Tag: Andre Iguodala (Page 3 of 3)

      Brand out a month, Sixers’ season goes from bad to worse

      December 18, 2008 /

      The 76ers got the win last night, but their star forward suffered a dislocated shoulder that is going to keep him out a month.

      Team officials say the Sixers’ leading scorer has a fracture and tear in his right shoulder but will not need surgery.

      Brand is averaging 15.9 points and 9.8 rebounds per game this season.

      A playoff team last season, the 76ers struggled to a 9-14 start before firing coach Maurice Cheeks last week. They are 2-0 under interim coach Tony DiLeo.

      All right, so the team is currently 11-14. Let’s assume that Brand misses exactly a month and returns Jan. 18. That means he would miss 15 games. The Sixers’ winning percentage was .440 with him, so let’s say they win 34% of their games without him (5-10). That would put them at 16-24 when he gets back. Is there still time to get back into the playoff hunt?

      Sure. Considering .500 will probably earn a playoff spot in the East, it shouldn’t be too difficult. But assuming our assumptions are correct, that would mean that the Sixers would have to go 25-17 (.595) over the last half of the season to make the playoffs. And this team hasn’t proved that they can play at that level thus far.

      Every win they can get with Brand out will make things easier. It would be a major disappointment if this team misses the playoffs, especially in the East.

      It’s time for Andre Iguodala to step up and earn that big contract he signed this offseason.

      Fantasy Football, NBA

      The NBA’s Top 10 Young Shooting Guards

      December 5, 2008 /

      Here’s a quick list of the top 10 shooting guards under the age of 26, ranked in the order of a combination of current performance and trade value (regardless of salary).

      I’ll also list the player’s age and his Player Efficiency Rating.

      1. Brandon Roy, Blazers
      Age: 24
      PER: 22.93
      How do you like Roy’s smooth 21.1 points and 5.3 assists? He’s the cornerstone to a resurgent Portland franchise.

      2. Kevin Martin, Kings
      Age: 25
      PER: 18.90
      His line is a little thin – 2.9 assists, 2.8 rebounds – but boy can he score.

      3. Kevin Durant, Thunder
      Age: 20
      PER: 17.26
      His FG% is three percent higher this season and he’s hitting 47% of his treys. I’d rather see him play small forward, but he’s listed as an off guard.

      4. O.J. Mayo, Grizzlies
      Age: 21
      PER: 17.13
      It’s tough to argue with Mayo’s 21.3 points per game, especially when he’s shooting pretty well from the field (46%) and long range (39%). The Grizzlies have something going with their core of Mayo and Rudy Gay.

      5. Andre Iguodala, Sixers
      Age: 23
      PER: 14.56
      It has been a down year for Iggy, who has seen his scoring drop by 6.0 points per game since the arrival of Elton Brand. His FG% is down and his 3PT% is brutal (23%), but his rebounds and assists are up. Think the Sixers would trade him for Mayo or Durant straight up? I do.

      6. Rudy Fernandez, Blazers
      Age: 23
      PER: 18.35
      He’s been better than advertised. He’s only playing 26 minutes a game, but he’s scoring well (11.6 ppg) and is shooting the long ball often (2.3 made threes per game) and accurately (44%).

      7. Ronnie Brewer, Jazz
      Age: 23
      PER: 16.32
      Brewer is building on last year’s breakout season. He’s not a great three-point shooter (32%), but he’s improved in that area of the game. His contributions elsewhere – 3.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 2.0 steals – make him valuable.

      8. Ben Gordon, Bulls
      Age: 25
      PER: 17.77
      Gordon is playing for a contract and while his points are up (20.4), his three-point accuracy is down (37%).

      9. Delonte West, Cavs
      Age: 25
      PER: 14.52
      West has settled in nicely with the Cavs. He’s averaging 11.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists, and is shooting 50% from the field and 41% from long range.

