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Sixers Get Their Man
| MP3: Iguodala | King and DiLeo | O'Brien Quotes: King, DiLeo, O'Brien and IguodalaAfter it's all said and done in the 2004 NBA Draft, the 76ers got their man in Arizona forward Andre Iguodala with the No. 9 pick. "He is someone we really wanted with his athletic ability." said 76ers President and General Manager Billy King. "The big thing that I think really excited me is that he really wanted to play here." Iguodala, 6-foot-6 and 207 pounds, was an early entry candidate for the NBA Draft this year. An All-Pac 10 honoree in 2004, he averaged 12.9 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 4.9 assists in his final campaign as a Wildcat sophomore. He was the only player in the Pac-10 to rank in the top 20 in scoring and rebounding, and top 10 in assists, steals, and assist-to-turnover ratio. "I'm just excited to be coming here," said Iguodala over the phone from the NBA Draft in New York. "I think it's a good situation for me. I could be a good complementary player to Allen Iverson. 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." Sixers Head Coach Jim O'Brien knows how talented Iguodala is and looks forward to coaching his newest player. "I think it helps to be able to play multiple positions," said O'Brien, who was fulfilling a family obligation, and did not attend the draft. "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. 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." Even though Iguodala is skilled enough to play at guard and forward, what position he will play when the season starts is yet to be determined. "I think as he starts practing we will let Jim [O'Brien] decide that. If he feels that he is better at the three then he will play him there, or the two or the one." After the selection of Iguodala, King revealed that the Sixers held a private workout, which helped solidify their interest in him. "It's something the agent asked us to do," said King. "In order to get him in (for a workout), I was going to oblige him because I think we needed to see him." "I know from the first moment that I started to concentrate on this draft how coveted he was by this organization." O'Brien said about evaluating Iguodala. O'Brien was also impressed by Iguodala's shooting and ability to go to the hoop. "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," said O'Brien. Iguodala is looking forward to playing with his new teammates and focusing on a successful season. "If I come in and play my role we'll be able to win." Iguodala said. O'Brien feels Iguodala's versitility and playing style will help him thrive in Philadelphia and sustain a successful career in the NBA. "There are not too many guys that put the ball on the deck like he does with the strength that he has," O'Brien said . "What I mean by that is it's one thing to be able to get by somebody or get an angle on somebody as you're 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." |
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