I was sorry to see AI go, but it turned out to be the right move. IMO, Andre Igoudala would never have reached the level he's been playing at as of late, if Iverson was still in Phila.
The big surprise for me has been the players the Sixers got in return. I didn't know anything about Andre Miller, but he really is a very good player and the key reason the Sixers are now winning along with Igoudala.
Joe Smith had been a Sixer before, and at time he didn't turn out to be much of a player. Now, however, rather than be simply an expiring contract, he's getting easy buckets subbing for other big men.
Andre Miller is averaging 15 pts, over the last 10 games along with 7.8 Assists. Because he has been shooting over 50% from the field, he is able to demand the defense cover him, and can then pass to other players for open shots.
Every other player has benefited from the change from Alan Iverson to Andre Miller. The big men are getting more shots, Willie Green and Kyle Korver are getting plenty of touches, and Andre Igoudala has turned into a star-calibur player.
It seems every team they've played of late has been going in the wrong direction, so hopefuly this is just a smokescreen. They are intent on making the playoffs, and with 7 wins in a row it's looking worse and worse all the time for draft lottery balls.
Even with the quality of their play rising, they still will need another star level player to compete in the playoffs. Beyond the first two picks in the draft, this year doesn't have that player.
