NBA.com released the results of its annual GM survey today in which all 30 GMs responded to 57 questions. One of the questions was "Who is the best perimeter defender in the NBA?" Tony Allen received the majority of the votes with 26.9 percent, while Rajon Rondo, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, Arron Afflalo, Shane Battier, Luol Deng, Luc Mbah a Moute, Tayshaun Prince and Dwyane Wade all received votes. Notice one name isn't on the list of players receiving votes: Andre Iguodala.
That's right, not a single NBA GM voted for Andre Iguodala as the game's best perimeter defender. The same Andre Iguodala who anchors the league's best defensive team. The same Andre Iguodala whose team's defense is noticeably more effective when he's on the court, as opposed to off. The same Andre Iguodala who holds opposing small forwards to a PER of 8.2 when the league average is 15.0. The same Andre Iguodala who leads the entire NBA in defensive win shares.
It's not just this season either. Iguodala was named to the 2010-11 NBA All-Defensive Second Team last season, his shutdown perimeter defense played a huge role in Team USA's 2010 FIBA World Championship, and our friend Brian, from Depressed Fan, did a phenomenal job documenting Iguodala's dominant defense last February.
You can make an argument that Iguodala isn't the best perimeter defender in the league, and that's fine, but I can make a damn good argument that you're wrong. Either way, the fact that he received ZERO votes from NBA GMs for 'best perimeter defender' is an absolute crime.
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6 recs | 51 comments
+1
yosoysean - January 17, 2012
The same Andre Iguodala that is going to make the Olympic team based upon his defensive ability.
xEgan - January 17, 2012
Everything would be different if he scored 20+ ppg. Or the Sixers were serious championship contenders. Those seem to be the qualifications for recognition around the league.
dweebowitz - January 17, 2012
Well, Tony Allen doesn’t really fill either one of those qualifications so…
muckduck - January 17, 2012
That being said I’ve always believed that the two best perimeter defenders (and the only two wing players that actually turn the tide of a game consistently on defense) were Lebron and Iggy so yeah that was a severe overlook by these GMs.
muckduck - January 17, 2012
Good point. Tough to say this about guys like Tony Allen who don’t play as many minutes as Iguodala and Lebron.
jefu - January 17, 2012
Tony’s rep as a defensive stopper came when he was on the Celtics then it just spiraled. I don’t think he’s better than Dre, just he seems tougher/meaner.
Michael Levin - January 17, 2012
And on Boston when they won the ’ship conviently…
BrandonB - January 18, 2012 via iPhone app
100% right
this is like Golden Glove in baseball. The only guy who you can try to call a better perimeter defender than Iggy is Lebron, who has a huge size advantage on Iggy. I mean, Russell Westbrook? really?
Dan Pearson - January 17, 2012
Absolutely unbelievable. The only guys I think are in Dre’s league (at his position) are Lebron and Deng. They’re both really good defenders. Really pathetic that he didn’t even get on the list.
jrb5094 - January 17, 2012
I am convinced...
…that most GMs around the league are a bunch of LeQuans worshipping the big scorers and All-Stars and guys who play for the best teams.
Which is why there are only a few best teams. Most GMs are no more savvy than you or I, as far as I can tell.
dweebowitz - January 17, 2012
Just look at the contracts handed out.
Ben16 - January 17, 2012
I think that’s spot on. The nuggets were a hot team at the end of last year so that might explain aflalo. Not sure what’s up with the mbah a moute pick. Is he a good defender? I admittingly haven’t watched him much.
jrb5094 - January 17, 2012 via mobile
Bingo
Take a list of the max contracts and the top ppg scorers and you’ll see it matches up very closely.
BrandonB - January 18, 2012 via iPhone app
Meh...
Initially I was pretty perturbed by the fact Iggy got no love. After thinking about it, I’m not bummed out at the least. Want to know why – because there’s plenty of GM’s who shouldn’t have a job let alone opine on who the best at anything are. Really, Joe Dumars, Chris Wallace, David Kahn, Rod Higgins, and Billy King, among others, are going tell me Iggy doesn’t at least deserve a vote but a decrepit over the hill on his last legs Shane Battier does? In the words of Tom McGinnis – A-R-E Y-O-U K-I-D-D-I-N-G M-E?!
dp - January 17, 2012
nice to see Dre putting it all together been defending him for years. watching him play and contribute to wins all the time shows you there’s more to basketball than just scoring. overpaid? hmmm…thats debatable. there’s no question he’s A true 5 tool player tho.
Kushmir - January 17, 2012
What Iggy does...
is severely undervalued. He’ll probably make the Olympic team just because of his defensive prowess, name one other guy you can say that about.
PhanofPhilly - January 17, 2012
Throw in his superb rebounding and passing ability (for his position), and you have a very valuable piece on your team. Maybe not a superstar, but a star nonetheless.
BrandonB - January 18, 2012 via iPhone app
[IMG]http://i932.photobucket.com/albums/ad167/STOPPER19/this-is-an-outrage.jpg[/IMG]
STOPPER19 - January 17, 2012
I rely much more on the judgement of coach K, who made Dre the cornerstone of his defense at world championship, than on such a survey, no matter who responded and how much they cared to accuracy
apfan - January 17, 2012
This leads me to wonder...
Are the best basketball minds in college ball?
BrandonB - January 18, 2012 via iPhone app
Well, with your roster constantly changing every year...
You have to be really smart to succeed in college. At least in the NBA, there are chances you have a cornerstone piece that you build around. Not so much in college.
