Andre The (Not So) Giant

As a lifelong, diehard Sixers fan it irks me to see the team trapped in this current state of perennial mediocrity, which has been the fate of the team since that memorable, Iverson-led Finals run back in 2001. Each year, the team shows flashes of excellence and plenty of potential, only to ultimately fall well short of anything that resembles a title run, and the pessimist in me expects this year to be no different. Sure, they’ll make the playoffs, but this is not enough in a city spoiled by the successes of Moses, Charles, and Allen. The consistently half-empty arena demonstrates to me that the fans are in search of something more, and to be honest, since A.I. was shipped to Denver, it seems as though the team itself is in search of something else as well; something that is obviously not there.

The Sixers hit the lottery. The number one pick. The reward for an unrewarding season. And this pick saved them from over a decade of uninspired basketball. The Sixers were lucky enough to get that number one pick in’96, and smart enough to use it on Allen Iverson, who single-handedly (in my opinion) carried the team on his back for a decade. He took the team from the bottom to the top. He filled the seats, he won games, he won awards, he did everything for the franchise. It can be argued that drafting Allen Iverson was the one great personnel move the 76ers have made in the past decade and a half, because honestly nothing else has seemed to work. I have watched too many players pass through the Sixers organization and become successful elsewhere after their tenure in Philadelphia for it to be a coincidence: Jerry Stackhouse, Larry Hughes, Tim Thomas, Raja Bell, Kyle Korver, Matt Barnes, and John Salmons serve as a solid set of examples. None of these players fulfilled their potential in Philly, but were able to thrive in other places, leaving the Sixers in a constant state of uncertainty. This is why I argue that without Iverson, the past decade would be quite the forgettable one for the Sixers. However, this article isn’t about Allen, but rather about another A.I.

When Andre Iguodala was drafted, he was one of those players that was tagged with having endless potential. His athleticism and defensive ability made him a keeper in the Sixers rotation, as he served as the budding star next to the other A.I. for his first couple seasons. When Iverson was traded (and it’s safe to say that Iguodala was a big reason why the Sixers felt so comfortable in dealing Allen) most felt that it would now be Iggy’s turn. Kind of a passing of the baton from one A.I. to another. He did not jump into the superstar role right away, and 76ers fan accepted this. We figured it would take him some time to grow into the role, so we were content with patiently waiting for the development of our next superstar. It has now been over two full seasons since the original A.I. was traded and.. we’re still waiting. Sure Andre’s improved. His scoring average has gone up each year, and he has developed into the team’s main offensive threat. However, he has not turned into the bonafide star that many thought he would, and the Sixers nation is still waiting for this to happen. The sad fact that I have already accepted, and one that my fellow Sixers enthusiasts will soon have to embrace is that it may well never happen. For all of his athleticism and potential, I simply do not think Andre Iguodala is cut out to be a first-option, all-star caliber player in this league. That is not to say that he won’t make an all-star team or two in his career. It simply means he is not the caliber of player to build a franchise on.

Since his rookie year, I have always told my friends that Andre reminds me of a Scottie Pippen-type player; a great player with superior athleticism and strong defensive skills, but not built to be the leader of a franchise –but rather an extraordinary second option, who could feed off someone else and use his athleticism to become a nightmare for opponents. For example, thoughts of Andre serving as Lebron’s running-mate brings back flash backs of Jordan-to Pippen-to Jordan fast breaks. However, just as Scottie proved that he could not carry the Bulls on his own, Andre has demonstrated that he needs a first-tier teammate to push this teetering team over the hump. With the epic free-agent circus that is the summer of 2010 approaching, it is imperative that the 76ers make a move for a player who can serve as the Michael to Andre’s Scottie. Otherwise, the franchise will soon have to hope for more luck from the lottery.