Andre Iguodala is near the top of a lot of most underrated catergories.
He is the most underrated wing defender in the league (he is the best wing defender in the league and did not make either NBA Defensive Team). He was the most underrated member of both the 2010 and 2012 Team USA Gold Medal teams. He is also the most underrated dunker in the league (I give you the 2006 NBA Slam Dunk Contest aka the Houston Screw Job).
If you listen to what Iguodala told CBS Sports' Matt Moore, he is also one of the league's most underrated offensive players.
I went through so much to prove myself in every single training camp because a lot of coaches would come in and say, 'Don't shoot threes. Don't shoot threes. Don't shoot threes. Drive and dunk. Drive and dunk.' And I would be like, 'I can shoot threes!'
So in Doug Collins' first year, I didn't shoot threes because he was like, 'I don't want you shooting threes, I don't want that shot.'
Last year, I said, 'I'm shooting it.' And what happened? Shot 38 percent from three, top-25 in the NBA from three and I'm supposed to be a non-shooter. You put so much work in, and then to be told, 'Don't do what you worked on all summer.'
As Moore points out, Iguodala's memory is a little fuzzy because he did shoot a lot of threes his first year in Doug Collins' system, but he is not wrong about his role on the team being more of a facilitator and less of a scorer. It is a role that seemed to suit Iguodala well, but clearly he thinks he can do more.
Is it because this is potentially a contract year? Maybe. Iggy will be in line for a ton of money if he can prove he can be a number one or two scoring option on a 50-plus win team to go along with his All-World defense and ball handling abilities.
Iggy shouldn't have to handle the ball as much as he did in Philly. Ty Lawson or Andre Miller will always be on the floor handling the ball, which will allow Iguodala to get the ball when he's on the move. That and the much faster pace the Nuggets play in will help him get more touches and more oppurtunities to show off a more well-rounded offensive game.
Will Andre Iguodala prove himself to be an offensive star in his first season in Denver? Let us know what you think in the comments below or on Twitter by using the hashtag #NuggetsDay.
Photo: Bleacher Report
