Sixers' Iguodala works at shooting guard
Andre Iguodala spent the summer shooting jumpers, and it looks is if he will spend some of the winter playing shooting guard.
Andre Iguodala spent the summer shooting jumpers, and it looks is if he will spend some of the winter playing shooting guard.
Despite last season's failed experiment with Iguodala at the two-spot, 76ers new head coach Eddie Jordan has Iguodala, right now, starting in the backcourt with Lou Williams.
Yesterday at St. Joseph's University, the Sixers finished their third day of training camp, holding both a morning and an evening session. Camp will end tomorrow. The Sixers will play their first preseason game Tuesday night in London, Ontario, against the Toronto Raptors.
Through three days, Jordan has run the same five guys on his first team: Williams, Iguodala, forward Thaddeus Young, power forward Elton Brand, and center Samuel Dalembert.
"He will play some forward in the offense while he plays some guard," Jordan explained. "The best players find their way . . ."
Within Jordan's Princeton Offense, the guards and forwards are often interchangeable, meaning that while Iguodala may start in the backcourt, he'll often finish on the wing.
"I start at the top and we have an exchange where we switch out, where we dribble out the forwards and switch spots," Iguodala explained.
Through 21 games last season - all with Iguodala at shooting guard - the Sixers started 9-12; through the first 17 games last season, Iguodala, who finished the season with an 18.8 points per game average, never scored more than 18 points.
Other factors contributed to these subpar results: The team was incorporating the newly acquired Brand into the offensive flow, and Iguodala had been unable to play summer pickup because of contract negotiations.
"We were always out of position a little bit," Iguodala said of last season's beginning. "So now we know where we're supposed to be."
Added Iguodala: "I think I have good floor awareness."
When asked if he watched any of those game tapes from early last season, Jordan said he didn't.
"I don't look at much tape from last year," Jordan said. "They knew what they did, and I wanted to see them firsthand."
"I'm hoping he can play well at two," Jordan said. "I think he's a good passer. You know, I'll have to evaluate it. He's a good forward, we know. We'll have to see if he's a good guard."
Going long. Yesterday's morning session lasted 31/2 hours, long even by training camp standards. After that practice, even Jordan seem surprised at how long he was keeping his guys on the court.
"I like this group," Jordan said. "I like these players . . . put it to them and push them to the edge."
Jordan said he has his lesson plan and he always adds a few extra things, thinking maybe they can fit in a little more. Jordan used yesterday's night session to add a few more wrinkles to his Princeton Offense.
Swift still out. Stromile Swift, the 6-foot-8 power forward the Sixers signed to their training camp roster on Monday, sat out practice again yesterday with a strained left hamstring. Swift has not practiced since Tuesday's morning session. Forward Rashad Jones-Jennings, whom the Sixers signed Wednesday, practiced yesterday.