent would tell him otherwise though.
May 2nd, 2008 at 9:51 am
GEE...BREAKOUT! Before ya get bumrushed... says:
He needs to understand he is a Scottie Pippen. So therefore he needs to go find a team with the Jordan. He is really great and has so much talent, but he is a #2 guy not a 1.
May 2nd, 2008 at 10:18 am
yallallreadyknow says:
good baller, but not a max player. he should not expect anything over $12mil per year
May 2nd, 2008 at 10:35 am
Bron42 had springs before slamball says:
you guys are comparin him to wade and stuff like those are the only guys to ever get a max contract…trust me, theres guys WAYYYYYY worse than iggy, gettin paid max contracts lol, look at mo williams and shit like that.
May 2nd, 2008 at 10:41 am
MoxWestCoastRep says:
I hope he can feed his family on $12 mil/year…
May 2nd, 2008 at 10:53 am
Chuck says:
@MoxWestCoastRep
LMAO!
May 2nd, 2008 at 11:01 am
GEE...BREAKOUT! Before ya get bumrushed... says:
LOL @ Max.
For real I don’t think he is even worth 12 mil/ year.
Maybe 6 or 5 but 12 …naw.
I know other players are out their making more, but that is not to say it’s justified for them even.
I am on some other stuff when it comes to NBA salaries anyway so that is another story.
Still hell to the naw on 12
May 2nd, 2008 at 11:11 am
Celts Fan says:
he doesn’t have t get a max deal to get more than $9M per. I’m sure the offer will increase from what it was in the offseason. Philly’s problem is that they’re still starting Willie Green. That dude is garbage. Start Iggy and Thadeus next to each other, draft a 2, and just run a lot. That team could make a lot of noise.
May 2nd, 2008 at 11:26 am
Brown says:
Iggy gets $10-11 mill tops. He’s crazy if he thinks he can get more than that. I wouldn’t mind seeing him on the Raptors as the #2 guy to Chris Bosh. Still can’t believe they drafted Araujo over him. SMH…
May 2nd, 2008 at 11:32 am
Celts Fan says:
Araujo over Iggy and Graham over Granger will haunt you for years to come.
May 2nd, 2008 at 12:18 pm
Kobeef says:
@Celtsfan
Add Bargnani over Roy, Rudy and Lamarcus in 2006 to that list of Raps sins.
@Bron42
The Mo Williams situation in Milwaukee is a perfect example of what happens to your team when you sign a middle of the road player to a big contract. Your team misses the playoffs, your GM gets fired and your Coach gets fired.
Based on those results, I would say Philly should pay very close attention to what happened with Mo in Milwaukee before they jump to sign Iggy to a big money deal.
May 2nd, 2008 at 12:25 pm
heavy d says:
How about they S&T him to Dallas for Josh Howard? Howard didn’t mesh well with Kidd and he can bring his more complete game East. While AI won’t have to be that best player with Dirk getting the pub.
May 2nd, 2008 at 1:12 pm
chris says:
so which is worse, bad draft picks or bad long term deals? S&T only works to dallas for howard if IA signs for shorter/less by far. i totally agree that howard and kidd don’t mesh, so why wouldn’t dallas flush kidd with avery johnson? playoff performance against a high-quality team that plays defence (NO, detroit) says kidd is past his ‘best-before’ date (tho’ there are still lots of teams in the league he will rip up in the regular season) and AI ain’t there yet, and may never get there.
May 2nd, 2008 at 1:18 pm
GEE...BREAKOUT! Before ya get bumrushed... says:
heavy d I like that idea, I just think money would be the major issue. Cause AI2 thinks he deserves more than he is worth to me. Cuban could pull that trigger though. I think he would be a nice fit as a #2 look in Dallas.
May 2nd, 2008 at 1:23 pm
Kudabeen says:
As bad Andre played I will say, that is what Detroit and especially Prince does. This is the same team and player that made Kobe look rather Bruce Bowenish at times on offense in the Championship in 04′
No excuse for “AI” only taking 7 shots during last nights game though. Where is the desire and drive to step up? I’m pulling for him, because I think he does have the work ethic to improve. But he did solidify the perception that he wasn’t a franchise player.
May 2nd, 2008 at 1:36 pm
Celts Fan says:
ya Kobeef, but I still like Bargnani and think he’ll be good. He’s Memet Okur at worst by the time all’s said and done. There were other guys, but Bargnani made some sense, Araujo and Graham didn’t make any sense when they were drafted and continue to look worse and worse…
still though, yes, anyo f those guys you mentioned on this team would be amazing too, but at least Bargs will contribute for the next decade…
May 2nd, 2008 at 1:39 pm
Bron42 had springs before slamball says:
Heavy D that idea wouldnt work because Dirk isn’t a #1 type player and obviously most of you dont think iggy is either. dirk blows when he has the spotlight and gets quite points when otehr guys on the team are goin off. Iggy is good but he wouldnt really be a upgrade over howard so it wouldnt change the team much…The sixers just need to give iggy some hush money…draft a shooter like chris lofton or richard roby in the secord round (who isn’t a defensive joke like korver) and keep building.
May 2nd, 2008 at 2:05 pm
Kobeef says:
@ Celtsfan
So if you are the GM in Portland you’d trade Roy for Bargs? What about if you are the GM in Memphis…..well…forget about the gasol trade…but you’d trade Rudy for Bargs?
If I was Colangelo I’d drop Bargs like a one night stand if I could get Rudy. Bosh and Rudy together in the froncourt would be insane.
May 2nd, 2008 at 3:38 pm
ML says:
I Can’t say anything about this. You guy’s hit on the Head. Like Gee Said he’s a good Number 2 opiton and maybe on a championship team.
May 2nd, 2008 at 10:53 pm
What is this!? says:
I like Iggy, but he is not a max player and if he thinks so he’s delusional. He probably think he deserves what Iverson got paid. That team is chalk full of a bunch of role players, they play hard..which is nice, but when the game is on the line they need a star..its really just as simple as that.
And I understand Andre’s last name starts with an “I”…but quit calling that dude “AI”…his nickname is “IGGY”. LOL! Quit trying to give away one of Iversons nicknames…sorry Philly fans, but that dude is not the second coming.
May 2nd, 2008 at 10:54 pm
What is this!? says:
^^ But if the Sixers are stupid enough to pay him max money, then take it Iggy! Thats on them. LOL!