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Sixers President and General Manager Billy King
Billy King’s opening comments on Andre Iguodala…
“As you all know we drafted Andre Igoudala at the ninth pick. He is someone we really wanted with his athletic ability. I think his shooting is good and will improve but he can play one two and three. He is someone that we really coveted. The big thing that I think really excited me is that he really wanted to play here. Throughout the draft his agent was calling and said ‘Can you try to get up to get him?’ Then his agent called and said ‘I think he is going to be there will you take him?’ I said if he is there we will because he is someone that we really really wanted.”
On which position Billy King thinks Andre Iguodala will play…
“Right now…I think he can play them both, all three of them. I think as he starts practicing, we will let Jim [O’Brien] decide that. I think what Jim is going to do is going to try and put the five best players that he feels. If he feels that he is better at the three then he will play him there, or the two, or the one.”
On Billy King’s opinion from the team’s workout of Andre Iguodala’s best position…
“You know it is tough because when he worked out, he didn’t have anybody here. We should let you know, we did sneak him in to work him out. His agent wanted us to keep it quiet so we did do that. But he didn’t go against anyone. I’m going to let Tony [DiLeo] talk a little more about it because Tony saw him play a lot and was really excited about him.”
On why the Sixers snuck Andre Iguodala in…
It’s something the agent asked us to do. In order to get him in, I was going to oblige him because I think we needed to see him. I wasn’t trying to hide it from you guys (the media). His agent asked us to do that, and I figured it was more important for us to be able to see him. Unfortunately, you know, you guys didn’t get him but his agent asked that, and we obliged him.
On why the Sixers didn’t think they would have to trade up to get Andre Iguodala…
“We tried... We were on the phone up until about 7:40 p.m, 7:45 p.m. As it started, we just said, you know we’ll have to wait and see and maybe try to do it afterwards and ironically after we made the selection two teams called right away trying to acquire him because you know they didn’t think he’d be on the board as well.”
On why does Billy King think Andre Iguodala fell in the draft…
“I have no idea. You will have to ask other people. There are times when guys fall in drafts. As we all know Paul Pierce slid in the draft, and you don’t know why but people do. At one point, there were other people we thought were sliding in the draft but they didn’t.”
Sixers Senior Vice President and Assistant General Manager Tony DiLeo
On where Andre Igoudala was on the Sixers Draft List…
“We had him read very high on our list. He’s the type of player that can get triple doubles and he did it in college. We like versatile players, we have a lot of players that can play multiple positions. That’s important to have players like that around Allen Iverson. We like his upside and we were very surprised that he was there at the ninth pick.”
On trade-up considerations to get Igoudala…
“There were scenarios that we could have traded up or the possibility of trading up, and if we did that (Igoudala) was the player we would take.”
On what he saw of Igoudala’s play at Arizona…
“One of the assistant coaches said that they probably would have been a little better off if he played the one a little more. Looking back at the season if he played the one a little more (it would have helped) because he gets so many people involved and creates, and he helps make others around him better. We like that aspect about him too.”
On the comparisons made to Igoudala…
“I think people compare him a little to Scottie Pippen. I think he’s probably a little more athletic than Scottie. He’s just a good all round versatile player that can create situations where he can get to the basket and he can create for others and he’s not a selfish player. He likes to give the ball up. We like his size because he can really defend and he can rebound for his position. I think he adds a lot to it, but there is not one aspect of his game that is going to stand out.”
On Igoudala’s top qualities…
“He’s best at getting a rebound and bringing it in transition. (He’s good at) just creating and taking it to the basket or passing the ball or getting to the foul line. He’s best in the open court and if he doesn’t have the ball he can really run and get out on the break. You can throw lobs to him and he can score there. And he’s a very unselfish player. I think he’ll fit in to the athletic mold that we are trying to create with Sammy (Dalembert), Allen (Iverson), Willie (Green), and the other players.”
Sixers Head Coach Jim O’Brien
On what position Andre Iguodala might play…
“Well, one of the good things about Andre is that he’s a multiple position player because of his ball handling skills. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that as his career develops he could play the one, two or three.”
