Around 7 p.m. Thursday night, Andre Iguodala will not be glued to a television set waiting to learn if he is chosen as a reserve for the Eastern Conference All-Star team. Actually, he won't be watching TV at all, even if he is finally chosen to play in the All-Star Game to be played in Orlando on Feb. 26.
I'll be at Jrue Holidays house for bible study, Iguodala said after practice at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine on Thursday.
Iguodala hopes to be the first 76er to be an All-Star since Allen Iverson was elected to start in the 2009-10 season. Iverson did not play that year, but he's also the last Sixer to appear in an All-Star Game in 2006.
The last Sixer not named Allen Iverson to appear in an All-Star Game was Dikembe Mutombo in 2002. Theo Ratliff was selected as an All-Star reserve in 2001. Since 1990, only Charles Barkley, Hersey Hawkins and Dana Barros have made the All-Star team from the 76ers.
The East starters are LeBron James and Dwyane Wade from Miami, Dwight Howard from Orlando, Derrick Rose from the Bulls and the Knicks Carmelo Anthony. The other seven spots on the team are voted on by the coaches in the league.
Iguodala has been close a few times during his eight years in the NBA, though he probably has not been more deserving than this season. Already he has been selected as one of the 20 finalists for a roster spot on the U.S. Olympic team that will go to the Games in London this summer. He earned that berth after playing for the U.S. World Championship team where was a starter and the teams defensive specialist.
Iguodala could have the rare distinction of making it to an Olympic team without ever being an All-Starnot that hes worried about it, either way.
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I think it would be a good experience, but it wont be like a heartbreaker or like a bomb dropped on me, Iguodala said. Hopefully we get good news, but there will be no bad news.
Iguodala is arguably playing the best ball of his career, even though his offensive statistics are down a bit. He's averaging 13 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.8 steals in 26 games this season. Notably, Iguodala has struggled from the foul line, converting slightly better than 60 percent on his free throws.
However, in the last eight games Iguodala is shooting 44.4 percent from beyond the three-point arc after shooting 24.4 percent in the 14 games prior.
What Iguodala has going for him is the Sixers record. At 18-8 the team leads the Atlantic Division by three games over the Boston Celtics and by seven games over the New York Knicks. In the East, the Sixers are three games behind the Bulls for the top spot.
With the Sixers leading the division as one of the surprise teams of the season, one or maybe two All-Star would be logical, right?
"That would be almost common sense," Iguodala said. "Sometimes, everyone doesn't have common sense.
Iguodala also has his coach, Doug Collins, working quietly behind the scenes for him. No, he isnt overtly campaigning for Iguodala or Lou Williams, the Sixers leading scorer who also is in consideration for a spot, but Collins has discretely talked with friends in the coaching ranks in support of Iguodala and Williams.
I had four or five text messages from guys who said they voted for Dre and some said they voted for Lou, so lets see, Collins said.
Itll really be a sorry thing if were in first place and somebody on our team doesn't get recognized in that All-Star Game.
Needless to say, Collins might be more excited about an All-Star berth for one of his guys than the players are. In fact, Collins is so worked up about it that he hasnt slept as well as he should.
I woke up at 4 oclock this morning and hope and pray were represented, Collins said. I wish we could get two but right now I am praying for one.
E-mail John R. Finger at jfinger@comcastsportsnet.com