if(fanid.length > 0 && typeof(nflDefaultLeague)!= "undefined") { leagueId = nflDefaultLeague; //find teamId of default league (if exists) for(var i=0; i < teamsInfo.length; i++){ if(teamsInfo[4] == leagueId){ defaultTeamId = teamsInfo[0]; } } var fantasyLeaguePlayerJsPath = 'http://msn.foxsports.com' + '/nugget/200002_' + leagueId + '|||' + fanid; } If the A. I. has been banished to Denver, there's a neophyte with the same initials in Philadelphia primed to take his place.
Indeed, it's Andre Iguodala who is the Sixers' new featured player. In Philly's rousing 117-112 OT victory over the Grizzlies on Friday night, Iguodala presented a representative sampling of what he can and can't do. A.I. vs. the Grizz MIN FGM-A 3PM-A FTM-A REBS A ST TO BS PTS 49 10-17 0-0 7-9 9 6 4 4 0 27
Can do
Run and jump like his pants are on fire. But not only can Iguodala sky, he can launch himself into space while everybody else in the neighborhood is still gathering themselves for liftoff. His vertical explosiveness was demonstrated early in the second quarter when he beat Lawrence Roberts (who, at 6-9, is three inches taller than Iguodala) to an up-for-grabs rebound.
Andre Iguodala, who likes to shoot with his left hand, scored 27 points against the Grizzlies. (Tom Mihalek / Associated Press)
Iguodala's powerhouse dunks on several fastbreaks were testaments to both his speed and his hops. While LeBron may be stronger and more creative on the run, Iguodala has superior foot speed. So, with the possible exception of LBJ, no other NBA wingman fills a lane as potently as Iguodala can.
The Sixers' latest pride and joy is a dead-eye shooter when his feet are set. And he's also a dangerous marksman from beyond the arc.
When he takes his dribble to the ring in halfcourt sets, Iguodala always wants to go right (he went left only once), a move he sets up with a left-to-right crossover that needs some work. As he approaches the basket  and unless he can either dunk or take a straight up right-handed layup or floater  his favorite trick is to extend his left arm and shoot with his left hand. His long arms and strong hands make this drive-right-shoot-left technique highly effective.
In the first half, he usually was stationed mostly at one wing or the other and was mostly used to keep the ball moving or else to make entry passes into Samuel Dalembert or Joe Smith. Credit Iguodala with delivering a total of seven precision passes into the low post without botching the job. Because he can read the pivotman's dance with his defender, he always executed the absolutely correct pass to the right place at the right time. This is an arcane skill that usually goes unnoticed.
Iguodala also served as a ball-reverser whenever he was stationed in the middle of the court above the three-point line. Again, his passes were models of efficiency. He did venture into the low post himself on one first quarter sequence, whereupon he took his right hand into the middle, executed a convincing fake to freeze his defender, then leaned forward and bagged a floater. Iguodala looked so comfortable in the paint that, except for Joe Smith, he well might be the Sixers' best interior scorer. Does it behoove Mo Cheeks to call this particular number more than once per game?
Even though he's Philadelphia's high scorer, Iguodala is definitely a pass-first player  which makes for happy teammates. In addition to his six assists, Iguodala lost out on four more when Stephen Hunter caught a pass with his foot on the out-of-bounds line  twice. When Hunter bobbled another pass. And when Dalembert faked too many times and wound up having a layup blocked.
In the second half, Iguodala played almost exclusively at the high post. From there he was much more involved in the offense (he took no shots in the second quarter), and he also showed his strength when he set numerous sturdy screens. One particular back-screen enabled Kyle Korver to make a dive-cut, catch a pass from Andre Miller and score an important late-game layup. Another freed Korver for a wide-open 3-ball. Iguodala also used his screening prowess to set himself up  as when he slipped a weak-side screen, cut to the hoop and turned a lob pass from Miller into a ferocious dunk. Twice!
On all side inbounds plays, Iguodala was the Sixers' designated passer. This is another small yet vital role that illustrates his trustworthy decision-making as well as his ability to deliver the ball according to Cheeks' designs.
On defense, Iguodala showed quick hands and good balance. Any careless dribbles or lazy passes in his vicinity were up for grabs. In addition to his four recorded steals, he had innumerable deflections that either resulted in changes of possession or the disruption of the Grizzlies' timing.
The best part of his defense is his knack for making timely rotations. Because Iguodala has such terrific lateral movement and such long arms, he's able to bother shooters without putting himself at risk to pick up fouls. Credit missed layups by Mike Miller and Pau Gasol to Iguodala's help-out defense.
