NBA draft rewind: Sixers take Andre Iguodala with 9th pick in 2004

Back in 2004, the Philadelphia 76ers selected Andre Iguodala out of Arizona with the 9th overall pick.

The Philadelphia 76ers are without a draft pick in 2023, so it’s a good time to look back at some past draft picks the franchise has made.

Entering the 2004 NBA draft, the Sixers were coming off a disappointing 2003-04 season. Franchise legend Allen Iverson played only 48 games due to injury, and the Sixers finished 33-49. Randy Ayers was fired as coach after a 21-31 start and Chris Ford went 12-18 in the interim.

Their misfortune landed them with the 9th pick in the 2004 draft. With that selection, the Sixers landed Andre Iguodala out of Arizona. The high-flying athletic forward made an immediate impact. He averaged 9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3 assists while starting all 82 games.

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He helped the Sixes make the playoffs, where he averaged 9.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.8 steals. While Iguodala played well, the Sixers fell to the defending champion Detroit Pistons in five games in the first round.

Iguodala went on to have a successful time with the Sixers. He played eight seasons in Philadelphia, averaging 15.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.9 assists while being named an All-Star in 2012. He was sent to the Denver Nuggets before the 2012-13 season in the blockbuster Andrew Bynum deal.

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