It might be time to say
goodbye to the other A.I.

Off the Dribble
By Ryan Smith

Drafted at No. 9 in the 2004 NBA draft, he has far exceeded the expectations of fans and members of the Sixers organization alike.
Other than Allen Iverson, he is the Sixers’ most dynamic player.
He possesses the type of athleticism that is seen only in the top one or two percent of all pro athletes.
He can jump out of the building and has already established himself as one of the league’s premier slam-dunk artists.
Of all second-year players, he ranks eighth in scoring (11.8 per game) and third in rebounding (6.2 per game).
He has unlimited potential.
For all of these reasons, it is imperative that Sixers GM Billy King trade Andre Iguodala.
That’s right. You read it correctly.
The Sixers must trade Andre Iguodala.
Before you scoff at the notion of dealing the team’s best young player — a player who could eventually blossom into a full-blown superstar — take a moment to examine the larger picture.
After a Dec. 21 victory over the Golden State Warriors, the Sixers left Philadelphia for a seven-game West Coast road trip in first place in the Atlantic Division with a record of 14-12.
With a successful road trip, the Sixers could have firmed up their spot atop the division, while breeding some confidence throughout their locker room.
Instead, the Sixers finished the West Coast swing with a disappointing 2-5 record, falling four games behind the surging New Jersey Nets for the division lead.
The 2-5 road trip proved once again what we already knew: the Sixers’ roster, as it is currently configured, is nothing more than ordinary.
The Sixers are living in NBA purgatory — good enough to be a No. 6, 7 or 8 seed in the playoffs, but not quite good enough to compete with teams like the Detroit Pistons or Miami Heat.
To change, King must do something drastic.
Last season’s trade for Chris Webber was a nice start, but the Sixers GM needs to pull off another blockbuster if this team plans to compete for a championship anytime soon.
Luckily, the Sixers have players to make this type of deal happen, namely Samuel Dalembert and Iguodala.
Both Dalembert and Iguodala have the potential to be superstars. Unfortunately, the Sixers don’t have the time to wait for both to blossom.
With the Sixers’ top two players — Iverson and Webber — in the twilight of their careers, King needs to find help now.
Iguodala is the player who can get them the help they so desperately need. His reputation as an up-and-coming star reaches far outside Philadelphia.
Thanks to his highlight-reel dunks and outstanding defensive prowess — ’Dre has been known to shut down some of the NBA’s most prolific scorers — Iguodala’s stock is sky-high throughout the league.
The same can be said of Dalembert, thanks to his youth — a four-year veteran, he is just 24 — and his shot-blocking ability (he ranks second in the league in swats with an average of 3.25 per game).
But unlike many others who follow and cover the team, I would be far more reluctant to trade Dalembert than Iguodala. Good big men and point guards are the hardest commodities to come by in the NBA.
And despite the holes in his offensive game and his continuing growing pains, Dalembert has established himself as one of the better centers in the East.
Dalembert is somewhat irreplaceable, a fact that became clear earlier this season when he was out of the lineup for an extended period with a knee injury.
Iguodala, on the other hand, is a bit more expendable.
Would King be taking a huge gamble by dealing the electrifying Iguodala, a player who, if developed correctly, could be the centerpiece of the team after Iverson retires?
You better believe it.
But by the time Iguodala becomes that player, Iverson will assuredly be a ghost of the player he is today, and Webber will probably be long gone.
In addition, Iguodala still needs to develop a jump shot to become a complete player.
As it stands now, he lacks the mid-range game that would make him a consistent scoring threat.
While many believe that it is only a matter of time before he develops his outside game, it’s certainly not a sure thing. If it never happens, the Sixers will have wasted their last chance to make a championship run during the Iverson era.
So stack your chips and get ready, Billy. If the right offer for Iguodala comes along, it’s time to go "all in." ••
Columnist Ryan Smith can be reached at 215-354-3114 or smithry@phillynews.com