Hornets.com’s 1-on-1: Philadelphia’s Andre Iguodala, Todd MacCulloch
January 31, 2007
Hornets.com’s Cris Quintana and Jim Eichenhofer interviewed Philadelphia guard Andre Iguodala and Philadelphia radio analyst Todd MacCulloch, respectively, during the 76ers’ visit to the Ford Center on Wednesday.
Iguodala, who is in his third NBA season, has assumed the primary scoring role for the Sixers since the trade of Allen Iverson. Iguodala finished as a runner-up to New York’s Nate Robinson in last year’s All-Star weekend slam dunk contest.
MacCulloch is in his third full season as a Philadelphia broadcaster. The former NBA center played five seasons in the league. He was a key reserve for the 2000-01 Philadelphia club that reached the NBA Finals.
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Philadelphia guard/forward Andre Iguodala
Q: How did the trade of Allen Iverson impact your game this season? What are some of the things that you learned from him?
A: Well it affected all of us in different ways; most importantly, it gave some of us an opportunity to make a mark in this league and show everyone the different skills that we possess. Allen plays hard every night. He taught me the importance of going out there with a killer instinct, (there are) no friends (on the opposing team), leaving it all on the court.
Q: You seem to be much more aggressive this season. Is that something that you worked on in the offseason? What are some other things that you feel you can still improve on? A: Well my coaching staff has really helped me build my confidence and encouraged me to be aggressive and attack the opposing team. Play hard all 48 minutes and do whatever it takes to lead the team to victory.
Q: If you were to look back in history, who would you compare your game to and why?
A: I would say a young Penny Hardaway, without the ball handling skills [grins]. Penny was very versatile, bringing a lot to the table. He distributed the ball and included everyone, while at the same time taking charge when needed. Scottie Pippen is another player, one that I’ve been compared to by a lot of people. He was a great player, who was a winner and did everything well on both ends of the court.
Q: You had an incredible dunk at last year’s dunk contest. How long did you prepare for that competition?
A: Prior to the dunk contest, I tried the dunk off the back of the glass once during practice, one week before the competition. When you’re out there, adrenaline is pumping and you go off of the energy from the fans. You just go out there and do what comes to mind and have fun. I’ve had little knick-knack injuries this season, so I’ve decided not to enter in this year’s competition.
Q: It’s early on in your career, but a pretty remarkable accomplishment is that you have started every game that you’ve played in since day one. What do you attribute that to?
A: Taking care of my body, eating the right foods, getting my rest and working hard in the offseason. I’ve been very fortunate so far, but in doing what’s best for my body, I’ve been able to stay on the court so far.
Q: Is there a player that you look forward to playing against when you look at the schedule and why?
A: No, not really, I just go out there every night and give it my all. There are great players on every team. In the NBA you can’t afford to take a night off, so I go into every game with the same mentality – all or nothing.
Q: What are your thoughts on tonight’s game?
A: We played them tough the entire night, got off to a good start and were able to maintain the lead. They have a talented team led by CP. It was his first game back and he wasn’t 100 percent, so we were able to capitalize on that. He’s a great player though, and will be for a long time. He’s got great potential and is a great leader on the court. He’s one of the best young guards in the league.
MacCulloch
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Philadelphia broadcaster Todd MacCulloch
Q: The Allen Iverson trade in December was a franchise-altering decision by the 76ers. Do you believe they got fair value in that deal?
A: Yes, I think they did as well as they possibly could. When you trade a player like Allen Iverson, who’s probably one of the top five players in the league, you’re not going to get a top-five guy back for him in most cases. But the Sixers wanted some (salary) cap room, wanted a talented point guard like Andre Miller, and wanted some draft picks. So they were able to get what they wanted.
It’s very difficult to get as much talent as you have given up when you trade an Allen Iverson, but I think the team did very well.
Q: Do you believe the trade talks were hampered at all by the public announcement that Iverson was going to be dealt?
A: I don’t think it hurt them. Early on, there was a report that they wanted to get the trade done in a couple days, and people thought that might hurt the offers. But they took their time and listened to a bunch of offers from all of the teams that were interested.
They didn’t rush, and Allen just sat out that entire time. So I don’t think it changed anything, the fact that people knew he was going to be traded. The only people that matter in trade talks are the general managers, and all of them knew about (the Sixers’ intentions) anyway. So whether the media was aware of it, I don’t think that affects anyone pulling the trigger on a trade or not.
Q: Which players do you think have taken the most advantage of the opportunity that was created by the departures of Iverson and Chris Webber?
A: Probably Samuel Dalembert has benefited the most – his shot attempts are way up and his production is good. Steven Hunter is doing great. Kyle Korver has done quite well, and (Andre Iguodala) has had a career-high (in points) during this stretch, and has scored 20 or more points six different times. All of those guys have benefited from the shakeup.
Q: Have you noticed a significant difference in team chemistry since those moves were made?
A: You know, everybody wants to win, and the Sixers have won four of their last six games, so that definitely helps things. People are touching the basketball and getting their shots, so I think the guys are having a lot of fun out there.
Q: There was a lot of talk before the Iverson trade that a deal might severely hurt fan interest in Philadelphia. What has the reaction been so far to the trade and the subsequent plan to rebuild?
A: It’s been fine. There are definitely some people who love Allen Iverson and would love to have him back. There are also fans who were ready to rebuild. So there is a mix there. Overall, the support has been very good.
Q: What areas do you expect the Sixers will try to address with their three first-round picks in June?
A: They’ve got to address rebounding, because we’ve gotten outrebounded by about (four) boards a game. They have to try to get another power forward, and you’re always looking for more scorers. They’ve got a great shooter in Kyle Korver, but you’d always like to get another three-point shooter. With three first-round picks, you’d also like to get a back-to-the-basket center.
Q: How dangerous do you think the Hornets can be, now that they have everyone back playing except for Peja Stojakovic?
A: They’re very dangerous when they have their whole team. (Before the injuries), this was a good team playing in a very tough Western Conference. Now to get Chris Paul back, that makes the team better, and that makes everyone around him better.
(Jannero) Pargo’s been playing very well, and Desmond Mason has been solid all year. This is a very talented basketball team when they’re healthy. And even without Peja, they are very good at home.