On why versatility is a trait needed to be successful in the NBA now…
“I think it helps to be able to play multiple positions. People like him in the league have succeeded at a high level because they’re so skilled. He’s a guy that can hurt you in a number of ways. So yes, I think people are constantly looking for great athletes that can defend, that can hurt you from the outside and can also post up on you and take you to the glass.”
On the players he believes fit the definition of versatility…
“In the NBA, for instance, I coached a guy in Paul Pierce that can play both point positions. Antoine Walker was like a point forward, so he was a forward that also played a lot of point. Scottie Pippen, Michael Jordan are guys that can play multiple positions, they had no problem bringing the ball up the court. Aaron McKie has played some point. Johnny Salmons is also a guy like that. But (Andre) is a guy that can hurt you in the post also, when he worked out for us he showed a nice ability down low to be able to score as well as bring someone down on the dribble.”
On his surprise that Iguodala was still available at the ninth pick…
“I was very surprised. From the time I got hired in Philadelphia, Billy (King), Tony (Dileo) and Courtney (Witte), I started to get to know them, I know those guys all had Ig (Iguodala) very, very high. Some teams had him as high as three and we had him as high as three, four, five. I know from the first moment that I started to concentrate on this draft how coveted he was by this organization.”
On Iguodala’s shooting ability…
“I think he really shot the basketball pretty decently when he was in. He has very nice rotation on his ball. He’s a guy that is so skilled with the ball that he has not had to develop a shot from the outside because throughout his career he had no problem getting the ball to the rim. Now, he’s going to have to continue to work, as he has since the end of the college season, on his perimeter shot. But, he showed us that he has the ability to become a very solid shooter as early as next year. And as he becomes that type of shooter from 19-20 feet, we anticipate he’ll be able to step out beyond the three. He certainly can knock down threes from the corner right now.”
On Iguodala’s best attribute right now…
“I think his versatility. There are not too many guys that put the ball on the deck like he does with the strength that he has. What I mean by that is it’s one thing to be able to get by somebody or get an angle on somebody as your driving the basketball, but those guys that can get that angle and have the strength to be able to fend the ball with his size really makes him a special type of offensive talent.”
Sixers First Round Draft Pick Andre Iguodala
On how Andre Iguodala felt sneaking into town to work out…
It wasn’t too bad. I had a little fun down there. I hug out with Mustafa Shakur, my teammate at Arizona, and went to his barbershop and got a haircut. So I got a chance to see a little bit of Philly and the workout was fun and I got to show them what I could do. I ‘m just excited to be coming there.
On when Andre Iguodala knew he was going to be coming to the Sixers…
My agent pretty much had all of the picks figured out. He told me a lot about each team and who they were going to pick. When the seventh pick went by we knew we were going to Philly and I think it is going to be a good situation for me to go to.
On why Andre Iguodala wanted to go to Philadelphia…
I think it is a good situation for me. I could be a good complementary player to Allen Iverson. You’ve got great finishers inside with… [Kenny] Thomas. For me it’s a team who wants to win and a town who is used to winning. I didn’t want to go to a team who lost and who was used to losing. Here in Philly they expect us to win so we have high expectations and I want to come in and work hard and try to win games.
On how much college teammate Mustafa Shakur told Andre Iguodala about Philadelphia…
Not really. He told me that the media in Philly is pretty tough so I am pretty prepared for that part of it.
On what Andre Iguodala likes about the 76ers…
It’s a team that is used to winning and they have great players and if I come in and play my role we’ll be able to win. We’re going to have a chance to make the playoffs. That’s only going to be better for me just to come in and have a great year and get a lot of experience here.
On anyone recognizing Andre Iguodala when he was in town working out for the Sixers…
I think everyone got stopped. The fans and the people outside of the hotel had pictures and basketball cards of all of the players who were invited and then a couple of people who knew me. I actually met some young girls who knew who I was, and that was pretty funny. I’m just having fun and taking it all in.
On what made Andre Iguodala want to come in secretly…
I don’t think it was so secret, it was just the media didn’t get a chance to get a hold of me because we scheduled it so quickly. We decided to go in Sunday and we didn’t know if we were going to go in or not, and I am very glad that we did being that they picked me. It worked out for both, just for me to get a hold of, so I don’t think it was to sneaky.
