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By Matt Soldano  December 1, 2009, at 3:40 pm  I love it when there are some really obvious moves in the world of sports that general managers should make and they flat out ignore it or make up some BS reason as to why they choose to no longer pursue a certain athlete. I might not be like Jason, who thrives at mixing and matching players’ contracts or figuring out team’s salary cap situation, but a move like this makes me believe that maybe becoming a General Manager is not as difficult as people make it out to be.
A day after Philadelphia 76ers Head Coach Eddie Jordan and GM Ed Stefanski met with Free Agent Allen Iverson in Dallas, no deal is in place and both parties seem to be “non-committal” at the moment. Despite the fact that several sources are reporting “there is no doubt” he will be coming back, I remember hearing the same sort of reports when the Knicks were targeting AI. Yet, it never happened and to me the Knicks did a huge disservice to their fans, a fan base that has suffered nearly a decade through uneventful season after uneventful season.
The Sixers need the future Hall of Famer more so than New York and it makes even more sense! Look at the injuries that Philly is battling through:
- Lou Williams: Jaw Injury – Out 8 weeks
- Mareese Speights: Knee Injury – Out 6-8 weeks
- Elton Brand: Hamstring Injury – Came back last night, though admitted not 100%
With Speights and Williams out until after the new year, the Sixers are missing 30 points and are struggling to find a cast of characters to shoulder the load. Andre Iguodala (the other AI) has struggled shooting the ball (42%, compared to his career 47% FG) and Thaddeus Young has not become fully comfortable with Eddie Jodan’s offensive style. Iverson becomes the scorer of the team and most of all a closer, something the Sixers have desperately lacked. The team is 5-13 and falling fast in the Eastern Conference but 7 of those losses have come by six points or less. Iverson knows the big stage and can show up brightest in those spots.
Yes, the roster is young, and the question will always center around would Iverson stunt the growth of the team. A playoff birth is not out of the question with Iverson. He could keep them afloat just enough so when Lou Williams and Speights come back healthy, they could push for that 7th or 8th seed. Milwaukee, Charlotte, and Indiana (the current 6-8 seeds) are anything but locks for a playoff bid and it would not shock anyone if they fell off the map.
So Philadelphia, let’s look at the pro’s here. You generate local/national buzz, you are able to sell tickets and jerseys, and gain some sort of national relevance. The con’s you deal withanother AI fallout at the end of the year since he will be on a one-year deal. This does not even need to be thought about! I could have told you all of this in three words but I thought 509 would make my argument more convincing.
SIGN ALLEN IVERSON! Armsleeve night would be one hell of a promotion.
By Matt Soldano November 3, 2009, at 5:21 pm So remember on September 9th, when I posted on this very site, that Allen Iverson was going to Memphis? I questioned just how long it would take for him to become angry with his role on a young team and well, last night marked the Answer’s first outburst. After playing in his first game of the season due to a hamstring injury, Iverson scored 11 points in just 18 minutes in the team’s overtime loss to the Sacramento Kings last night. According to NBA Fanhouse, this is what AI had to say post-game.
“I had no problems (with the hamstring). I had a problem with my butt from sitting on that bench so long. That’s the only thing I got a problem with.”
“Yeah I’ll be disappointed if I’m a sub this season. I’m not a reserve basketball player. I’ve never been a reserve all my life and I’m not going to start looking at myself as a reserve…To answer the question, “No, I’m not a bench player. I’m not a sixth man. Go look at my resume and that will show you I’m not a sixth man.”
Iverson needs to take a long hard look at guys around the league like Manu Ginobili, Ben Gordon, and Lamar Odom, guys who are more talented than he is at their stages in their career, yet embrace their sixth man role and do what is asked of them. Manu and Lamar have helped their teams win titles while Gordon has helped the Bulls reach the playoffs and almost pull of a first round upset over the Celts.
Looks like Iverson should have gone to the Charlotte Bobcats this season. That 79.8 points per game total they have notched so far is mightly woeful right now. And also, hasn’t Larry Brown heard this same crap before?
By Matt Soldano September 9, 2009, at 11:26 am According to Allen Iverson’s Twitter account, the biggest name left on the free agent market has chosen a team. AI had this to say on his account:
“God chose Memphis as the place that I will continue my career. I met with Mr. Heinsley, Chris Wallace, and my next head coach Lionel Hollins. I feel that they are committed to developing a winner and I know that I can help them accomplish that. I feel that I can trust them.”
The deal is said to be worth for one year for worth $3.5 million, much less than the near $21 mill he was earning last season. Here is my take: Who would have thought one of the smallest markets in the NBA and in all of professional sports would house O.J. Mayo, Rudy Gay, Zach Randolph, and now A.I. Although Iverson is a household name who has earned his spot in the Hall of Fame once his career is finished, I cannot come to grips with where he fits in the Grizz system. Does Lionel Hollins play Iverson at the point and take rising young guard Mike Conley off the bench or vice versa? How will there be any ball movement when you have three pair of hands that belong to Rudy Gay, Zach Randolph, and Iverson? And how long will the whole “I’m going to be a good guy and lead by example” charade last by Iverson.
Let’s face the facts, there were four teams throughout this entire offseason that were linked in some sort of way to Iverson. The Miami Heat, New York Knicks, Charlotte Bobcats, and of course, the Memphis Grizzlies. The reason why Iverson took so long to sign was because he was holding out hope that one of those teams would offer Iverson somewhat of an appropriate contract. If I had to pick one team that would have been the best fit it would definitely be the Bobcats because of head coach Larry Brown and his ability to coach Iverson. I am not so sure if Lionel Hollins can last a full 82 games.
To me, Iverson is still a guy who can score the ball and put up 20+ points per game. Assuming the Grizz put out a starting five of Iverson, Mayo, Gay, Randolph, and Thabeet on opening night with Conley and Marc Gasol coming off the bench, this team is primed to win 30 games. In a tough Western Conference and too many players to share one basketball, Iverson might have wanted to just take a discount and wait for an offer from either of the Eastern Conference teams.
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