      10. Nick Young, Wizards
      Age: 23
      PER: 15.03
      His line is thin, but he’s averaging 11.8 points in 24 minutes, and basketball is (mostly) about putting the ball in the hoop.

      Other lists:

      Top 10 Young Point Guards
      Top 10 Young Small Forwards

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA

      Couch Potato Alert: NBA Wednesday

      November 11, 2008 /

      There are a few interesting NBA games tonight:

      Utah (5-1) @ Philadelphia (2-4)
      The 76ers are off to a disappointing start. Offseason acquisition Elton Brand is more than five points per game off his career mark, and Andre Iguodala is shooting a miserable 38% from the field. Second-year swingman Thaddeus Young is lighting things up with a 16.5 ppg average on 52% shooting. This game will feature a great power forward matchup between Brand and Utah’s Carlos Boozer. The Jazz have been without Deron Williams, but Utah still managed to get off to a 5-1 start. He’s expected to make his debut tonight. Too bad the game is only available in local markets (unless you have the NBA League Pass). Game time is 7 PM ET.

      Atlanta (5-0) @ Chicago (3-4)
      Three of the Hawks’ five wins have come on the road and they hope to extend their unbeaten streak tonight in Chicago. Unfortunately, the high-flying Josh Smith is sidelined with a high-ankle sprain, but Joe Johnson has been doing his best MVP impersonation (25.2 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 3.8 apg). For the Bulls, Ben Gordon (20.0 ppg) leads his team in scoring, but it’s rookie sensation Derrick Rose (17.7 ppg, 5.1 apg) who is really turning heads. The game is on locally at 8:30 PM ET.

      L.A. Lakers (5-0) @ Dallas (2-4)
      The Mavs are off to a slow start, but in Jason Kidd, Dirk Nowitzki and Josh Howard, they can compete on any given night. They host the Lakers who are coming off a long stretch of down time in their schedule. L.A. is getting great play from Kobe (of course) and Pau Gasol, while Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom have been a little disappointing. Trevor Ariza and Jordan Farmar anchor a terrific bench. The game is on NBATV at 8:30 PM ET.

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA, Television

      2008 NBA Preview: #8 Philadelphia 76ers

      October 23, 2008 /

      Offseason Movement: The Sixers probably had the biggest “get” of the offseason when they signed Elton Brand to a long-term deal. So the same team that gave the Pistons a good run in the playoffs is now adding an All-Star caliber player who, along with Kevin Garnett and Chris Bosh, might be the best power forward in the East.
      Keep Your Eye On: Thaddeus Young
      At just 19 and largely ignored, Young had the highest PER of any rookie in the league who played at least 1,000 minutes. He only saw limited minutes in the first two months of the season, but by February, he was seeing 29 minutes a game and was posting an average of 11.2 points and 4.7 rebounds per game while shooting a stellar 56% from the field. He has an improving long-range jumper and, simply stated, Young has “future star” written all over him.
      The Big Question: Can Brand (and Andre Iguodala) lead this team to the Finals?
      The Brand signing was a coup for the Sixers, and now that they’ve locked up both Brand and AI2 to big, long-term contracts, one wonders if they hitched their wagon to the right pair of horses. Both guys are very good NBA players, but neither guy has proven that he can be “The Man” on a championship-caliber team. The next two or three seasons will be each player’s best chance to win a title, and it’s going to be interesting to see how this young team develops over this span.
      Outlook: Upbeat. While the Brand acquisition looks great on paper, it’s tough to add such a big name and expect everything to go smoothly from the get-go. Brand is coming off a nasty Achilles injury, and while he played well in limited action last season, there’s no guarantee that he’s back to 100%. Still, if they are able to gel, they look like a legitimate contender in the East. They have a strong starting five (including Young, Andre Miller and Samuel Dalembert) and a good bench, and even without Brand, they proved they could compete with the Pistons in the playoffs. All signs point to a nice year.

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA

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