Bill Simmons just came out with his annual top 50 player value rankings. Some notable young Sixers make the "snubs" section (Jrue Holiday and Evan Turner), but the most glaring offense has to be the omission of Andre Iguodala, the Sixers' leader and best player.
Simmons' list is all about trade value and while Iguodala is not going to be winning championships here anytime soon, he is by far our biggest bargaining chip to hit the reset button and get some younger talent with potential.
Here are 9 reasons why AI9 should be in the 30-40 range on his list...
- Iguodala is in his prime and has fully matured as a player
- His summer on the Team USA squad morphed him into a leader. A role he is fully embracing for the first time in his career.
- He is one of the best (if not THE best) perimeter defender in the game
- He has never made it past the first round of the playoffs... something that should fuel his hanger (hunger/anger).
- He can guard the other team's best player the entire game... and be effective while doing it. Pretty invaluable in the playoffs, no?
- He has a rebound rate (9.0) and assist rate (28.6) that are top 10 at his position
- He can be a legit 3rd scoring option for a Championship-caliber team (17.8 PER/.530 TS%)
- He is one of the most athletic players in the NBA and this versatility allows him to guard multiple positions
- His contract expires in 2 years with a player option for the 2013-14 season... essentially wrapping him up for the entirety of his prime
It's sad that as this Sixers team is lost in NBA mediocrity, so to is Dre's value to the national media.