Billy King’s opening comments on Andre Iguodala…
“As you all know we drafted Andre Igoudala at the ninth pick. He is someone we really wanted with his athletic ability. I think his shooting is good and will improve but he can play one two and three. He is someone that we really coveted. The big thing that I think really excited me is that he really wanted to play here. Throughout the draft his agent was calling and said ‘Can you try to get up to get him?’ Then his agent called and said ‘I think he is going to be there will you take him?’ I said if he is there we will because he is someone that we really really wanted.”
On which position Billy King thinks Andre Iguodala will play…
“Right now…I think he can play them both, all three of them. I think as he starts practicing, we will let Jim [O’Brien] decide that. I think what Jim is going to do is going to try and put the five best players that he feels. If he feels that he is better at the three then he will play him there, or the two, or the one.”
On Billy King’s opinion from the team’s workout of Andre Iguodala’s best position…
“You know it is tough because when he worked out, he didn’t have anybody here. We should let you know, we did sneak him in to work him out. His agent wanted us to keep it quiet so we did do that. But he didn’t go against anyone. I’m going to let Tony [DiLeo] talk a little more about it because Tony saw him play a lot and was really excited about him.”
On why the Sixers snuck Andre Iguodala in…
It’s something the agent asked us to do. In order to get him in, I was going to oblige him because I think we needed to see him. I wasn’t trying to hide it from you guys (the media). His agent asked us to do that, and I figured it was more important for us to be able to see him. Unfortunately, you know, you guys didn’t get him but his agent asked that, and we obliged him.
On why the Sixers didn’t think they would have to trade up to get Andre Iguodala…
“We tried... We were on the phone up until about 7:40 p.m, 7:45 p.m. As it started, we just said, you know we’ll have to wait and see and maybe try to do it afterwards and ironically after we made the selection two teams called right away trying to acquire him because you know they didn’t think he’d be on the board as well.”
On why does Billy King think Andre Iguodala fell in the draft…
“I have no idea. You will have to ask other people. There are times when guys fall in drafts. As we all know Paul Pierce slid in the draft, and you don’t know why but people do. At one point, there were other people we thought were sliding in the draft but they didn’t.”
Sixers Senior Vice President and Assistant General Manager Tony DiLeo
On where Andre Igoudala was on the Sixers Draft List…
“We had him read very high on our list. He’s the type of player that can get triple doubles and he did it in college. We like versatile players, we have a lot of players that can play multiple positions. That’s important to have players like that around Allen Iverson. We like his upside and we were very surprised that he was there at the ninth pick.”
On trade-up considerations to get Igoudala…
“There were scenarios that we could have traded up or the possibility of trading up, and if we did that (Igoudala) was the player we would take.”
On what he saw of Igoudala’s play at Arizona…
“One of the assistant coaches said that they probably would have been a little better off if he played the one a little more. Looking back at the season if he played the one a little more (it would have helped) because he gets so many people involved and creates, and he helps make others around him better. We like that aspect about him too.”
On the comparisons made to Igoudala…
“I think people compare him a little to Scottie Pippen. I think he’s probably a little more athletic than Scottie. He’s just a good all round versatile player that can create situations where he can get to the basket and he can create for others and he’s not a selfish player. He likes to give the ball up. We like his size because he can really defend and he can rebound for his position. I think he adds a lot to it, but there is not one aspect of his game that is going to stand out.”
On Igoudala’s top qualities…
“He’s best at getting a rebound and bringing it in transition. (He’s good at) just creating and taking it to the basket or passing the ball or getting to the foul line. He’s best in the open court and if he doesn’t have the ball he can really run and get out on the break. You can throw lobs to him and he can score there. And he’s a very unselfish player. I think he’ll fit in to the athletic mold that we are trying to create with Sammy (Dalembert), Allen (Iverson), Willie (Green), and the other players.”
Sixers Head Coach Jim O’Brien
On what position Andre Iguodala might play…
“Well, one of the good things about Andre is that he’s a multiple position player because of his ball handling skills. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that as his career develops he could play the one, two or three.”
