SB Nation Denver - Andre Iguodala Arrives In Denver After Dwight Howard 4-Team Trade

Andre Iguodala Trade: George Karl Talks About Nuggets' Latest Additions

2012-08-22T23:48:39Z

Denver Nuggets head coach George Karl joined KFFN radio in Denver with Scott Hastings, to recap Denver's offseason, discuss the team's summer transactions and talk about what the Nuggets need to do in order to move forward as a team.

Speaking on the trade Denver made this offseason, Karl offered this:

We didn't want to make a trade unless we knew it was going to make us better. [Andre Iguodala] was kind of rumored all last year and a little bit after the season, [the Philadelphia 76ers] have Evan Turner that they maybe want to give a little more opportunity to, they see Iguodala and Turner being a little bit repetitive and of course Iguodala has the bigger contract so I think Masai [Ujiri] just did a great job of keeping a good pulse of what was going on. The negative of the trade is giving up Arron Afflalo and [Al Harrington] who were both very, very pivotal players on our basketball team last year and they're good leaders on our team. Everybody is saying, what is the difference of the team going to be? And I'm not afraid of the differences and I'm hoping we can get whoever, Ty Lawson or Iggy or someone, into that locker room and give us the positive leadership that Arron and Al gave us and maybe a little bit more.

Karl adds later on in the interview that the young guys need to "gain confidence and build trust" in order for the Nuggets to take the next step, and that Karl expects the team to be one of the top four teams in the Western Conference in 2012-13.

For the latest on the Denver Nuggets, check out Denver Stiffs and join the discussion.

Follow @sbnation | Like SB Nation on Facebook | Subscribe to SB Nation YouTube

Andre Iguodala Trade Analysis: Iguodala A Defensive Upgrade, But What About The Offense?

2012-08-21T12:54:02Z

Andre Iguodala's arrival in Denver has largely been seen as a positive thing. When you essentially swap an efficient complementary piece -- Arron Afflalo -- for a player coming off an All-Star selection, it is generally a good idea.

Over at Denver Stiffs, The Unitary Executives crunched some numbers to demonstrate exactly how Iguodala will make the team different. Here's the takeaway:

Let's start with the good. Iguodala defends at an elite level. Our perimeter defense was awful last year, particularly from three. With Iguodala, our perimeter defense should be shored up and we have a strong shutdown defender for the Kevn Durants of the world. He fights through screens as well as anyone in the league.

Here's the bad, Andre Igoudala turns the ball over - a lot. As mentioned above, it's almost entirely because he's not a very good dribbler and loses the ball when making moves to the basket.

It's also mentioned that Iguodala could make the Nuggets' halfcourt offense less aesthetically pleasing, partially because of his turnovers and partially because of the contested jumpers he sometimes takes. One thing to keep in mind, though: on this roster, Iguodala likely will not be asked to create as much as he has in the past. If he takes more catch-and-shoot jumpers -- the ones that boosted his 3-point percentage to a career high 39.4 percent last season -- than jumpers off the dribble, then he might not have a detrimental effect on the offense. If he can make their transition offense even better than it was last season, there could be an uptick in efficiency.

Read the entire piece for a look at how Iguodala and Afflalo compare with regards to defensive impact, usage, shooting and rebounding.

Head over to Denver Stiffs for more Nuggets coverage, and be sure to check out SB Nation's NBA hub for more news from around the league.

Andre Iguodala Tells Denver Nuggets He Wants Contract Extension

2012-08-16T22:25:48Z

Andre Iguodala was introduced for the first time Thursday as a Denver Nugget, and admitted to the Denver media he'd like to stay in the Mile High City for the long-term.

"We weren't coming into this thinking this will be a one-year deal," Iguodala said.

Iguodala, who was traded from the Philadelphia 76ers to Denver while playing for Team USA in the Olympics, is currently under contract for the 2012-13 season, but has a player option for '13-14. Nugget executives Josh Kroenke and Masai Ujiri each admitted at the presser Iguodala was in their plans for the team's future, and both parties will look into a long-term deal during the season.

"He brings a veteran presence, a winning presence," Kroenke said. "He wants to win. He's going to bring that mentality to our team and instill it in a lot of our younger guys."

Head over to Denver Stiffs for more Nuggets coverage, and be sure to check out SB Nation's NBA hub for more news from around the league.

Andre Igoudala Returns From Olympics, Wants To Contend For Title

2012-08-16T18:08:17Z

Andre Igoudala left for the 2012 London Olympics as a Philadelphia 76er and returned as a Denver Nugget, and the first gold medalist from the Arizona Wildcats' basketball program. At his introductory Denver press conference Thursday Igoudala shared some thoughts on his excitement upon joining the Nuggets for the 2012-13 NBA season. Denver Stiffs has the press conference photo:

twitter.com/denverstiffs/s…
— Denver Stiffs (@denverstiffs) August 16, 2012

According to the official Denver Nuggets Twitter feed, Igoudala says that on defense you "try to make it contagious;" that the Nuggets like to run and "run fast;" and that George Karl is one of the best coaches in basketball.

Igoudala might be the forgotten man in the Dwight Howard and Andrew Bynum trade, as he never quite fulfilled his alpha dog expectations in Philadelphia. A first-time All-Star last season, Igoudala is one of the jumpiest players in the NBA and should fit well with George Karl's 'roll the ball out' philosophy.

Head over to Denver Stiffs for more Nuggets coverage, and be sure to check out SB Nation's NBA hub for more news from around the league.

