NBA Top 10 Dunkers: #3 - Andre Iguodala

“I’ve been a fan of his since he came out of Arizona. He does a good job. He’s a very good defender. He’s ‘Pippenesque’ in terms of his length and his ability to cover ground,” said Lakers All-Star Kobe Bryant.

Nuggets coach George Karl said, “I just like his courage, and I don’t know what it is, his savvy? He’s made big shots, won games at the buzzer.”

These quotes probably gives an indication of how highly Igoudala is rated within the players’ and coaches’ circles in the NBA. It is very difficult to find a guy who can defend, be the playmaker, and throw it down hard all at the same time.

The following video clip shows an instance of Iguodala at his best. After hustling his man to throw a poorly executed hook shot, Iguodala is the first to the rebound. He then bounds up the court, and is surrounded by 4 defenders while his teammates are in bad positions. So what does he do? He pulls off an outrageous move, throwing the ball onto the glass, and then finishing off the dunk himself. Doing that in an All Star game is understandable, but in the first quarter of a regular season game, to have that composure and cool, is unreal.

Do-it-all:

Andre Iguodala has for long been one of the most athletic swingmen in the NBA. A jack of all trades, he is one of the most complete players in the league. Apart from being an incredible athlete, an elite defender, a dependable shooter, and a good Point forward, Iguodala is also one of the premier dunkers in the league.

At 6’6”, he is not the tallest in the league, but his dunks are some of the most ferocious on display. A wingspan of 6’11” gives him the ability to dunk the ball from some distance to the basket, and a vertical of 34.5” helps him jump over most of the guys. One of the most muscular basketball players, Iguodala imparts a great combination of power and accuracy to his dunks, which is seldom seen. Have a look at an example of the power being talked about. The ball goes through, bounces off his chest, and goes back up through the hoop. Power indeed.

In-then-out:

Oh, and yes, the basket did not count.

Unlike most others, Iguodala is a modest dunker. Notice how each dunk is just another basket for him. The execution of the dunk is what matters. No showboating, no taunting, he just goes about his business, preparing himself for the next defensive assignment. An explosive change in direction, a sudden burst of speed running off the screen, and Dre, as he is called, is close to the basket, ready to take flight. His hands hold the ball as though a mother is caressing her baby, full of care and protection. Once he gets his jump, he throws it down like all hell’s about to break loose.

Iguodala top 10 dunks:

His best dunk probably came in the 2006 Dunk contest, when he caught the ball off the backboard, went below the backboard and then threw it in. The dunk is out of the world because of its flawless execution, and the fact that he got it right in the first go.

From A.I. to AI: