His back is sore, his shooting percentage is down, he feels the contact a little more than usual. For the first time in his nearly three seasons with the 76ers, Andre Iguodala is tired after games. If being the go-to guy since December has meant a greater measure of responsibility, it has also extracted a toll.
"I've really been trying to get some rest, trying to get as much food in me as possible, drinking a lot of fluids," Iguodala was saying after practice yesterday at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. "It has taken its toll, but it has helped me really understand how to prepare for each night, being that I am the go-to guy and just having that mental preparation."
Iguodala assumed his current role after Allen Iverson was traded to the Denver Nuggets. Over time, it hasn't always been clear whether he is best suited to be the player around whom everything revolves, or to be the one riding shotgun, filling in whatever blanks are necessary from game to game. But having had a taste, Iguodala has a clear preference.
"I think everybody has a goal of being the go-to guy and wanting to be the man on the team who makes the big stops or makes the big shot at the end of the game," he said. "That's a given."
Still, even though coach Maurice Cheeks said he hasn't seen a change in mechanics or form, Iguodala has shot just 37.9 percent (49-for-129) over the last nine games; he has shot slightly better in the last four (26-for-61, 42.6), but has averaged nearly 10 assists, an indication that he has been looking for open teammates more than simply driving hard to the basket.
"I'm getting to the basket, but when I get that contact I do feel the pain, so I'm looking for other guys a little bit more than I usually am," Iguodala said. "At the same time, I'm still trying to get to the foul line the same [amount of times]."
Sometimes he's able to find a balance, sometimes not. In Miami March 24, his first game back after sitting one out for the first time in his career, he was 8-for-11 from the line. Four nights later, in Washington, he was 2-for-2. Against Boston last Friday, he was 11-for-17; in New Jersey Saturday, he was 3-for-4.
"If you have a back problem, you obviously cannot do a lot of the things he was creating early on, rebounding the ball, getting inside, to the basket, creating opportunities for other guys and himself," Cheeks said. "A lot of that is due to his back problem, and a lot of it is us depending on him night in and night out.
"Having to be in that position for the first time, that's a different situation for him. I spoke to him, and the team, about it; that's not an easy thing. You've got to condition yourself to do it night in and night out. The more you do it, the more you get used to doing it . . . particularly when you have some type of ailment."
With all of that, Iguodala has been reluctant to cut back his minutes. He went 46 in Miami, 47 in Washington and 47 against Boston before being limited to 34 in New Jersey.
"I think now the mental outweighs the physical part," he said. "It's easy for me to go out there and play, but you've got to be at the high level every single night. Just having that much weight on you, you've got to mentally put yourself in a position where you could fight through anything. Even if you're not feeling well, you've got to mentally tell yourself, 'I'm ready to go' and just go out there and fight."
Cheeks, asked whether he might use the final nine games - beginning tomorrow night in New York - to take a longer look at reserves Louis Williams, Bobby Jones and Louis Amundson, said the goal remained "to just try to win every game we can."
think that article is perfect example of how good iverson really is....game after game for 10 years....no whinging about being tired,just manning up and playing ball
Iguadala feeling the mileage
Linear Mode
