Andre Iguodala Trade Rumors: Why the Philadelphia 76ers Should Let Iggy Go
Looking at how the Philadelphia 76ers' roster is currently constituted, it is difficult to imagine a future where they can emerge as one of the Eastern Conference's elite teams.
True, with the mediocrity that abounds in the Eastern Conference, the 76ers will more than likely be able to stay in playoff contention, but if they do make the playoffs, they will be exiting in the first round. In the NBA, where more than half the teams make the playoffs, simply making the postseason and then not even winning a series should not be enough for any franchise.
If the 76ers do wish to enter the upper echelon of NBA teams, the roster needs to be overhauled in some fashion in order to upgrade the talent on it. Other than improving the team through the draft, the best way to instantly elevate a team's performance is to engage in a trade, and the biggest trade chip the 76ers currently possess is Andre Iguodala.
Although it actually should not, the name Andre Iguodala still elicits a positive connotation of a player with supreme athleticism and also above-average talent from fans and hopefully from other teams. Due to the perception of Andre Iguodala, he is the player that will provide the 76ers with the best return.
Despite the perception of Iguodala, the 76ers should not be fearful of trading him because the real Iguodala is not as good as people might think he is. Since the 2007-08 season, Iguodala's PER has decreased each season to the 16.4 it is now, which is the lowest it has been since his second year in the NBA.
Also, if he continues shooting at the same rate, his .517 true shooting percentage would be the worst of his career, which is partly responsible for his offensive rating of 108 points produced per 100 possessions being lower than his career mark of 110 points produced per 100 possessions.
Iguodala's diminished statistics are also coming with a diminishing role in the offense as his usage percentage has also been decreasing since 2007-08. Yet, even though he should be able to take more advantageous shots since he is not even being overly relied upon for offense, Iguodala has still been unable to maintain his offensive efficiency.
Taking his career path into consideration, it is apparent that Andre Iguodala is not a player around which a team should wish to build. He is not an efficient go-to scorer and he is not a player able to carry a team to more than a .500 record if the team expects him to be the alpha dog. His career resume speaks more to an individual most suited to be a role player even though he is being paid like a star player.
Even more importantly, the 76ers, in an admittedly small sample size, have proved this season that not having Iguodala is not damaging to the team's production.
For the first time in his career after missing a total of six games in his first six years in the NBA, Iguodala is struggling with injuries, allowing the 76ers to get a taste of what basketball life will be like without him. It turns out it tastes basically the same as it does with him.
In the 25 games the 76ers have played with Iguodala, the team has been outscored by .8 points per 100 possessions by their opponents, and in the eight games the 76ers have played without him, they have been outscored by .9 points per 100 possessions by their opponents.
If Iguodala continues to miss games and the 76ers continue to perform equally well without him, the franchise will have even more reason to see what trading him will bring.
If the 76ers do trade Iguodala, it is easy to see in what direction they can go in the future. The leading candidate to assume even more of the offensive load is forward Thaddeus Young. Young is the most efficient scorer on the team, as his team-leading .584 true shooting percentage and offensive rating of 116 points per 100 possessions confirm.
He is doing so while using a higher percentage of the team's possessions than Iguodala (20.2 usage percentage to 19.0 usage percentage), so he is already more of a reliable scoring threat than Iguodala.
Additionally, with the exception of last season, Young has shown himself to be a very efficient offensive weapon over his career. It is no great leap to expect he could attempt even more shots per game and still maintain his current statistics.
Guard Jodie Meeks is also a player who should be given the chance to use more of the 76ers' possessions on offense.
Meeks is a one-dimensional player with value only as a scorer unless he decides to rebound and pass again, but he is very good at that role, having produced 110 points per 100 possessions so far this season, which is third best on the 76ers, and a .565 true shooting percentage, which is second best on the roster.
A few more shot attempts should not adversely affect Meeks and the 76ers should see if he can handle it. They should also look into convincing him that if he starts rebounding and dishing out assists as he did last season in his limited time with the team, he will make himself into a more complete player and help the team even more.
Furthermore, jettisoning Iguodala would give the 76ers a chance to really see what they have in rookie Evan Turner. Turner has struggled mightily so far this season with an absolutely awful 9.1 PER and 92 points produced per 100 possessions, but his great career at Ohio State could not have been a mirage. Turner is definitely not as bad as he has played, but the question is still out there of just how good he can be in the NBA.
As of right now, the Philadelphia 76ers have the eighth-highest payroll in the NBA according to HoopsHype.com, but only the 20th-best record. Changes need to be made and the best start they can make is to trade away Andre Iguodala, whom they no longer need or are even greatly helped by, and try to get some better players in return.
If the franchise cannot be helped by Iguodala's production on the court, they should at least be helped by his value on the trade market, provided he can return to his usual healthy self.