Iguodala's mastery of defensive fundamentals included his perpetual attention to boxing out his man whenever they were both in the lane. Also, he constantly attacked right-hander's jump shots with his left hand. This is another relatively obscure technique that has two subtle advantages:
By not having to move his right arm across his body, the lefty-to-righty attack allows the defender much greater extension and increases the chances or either blocking, threatening, or distracting the shot.
Because the defender's left arm is always in the shooter's field of vision, the shooter's concentration is more liable to be compromised. (Right-handed attacks of left-handed shooters accomplish the same goals.)And, of course, with the Sixers up by a point and 10.8 seconds left in regulation, Iguodala took full advantage of an isolation play (one of only seven that Philadelphia ran for him) by driving right and shooting left. It took a long distance 3-ball from the Grizzlies' Miller to send the game into overtime.
Can't do
Drive left with aplomb. Drive either way and spin. Drive and pull. Drive and fade. Drive and duck under, or drop-step. In other words, show any razzle-dazzle in his offensive repertoire.
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Iguodala did have a chance to win the game with time running out in regulation. He caught the ball along the left baseline, drew a crowd when he put the ball on the floor with his left hand and heaved up a wild shot that bounced off the top of the backboard.
Moreover, too often Iguodala tried to force interior passes through miniscule cracks in the defensive wall. Risky maneuvers with low-completion probabilities.
And, except for one third quarter play, when he absolutely locked up an attempted drive by Miller, Iguodala wasn't always aggressive in his straight-up man-to-man defense. For sure, he either battled or squeezed through high screens, but he sometimes made the mistake of easing up when he made contact with the screen, expecting his bigs to switch when it was clear they had no intention of doing so.
But his most egregious error occurred on Miller's game-tying triple. The Grizz were down three when they inbounded the ball, and it wound up in Gasol's hands a step beyond the line. That's when Iguodala decided to leave Miller (who knocks down nearly 40 percent of his three-pointers) and double Gasol (a lifetime 20.8 percent shooter from downtown). An alert pass to the now open Miller led to what could have been a catastrophe for the Sixers.
So, then, while Iguodala lacks the overall flash and point-making dynamics of the original A.I., he's a much better defender, a more willing passer, a better screener and a more selective shooter. A couple of hundred hours spent in a summertime gym can easily expand Iguodala's offense and hasten his evolution into a legitimate All-Star. A sit-down with Dalembert, Smith and whomever can resolve any communications snafus.
Not only is it possible that Iguodala will become the Sixers' franchise player, it's inevitable. And someday soon, Andre Iguodala will be celebrated among the pantheon of Sixer greats as A. I., Take Two.
This Article showed that Iggy, is primed in 1 or 2 more years to be the new *it* guy in philly. He might forever be know as A.I. Take 2 tho.
Thoughts
Indeed, it's Andre Iguodala who is the Sixers' new featured player. In Philly's rousing 117-112 OT victory over the Grizzlies on Friday night, Iguodala presented a representative sampling of what he can and can't do. A.I. vs. the Grizz MIN FGM-A 3PM-A FTM-A REBS A ST TO BS PTS 49 10-17 0-0 7-9 9 6 4 4 0 27
Can do
Run and jump like his pants are on fire. But not only can Iguodala sky, he can launch himself into space while everybody else in the neighborhood is still gathering themselves for liftoff. His vertical explosiveness was demonstrated early in the second quarter when he beat Lawrence Roberts (who, at 6-9, is three inches taller than Iguodala) to an up-for-grabs rebound.
Iguodala's powerhouse dunks on several fastbreaks were testaments to both his speed and his hops. While LeBron may be stronger and more creative on the run, Iguodala has superior foot speed. So, with the possible exception of LBJ, no other NBA wingman fills a lane as potently as Iguodala can.
The Sixers' latest pride and joy is a dead-eye shooter when his feet are set. And he's also a dangerous marksman from beyond the arc.
When he takes his dribble to the ring in halfcourt sets, Iguodala always wants to go right (he went left only once), a move he sets up with a left-to-right crossover that needs some work. As he approaches the basket  and unless he can either dunk or take a straight up right-handed layup or floater  his favorite trick is to extend his left arm and shoot with his left hand. His long arms and strong hands make this drive-right-shoot-left technique highly effective.
In the first half, he usually was stationed mostly at one wing or the other and was mostly used to keep the ball moving or else to make entry passes into Samuel Dalembert or Joe Smith. Credit Iguodala with delivering a total of seven precision passes into the low post without botching the job. Because he can read the pivotman's dance with his defender, he always executed the absolutely correct pass to the right place at the right time. This is an arcane skill that usually goes unnoticed.