On why versatility is a trait needed to be successful in the NBA now…
“I think it helps to be able to play multiple positions. People like him in the league have succeeded at a high level because they’re so skilled. He’s a guy that can hurt you in a number of ways. So yes, I think people are constantly looking for great athletes that can defend, that can hurt you from the outside and can also post up on you and take you to the glass.”
On the players he believes fit the definition of versatility…
“In the NBA, for instance, I coached a guy in Paul Pierce that can play both point positions. Antoine Walker was like a point forward, so he was a forward that also played a lot of point. Scottie Pippen, Michael Jordan are guys that can play multiple positions, they had no problem bringing the ball up the court. Aaron McKie has played some point. Johnny Salmons is also a guy like that. But (Andre) is a guy that can hurt you in the post also, when he worked out for us he showed a nice ability down low to be able to score as well as bring someone down on the dribble.”
On his surprise that Iguodala was still available at the ninth pick…
“I was very surprised. From the time I got hired in Philadelphia, Billy (King), Tony (Dileo) and Courtney (Witte), I started to get to know them, I know those guys all had Ig (Iguodala) very, very high. Some teams had him as high as three and we had him as high as three, four, five. I know from the first moment that I started to concentrate on this draft how coveted he was by this organization.”
On Iguodala’s shooting ability…
“I think he really shot the basketball pretty decently when he was in. He has very nice rotation on his ball. He’s a guy that is so skilled with the ball that he has not had to develop a shot from the outside because throughout his career he had no problem getting the ball to the rim. Now, he’s going to have to continue to work, as he has since the end of the college season, on his perimeter shot. But, he showed us that he has the ability to become a very solid shooter as early as next year. And as he becomes that type of shooter from 19-20 feet, we anticipate he’ll be able to step out beyond the three. He certainly can knock down threes from the corner right now.”
On Iguodala’s best attribute right now…
“I think his versatility. There are not too many guys that put the ball on the deck like he does with the strength that he has. What I mean by that is it’s one thing to be able to get by somebody or get an angle on somebody as your driving the basketball, but those guys that can get that angle and have the strength to be able to fend the ball with his size really makes him a special type of offensive talent.”
Sixers First Round Draft Pick Andre Iguodala
On how Andre Iguodala felt sneaking into town to work out…
It wasn’t too bad. I had a little fun down there. I hug out with Mustafa Shakur, my teammate at Arizona, and went to his barbershop and got a haircut. So I got a chance to see a little bit of Philly and the workout was fun and I got to show them what I could do. I ‘m just excited to be coming there.
On when Andre Iguodala knew he was going to be coming to the Sixers…
My agent pretty much had all of the picks figured out. He told me a lot about each team and who they were going to pick. When the seventh pick went by we knew we were going to Philly and I think it is going to be a good situation for me to go to.
On why Andre Iguodala wanted to go to Philadelphia…
I think it is a good situation for me. I could be a good complementary player to Allen Iverson. You’ve got great finishers inside with… [Kenny] Thomas. For me it’s a team who wants to win and a town who is used to winning. I didn’t want to go to a team who lost and who was used to losing. Here in Philly they expect us to win so we have high expectations and I want to come in and work hard and try to win games.
On how much college teammate Mustafa Shakur told Andre Iguodala about Philadelphia…
Not really. He told me that the media in Philly is pretty tough so I am pretty prepared for that part of it.
On what Andre Iguodala likes about the 76ers…
It’s a team that is used to winning and they have great players and if I come in and play my role we’ll be able to win. We’re going to have a chance to make the playoffs. That’s only going to be better for me just to come in and have a great year and get a lot of experience here.
On anyone recognizing Andre Iguodala when he was in town working out for the Sixers…
I think everyone got stopped. The fans and the people outside of the hotel had pictures and basketball cards of all of the players who were invited and then a couple of people who knew me. I actually met some young girls who knew who I was, and that was pretty funny. I’m just having fun and taking it all in.
On what made Andre Iguodala want to come in secretly…
I don’t think it was so secret, it was just the media didn’t get a chance to get a hold of me because we scheduled it so quickly. We decided to go in Sunday and we didn’t know if we were going to go in or not, and I am very glad that we did being that they picked me. It worked out for both, just for me to get a hold of, so I don’t think it was to sneaky.