BIBTD - January 18, 2012
Rehashing from last year
yosoysean - January 17, 2012
Uh yeah I’ll say it. These faces make me laugh every time! The frustration and pain amuses me.
Dalanel - January 17, 2012
Danny Granger
is dracular.
BIBTD - January 18, 2012
Hahahah the faces make it even better
Djax10 - January 18, 2012
I read this to mean the Sixers will never receive equal value for Iguodala in a trade.
nyunole - January 17, 2012
That’s the undercurrent of this.
Michael Levin - January 17, 2012
It’s all a ploy by the GM’s. Either that or the sixers haven’t made enough noise yet to spark up attention.
jefu - January 17, 2012
Agreed
This and the fact that we were offered Monta Ellis and Hedo turkaglu as the big rumored deals for Igudala. I wouldn’t trade Igudala for both of those players.
Snowflakejr - January 17, 2012
Why would you want to trade him anyway.
BrandonB - January 18, 2012 via iPhone app
Well this is f’d up. I mean really, what more does this guy need to do? Jordan put all the numbers up. The best defense in the league and even that doesn’t draw attention? Even from the SIxers’ GM!?
Screw it. NBA GM’s are dumb. It proves this one thing: if you’re competing for a championship, you will be recognized. That’s why Andre will not make the all-star team even though he’s better than quite a few wings that do make the team. I could probably name one player that shouldn’t have made the team instead of Andre for the past 3 years. And then these same GM’s wonder why their stars want to leave and go to a good team or a big market.
Andre’s defense is refreshing in a league filled with “gimme da ball!” players. It’s a real shame Andre didn’t get any love but whatever. As long as he doesn’t let it get to his head, he’ll be fine.
Dalanel - January 17, 2012
I heard that the GMs weren’t allowed to vote for players on their own team.
The championship contention thing doesn’t explain Mbah a Moute or Afflalo.
yosoysean - January 17, 2012
I thought for second there GM’s could but it makes sense that they can’t vote their own players. Yeah there is a hole in there concerning Mbah a Moute (boy that’s a pain to type) and Afflalo. Eh…Idk. It doesn’t even explain the scoring 20ppg part either. Neither player is anywhere close to being as good as Andre is. Darn.
Dalanel - January 17, 2012
Dre is IMO one of the first player I would pick to assemble a winning basketball team together (not necessarily for Nba though) not only for his defense but also for his all around skills. That’s why I thought was a joke the idea of trading him for Monta Ellis, I mean Monta Ellis!
apfan - January 17, 2012
Off topic
But would the Sixers be interested in trading for Jason Thompson? Apparently the Kings aren’t interested in signing him to an extension and I feel like they could use the depth a C/PF.
xEgan - January 17, 2012
Looking at his basketball-reference page and the first thing that pops out at me is that his middle name is Carlton.
yosoysean - January 17, 2012
He’s a local kid and I remember during the draft the Sixers had some interest.
xEgan - January 17, 2012
Go Rider! Maybe we can spin one of those 2nd rounders we got for him. I read the same report, and I’m sure they’d rather give him up for a 2nd rounder than get nothing.
clintdelicious22 - January 17, 2012
This is disgusting.
Michael Levin - January 17, 2012
Another note.. Pretty cold of Billy King or Stanfski to not even throw Dre a bone.
xEgan - January 17, 2012
all NBA 1st & 2nd teams
Not even Billy King gave Dre a 2nd place vote. WTF. Picking Dre may have been his finest move…that or trading for Webber (just kidding).
1GM threw a 2nd place vote to Jrue. Your thoughts?
Blunt Philly Guy - January 17, 2012 via iPhone app
Marshall Harris got into a twitter war with some fair weather fans about the importance of Iguodala on the team and the fact that he isn’t overpaid. It’s nice to see the analysts see what true Sixers’ fans see. He retweeted two of my points!
The Mad Hopper - January 17, 2012
Does that mean his defensive ability won’t be on scouting reports (somehow)?
jefu - January 17, 2012
As bad as Iggy getting snubbed is, I think it says everything we need to know about the NBA that Battier and Garnett, both of whom are average-at-best defenders at this point in their career got votes as best defensive player, as well as 3 good but not great guys in Bogut, Mbah a Moute, and Afflalo. Mike Brown came in 4th as “Best Coach”. Meanwhile, the Sixers, #1 in defensive efficiency, show up in no defensive categories, either for players or coaches.
Most GMs are no smarter than we are. Some might actually be dumber. It’s a distinct possibility.
duckyninja - January 17, 2012
Mike Brown gets extra points for being coach of the Lakers, and thereby makes the list on the commutative property of coaching glory.
dweebowitz - January 17, 2012
Is Iguodala on way to becoming an all-star?
Good timing, Jordan.
Talked to Iguodala and Collins alone today (after the group chat) about the possibility of AI9 becoming an all-star.
Here is the link to story (and Iguodala, Collins video interviews):
http://www.phillyburbs.com/sports/sixers/iguodala-could-be-on-course-to-be-all-star/article_d10036aa-f1f8-5da0-8a9b-fbcb2fb3607c.html
Tom Moore - January 17, 2012
Good.
Let them sleep on us.
BIBTD - January 17, 2012
Carmelo scored on that shot
rolo 9 - January 18, 2012
Joke
Just another example of the Sixers getting no respect across the NBA. Of course these are the same GMs who give out mind numbing contracts to the likes of Travis Outlaw, so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.
jbernat17 - January 18, 2012 via iPhone app
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mlomka@umail.net - February 9, 2012
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