Iguodala also served as a ball-reverser whenever he was stationed in the middle of the court above the three-point line. Again, his passes were models of efficiency. He did venture into the low post himself on one first quarter sequence, whereupon he took his right hand into the middle, executed a convincing fake to freeze his defender, then leaned forward and bagged a floater. Iguodala looked so comfortable in the paint that, except for Joe Smith, he well might be the Sixers' best interior scorer. Does it behoove Mo Cheeks to call this particular number more than once per game?
Even though he's Philadelphia's high scorer, Iguodala is definitely a pass-first player  which makes for happy teammates. In addition to his six assists, Iguodala lost out on four more when Stephen Hunter caught a pass with his foot on the out-of-bounds line  twice. When Hunter bobbled another pass. And when Dalembert faked too many times and wound up having a layup blocked.
In the second half, Iguodala played almost exclusively at the high post. From there he was much more involved in the offense (he took no shots in the second quarter), and he also showed his strength when he set numerous sturdy screens. One particular back-screen enabled Kyle Korver to make a dive-cut, catch a pass from Andre Miller and score an important late-game layup. Another freed Korver for a wide-open 3-ball. Iguodala also used his screening prowess to set himself up  as when he slipped a weak-side screen, cut to the hoop and turned a lob pass from Miller into a ferocious dunk. Twice!
On all side inbounds plays, Iguodala was the Sixers' designated passer. This is another small yet vital role that illustrates his trustworthy decision-making as well as his ability to deliver the ball according to Cheeks' designs.
On defense, Iguodala showed quick hands and good balance. Any careless dribbles or lazy passes in his vicinity were up for grabs. In addition to his four recorded steals, he had innumerable deflections that either resulted in changes of possession or the disruption of the Grizzlies' timing.
The best part of his defense is his knack for making timely rotations. Because Iguodala has such terrific lateral movement and such long arms, he's able to bother shooters without putting himself at risk to pick up fouls. Credit missed layups by Mike Miller and Pau Gasol to Iguodala's help-out defense.
Iguodala's mastery of defensive fundamentals included his perpetual attention to boxing out his man whenever they were both in the lane. Also, he constantly attacked right-hander's jump shots with his left hand. This is another relatively obscure technique that has two subtle advantages:
By not having to move his right arm across his body, the lefty-to-righty attack allows the defender much greater extension and increases the chances or either blocking, threatening, or distracting the shot.
Because the defender's left arm is always in the shooter's field of vision, the shooter's concentration is more liable to be compromised. (Right-handed attacks of left-handed shooters accomplish the same goals.)And, of course, with the Sixers up by a point and 10.8 seconds left in regulation, Iguodala took full advantage of an isolation play (one of only seven that Philadelphia ran for him) by driving right and shooting left. It took a long distance 3-ball from the Grizzlies' Miller to send the game into overtime.
Can't do
Drive left with aplomb. Drive either way and spin. Drive and pull. Drive and fade. Drive and duck under, or drop-step. In other words, show any razzle-dazzle in his offensive repertoire.
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Iguodala did have a chance to win the game with time running out in regulation. He caught the ball along the left baseline, drew a crowd when he put the ball on the floor with his left hand and heaved up a wild shot that bounced off the top of the backboard.
Moreover, too often Iguodala tried to force interior passes through miniscule cracks in the defensive wall. Risky maneuvers with low-completion probabilities.
And, except for one third quarter play, when he absolutely locked up an attempted drive by Miller, Iguodala wasn't always aggressive in his straight-up man-to-man defense. For sure, he either battled or squeezed through high screens, but he sometimes made the mistake of easing up when he made contact with the screen, expecting his bigs to switch when it was clear they had no intention of doing so.
But his most egregious error occurred on Miller's game-tying triple. The Grizz were down three when they inbounded the ball, and it wound up in Gasol's hands a step beyond the line. That's when Iguodala decided to leave Miller (who knocks down nearly 40 percent of his three-pointers) and double Gasol (a lifetime 20.8 percent shooter from downtown). An alert pass to the now open Miller led to what could have been a catastrophe for the Sixers.
So, then, while Iguodala lacks the overall flash and point-making dynamics of the original A.I., he's a much better defender, a more willing passer, a better screener and a more selective shooter. A couple of hundred hours spent in a summertime gym can easily expand Iguodala's offense and hasten his evolution into a legitimate All-Star. A sit-down with Dalembert, Smith and whomever can resolve any communications snafus.
Not only is it possible that Iguodala will become the Sixers' franchise player, it's inevitable. And someday soon, Andre Iguodala will be celebrated among the pantheon of Sixer greats as A. I., Take Two.
This Article showed that Iggy, is primed in 1 or 2 more years to be the new *it* guy in philly. He might forever be know as A.I. Take 2 tho.
Thoughts