Nuggets GM Masai Ujiri Believes Andre Iguodala Can Score More In New System

2012-08-15T18:38:24Z

One of the inevitable questions after a blockbuster deal like the four-team trade that sent Dwight Howard to LA and Andre Iguodala to Denver is how well the new rosters "fit" together.

For Nuggets GM Masai Ujiri, that was one of the biggest positives in acquiring Iguodala, who he thinks will fit the Nuggets style of play perfectly. Courtesy of Sports Radio Interviews, Ujiri had some interesting comments about the former Philadelphia 76er earlier in the week:

We feel Andre Iguodala is going to be able to score a little bit more because of how we play. I think the 76ers played more of a half court game and they played in a half court setting. We go up and down and that is his game. He likes to find people. He likes to make plays. He likes to attack the rim and that's how we play, so I think on both sides we have somebody who can play make plays for some of our other players and then just above all at least a defender that is going to help us be better on defense."

Iguodala, one of the most athletic players in the NBA at 6'6 215, is more comfortable in the open court, where he can use his speed and quickness to get to the front of the rim. In the half-court, his shaky perimeter jumper allows defenses to sag off him.

He averaged 12.4 points and 5.5 assists on 45% shooting in 2012, where he played for a Philadelphia team that played the 24th slowest pace in the NBA. On a Denver team that played the second-fastest pace in the NBA last year, Iguodala's statistics should be markedly improved.

Head over to Denver Stiffs for more Nuggets coverage, and be sure to check out SB Nation's NBA hub for more news from around the league.

Andre Iguodala 'Looking Forward' To What Nuggets Are Building

2012-08-15T12:00:26Z

Ready to join his new batch of teammates in Denver being acquired in last Friday's Dwight Howard mega-deal, Nuggets swingman Andre Iguodala is itching for a chance to build on his gold-medal winning Olympic performance in London.

And now that he's finally settled down and no longer wrapped up with international opponents, the versatile point forward has really started to get jazzed up about the upcoming campaign. "I really like what they're building in Denver and I look forward to being a part of it," Iguodala told Nuggets.com's Aaron Lopez on Tuesday. "It's a high-energy group with a lot of athleticism."

The 28-year-old forward averaged 15.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game over eight seasons in Philadelphia, and is familiar with a number of Denver's hodge-podge of players from his lengthy stint in the Eastern Conference. "I've played with Andre Miller and know how valuable a player he is," Iguodala said. "Ty Lawson is one of the best young point guards in the league and Danilo Gallinari can really stretch the defense with his shooting and can do a lot of other good things offensively."

After getting to see how some of the sport's best like LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Kobe Bryant routinely put their teams on their backs in both the Olympics and the NBA Playoffs, it's a perfect time for Iguodala to try his hand at leading an NBA franchise deep into the playoffs on his own. And with a fresh new start and a bevy of new teammates around to blend with his up-tempo style, Iguodala might just pull it off before long.

Head over to Denver Stiffs for more Nuggets coverage, and be sure to check out SB Nation's NBA hub for more news from around the league.

Dwight Howard Trade: Magic Didn't Want Andre Iguodala, Eventually Found Nuggets For Deal

2012-08-14T14:07:07Z

In the blockbuster trade of the summer, the Denver Nuggets became key role players in the trade and were sent Andre Iguodala from the Philadelphia 76ers. In exchange for the 2012 NBA All-Star and Team USA member, the Nuggets sent away Arron Afflalo and Al Harrington to the Magic.

In a radio interview on 97.5 in Philadelphia on Monday, 76ers President Rod Thorn spoke about the deal and revealed that the trade was made possible for the Nuggets because the Magic were unwilling to take Iguodala.

And then it really came down to, Orlando - they did not want to keep Iguodala because they're going in a different way. And they wanted to move him, and so they talked to a few teams and they ended up making the deal with Denver to move his contract, and that ended up making the deal.

With the 76ers looking to move Iguodala and acquire a center like Andrew Bynum, the sole remaining piece in the trade was to find a deal that would make the Magic happy. With an emphasis on rebuilding for the future, the Magic were more inclined to acquire building blocks like Harrington and Afflalo instead of Iguodala, making the Nuggets a necessary fourth team.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Denver. For all things Nuggets, visit Denver Stiffs. For more comprehensive draft coverage, head over to SB Nation's NBA news hub. For more on the trade be sure to also visit SB Nation blogs Orlando Pinstriped Post, Silver Screen and Roll and Liberty Ballers.

Dwight Howard Trade Reactions: Andre Iguodala Will Bolster A Struggling Nuggets Defense

2012-08-10T18:35:40Z

The Denver Nuggets played a key part in the blockbuster Dwight Howard trade on Friday night, and though they did not get the perennial All-Star C Dwight Howard, Jeffery Morton of the Denver Stiffs blog suggests the trade fits the team's needs perfectly:

Truth be told, the Nuggets traded a good player with a great work ethic and a reserve guy off the bench who had a very good season last year (Arron Afflalo and Al Harrington respectively) for a 28 year old All-Star swing player who is known for playing great defense and being athletic. The Nuggets have long coveted [Andre Iguodala] ... and seems the Nuggets addressed their perimeter defense "issues".

Meanwhile, Zach Lowe of Sports Illustrated also says the trade will bolster a Nuggets defense that ranked No. 19 in the league in the 2011-12 NBA season. But the net results of the trade will not flesh out until the 2012-13 NBA season gets underway.