5 Players Andre Iguodala Would Be the Perfect Sidekick For
Andre Iguodala is on the Philadelphia 76ers' trading block, so let's have a look at five players he'd be a great sidekick for.
Iguodala is a star in his own right (OK, maybe a "semi-star"), capable of dropping 30 points on any night from his shooting guard position.
The 76ers seem to be growing with Jrue Holliday at the point and Evan Turner at shooting guard, so it's time for Iguodala to find new stomping grounds to be a Robin to someone's Batman.
Derrick Rose
1 of 5Derrick Rose was incredible for the Chicago Bulls last year, often doing things all on his own.
His Bulls were expected to be good, yes, but hardly anyone could've predicted that they were going have the best regular season record in the NBA at the end of the 2010-2011 season, but that's just what they did.
After his stellar breakout season, Rose needs a sidekick to take his team past the Eastern Conference finals. Andre Iguodala is just the guy. His 14.1 points per game is almost as much as the first three shooting guards on Chicago's depth chart combined, 15.7.
The shooting guard position is Chicago's weakness. Keith Bogans and Ronnie Brewers simply won't cut it if the Bulls expect to contend.
On a few special nights, Rose and Iguodala would remind fans of some players named Jordan and Pippen.
Chris Paul
2 of 5The recent trend of creating mega-teams in the NBA led to many speculations about the future of Chris Paul on the New Orleans Hornets.
He is a free agent after this upcoming season (if we play it), so New Orleans needs to make sure that he is getting the help he needs to make a deep playoff run.
Andre Iguodala would fill in a hole at the 2-guard. Marco Belinelli is hardly the kind of shooting guard that will be able to be Paul's sidekick in the playoffs. Belinelli did even average double digit points in the playoffs.
Iguodala would be an excellent perimeter kick out for Paul, where he is a lifetime 32 percent shooter. That percentage is plenty for the highly talented penetrating Paul.
Deron Williams
3 of 5If Andre Iguodala wants to form a new mega-team, joining Deron Williams and the New Jersey Nets would be pretty enticing.
Brook Lopez at center would be the third of New Jersey's version of the big three.
Williams was called the best point guard in the game at early points in the 2010-2011 season, but once the Utah Jazz lost coach Jerry Sloan to retirement and began falling out of playoff contention, those discussions cooled.
He's still just as good as ever, I assure you. Iguodala would be an excellent sidekick for Williams.
During Iguodala's best season in 2007-2008, Andre Miller was his point guard. Miller is a very reliable passer and shooter with a strong playing style similar to Williams', though not nearly as good.
The formula has worked before, and it can work again.
Dwight Howard
4 of 5Dwight Howard is the same boat as Chris Paul. He is a free agent in 2012 and has been rumored to be on the move, possibly to the weak Los Angeles Lakers lineup. Ha.
The Orlando Magic would be wise to make a good faith effort to show Howard their commitment to win consistently. Jason Richardson failed to make a strong impression after a trade that brought him to the Magic.
Even if he is able to bounce back in 2011, the opportunity to play a two shooting guard types at the same time worked well last year for the excellent-shooting Magic, so adding another 2-guard wouldn't be an issue.
That leaves the door open to acquire Andre Iguodala, who would easily develop a rapport with Howard. Howard's low post game would open up shots and driving lanes, the like Iguodala has never seen before in his career.
Zach Randolph
5 of 5Maybe the best option for both Andre Iguodala and the team that traded for him would be for a move to the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Grizzlies impressed the entire NBA with their defeat of the West's top seeded San Antonio Spurs last year and a seven-game series with the Oklahoma City Thunder. But their weakness was a scoring shooting guard, and it was glaringly evident.
Zach Randolph took the team over after Rudy Gay sustained a season-ending shoulder injury. He is a fighter on the boards and an exceptionally soft passer for a big man, which makes Iguodala the perfect sidekick.
There moments in the series with the Thunder where a timely three would've meant an unprecedented trip to the Western Conference finals, but Sam Young and Tony Allen were simply unable to execute.
Randolph and Iguodala would be a dynamite one-two punch.
