WASHINGTONIt never takes long to figure out whats on Andre Iguodalas mind. Not only does he wear his moods in his body language, but also he is typically very direct when asked a question.
Want to know how Iguodala is feeling? Just ask him and hell probably tell you.
Then again, maybe he wont.
After Team USAs practice session at the D.C. Armory on Saturday afternoon, Iguodala was asked for his opinion on the spate of moves made by the Sixers brass over the past couple of weeks, and the team's longest-tenured player wasnt sure what to say.
I havent really thought about it, Iguodala said, noting that he wanted to give the moves and acquisitions their proper attention. Ive been pretty busy with all this stuff going on, but I spoke to Lou and I spoke with Elton a little bit.
Lou and Elton are, of course, longtime teammates Lou Williams and Elton Brand. Williams recently agreed to terms with his hometown team, the Atlanta Hawks, after the Sixers decided to not to re-sign the unrestricted free agent.
Brand, meanwhile, signed on with the Dallas Mavericks after the Sixers exercised the amnesty clause to remove his final year of salary (18 million) from the salary cap. The team used that cash to sign perimeter free agents Dorell Wright and Nick Young and add Kwame Brown to the frontcourt. Meanwhile, the Sixers also re-signed centers Spencer Hawes and Lavoy Allen to bolster the new-look squad.
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Still, when talking with his now ex-teammates, Iguodala said the discussions were not about basketball.
We spoke about off-the-court stuff, Iguodala said. Brand and Williams are good character guys and we keep in touch beyond basketball.
As far as discussions with coach Doug Collins and team president Rod Thorn go, Iguodala said the summertime chats havent moved beyond USA things and congratulatory messages for making the Olympic team. Then again, Collins and Iguodala will have plenty of time to chat later this month when Collins heads to London to work as an analyst for NBCs basketball coverage.
Collins certainly will have some insight into Iguodalas game that most broadcasters do not.
Otherwise, Iguodala says hes been training ever since the season ended with the loss in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals to the Celtics. The only rest Iguodala says he has awarded himself has been from not playing any basketball games. Besides that, he says his routine hasnt changed much at all.
The focus, of course, has been on preparation to make the U.S. Olympic team. According to the selection process, Iguodala and James Harden were the last two players chosen, though top draft pick Anthony Davis was added to the roster on Thursday when Blake Griffin left the team with a knee injury.
Despite that, Iguodala said he felt pretty comfortable that he was going to get a roster spot.
I felt good going in, he said. I was trying to fill a void and I know defensively that Im always at the top of the coaches list and I just had to do my job there. Coach Mike Krzyzewski and I always had a really good relationship with our history in Turkey for the basketball World Championships, so I felt pretty good about my chances to make the team.
Still, Iguodala wonders what might have been if the Sixers had been able to pull it out in Game 7 against the Celtics. In the next round Boston took the Miami Heat to seven games after taking a 3-2 advantage in the series. Iguodala only has to catch a glimpse of Olympic teammate LeBron James, whose Miami team won the NBA Finals, to wonder about what could have been.
Then again, the Sixers, as the No. 8 seed, werent supposed to get past the first round.
We werent supposed to do that well and the Bulls lost Derrick Rose and that definitely was a big part of it, but they were still a very good team and they were a playoff team without him, Iguodala said. The way we played against the Celtics solidified where we were at as a team and how well we were playing at the time, so hopefully we can use that and get better.
We were there, but the Heat gave us problems though. Its all about matchups. I think about losing to the Celtics from time, but it fell the way it fell and Miami deserved to win.
Now Iguodala has a chance to win a gold medal even though his team at his regular job has changed considerably. As far as the Sixers go, Iguodala will give the new situation some thought when he gets the time.
My focus has been on the U.S. team, he said. My role is a little bit different, but not that much of a change.
E-mail John Finger at jfinger@comcastsportsnet.com.