With Ron Artest admitting in the Sporting News that he used to drink Hennessy at halftime, I'm having a hard time focusing my thoughts on Allen Iverson signing with the Sixers. But here goes.
This was a bad idea, clearly driven by business interests, not basketball sense. I think I made that pretty clear in this column.
But ...
If it has to be done, this is the way to do it. By offering Iverson a non-guaranteed deal, the Sixers take away the hammer that A.I. wielded for a decade in Philadelphia. They put the control where it belongs -- in the hands of head coach Eddie Jordan -- and take it away from Iverson. Well played by team president Ed Stefanski.
If Iverson steps out of line, tries to exert his influence on the coach, barks about playing time, or disrupts the culture Jordan is trying to build in any way, he's gone -- with no further financial obligation to the team.
The ball is in A.I.'s court, and not in the way it used to be.
With no other teams expressing interest in taking the plunge with Iverson, the Sixers forced his hand. They forced him to live up to all the promises he made in their two-hour meeting Monday. Now, for the first time in his career, he has to walk the walk. If he really doesn't care about the money or the control, the Sixers have told him to go ahead and prove it.
This part, I like -- as stated here with Lauren Shehadi.
Does Iverson still have enough left in the tank to make a difference for the 5-13 Sixers? That will be the fun part to watch. What will be even more interesting to see is whether Iverson can recognize that he can't be the dominant, 40-plus-minute force that he was in his prime. And if that's the case, how will he respond?
Given the circumstances, there's only one right Answer. Let the drama begin.
Comments
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thatlsk Level: Superstar Since: May 31, 2007 |
Posted on: December 2, 2009 12:40 pm
Score: 75
Iverson back, but not in controlAll I want to know is if he's worth me picking him up in my fantasy basketball league. |
ukblu
Reputation: 99Level: Superstar Since: Mar 20, 2008 |
Posted on: December 2, 2009 1:26 pm
Score: 98
Iverson back, but not in controlIf you have a roster spot I think you have to add him just to see. The upside is huge, especially in the assists column. Not gonna get the scoring title but worth watching to see what happens. Keep in mind he's only 2 years removed from being a fantasy stud. |
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kingtucker28 Level: Superstar Since: Sep 26, 2006 |
Posted on: December 2, 2009 1:50 pm
Score: 47
Iverson back, but not in controlYes. |
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MemphisPhil Level: Superstar Since: Jun 25, 2009 |
Posted on: December 2, 2009 2:02 pm
Score: 125
Berger your such a typical media drone
With no other teams expressing interest in taking the plunge with Iverson, the Sixers forced his hand. They forced him to live up to all the promises he made in their two-hour meeting Monday. Now, for the first time in his career, he has to walk the walk. |
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BucFan34 Level: Superstar Since: Jun 4, 2008 |
Posted on: December 2, 2009 4:09 pm
Score: 83
Iverson back, but not in controlWhy is this a bad signing? Who do they have better? Willie Green? Jrue Holiday? haha. I actually love this move for Philly. Maybe they can sneak into the playoffs. |
L_Raiser
Reputation: 84Level: All-Star Since: Aug 18, 2008 |
Posted on: December 2, 2009 5:13 pm
Score: 70
Iverson back, but not in controlIverson WAS the franchise player... but now he's not. Or maybe shouldn't be... but on this team he IS b/c we suck! |
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thousandproof Level: Superstar Since: Mar 27, 2008 |
Posted on: December 2, 2009 5:25 pm
Score: 133
Iverson back, but not in controlI couldn't understand why everyone says this is bad? Because everyone wanted him to crawl under a rock & die but that's not the case LMAO. What exactly have the sixers done worth while this season? Nothing until December 2nd 2009 they signed Allen Iverson. If nothing else I hope he make everyone of you eat your words & after a successful season retires off into the sunset. That's what he would like to do is finish his career on a high note. But the haters they want him to fail & they are waiting to start pointing there fingers at the first sign of frustration or him not producing. I hope for his sake & the philadelphia 76ers sake they get more wins then they would have without him. Which that won't be too hard to do. I hope they make it to the playoffs maybe 2nd or even 3rd round. Then he can retire at the top of the game & put the middle finger up to the entire league for not believing in his skills or how he could be a professional. Good luck AI make them all eat there words & welcome back. |
MavTV
Reputation: 86Level: All-Star Since: Sep 12, 2006 |
Posted on: December 2, 2009 6:27 pm
Score: -213
Iverson back, but not in control<!-- [if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTabl I suppose it’s nice to see Iverson has so many fans here on Sportsline, but this support is surely based on something other than AI’s on-the-court performance. And it’s also based on something other than his recent ability to get these same online fans to show up at the arena of whatever team AI is playing for and pay to buy tickets. I’m with Berger on this one. The addition for AI to this Sixers team is yet another failure for the franchise in their effort to return to the sort of respectability and consistent winning which they had during the Dr. J years of the late 70s and early 80s.
Why does everyone say AI is this bad? Because his 10+ year record in the NBA proves this out. Any AI “haters” out there have been created by Iverson himself. Any honest Sixers fan with at least a half-decent memory knows how the Sixers failed to win with the team being run by AI. We know how he killed coach after coach with his inability to run anyone’s “system.” We know he took a thousand more shots a year than the next closest shooter on his team...thereby defining the term “ball hog.” We know Iverson wasn’t enough of a draw toward the end of his previous tenure with the team to fill the seats with Sixers fans who wanted to spend their hard-earned dough to watch the team lose games with Iverson chucking-up 25 shots a night while his teammates stood around watching. We know that there wasn’t a single young player who was drafted by the Sixers during the prime Iverson years who was able to develop with AI on the team, hogging the ball. It’s no coincidence that only in the last two years have we seen the sort of promise with players like Iguodala, Speights, Young and Williams given a chance to develop. Iverson has the unique ability to render both veteran players (Webber, Glenn Robinson, etc) and high draft pick youngsters (Van Horn, Tim Thomas, Iguodala, etc.) who surround him as relatively useless and meaningless. Elton Brand and Jrue Holiday will soon see this phenomenon first hand.
Who is this move going to benefit? Aside from the teams on the Sixers remaining schedule this season, I suppose this deal benefits the loyal legion of AI fans. Frankly, I’m shocked he has many…but clearly they like to post here on Sportsline. Congrats to you guys. You got your wish. But please don’t confuse those folks for longtime, real Sixers fans. We’re interested in building a winning team, not a Hall of Fame resume for one of the game’s most self-centered, me-first players of all time. |
montsho11
Reputation: 97Level: Superstar Since: Sep 4, 2007 |
Posted on: December 2, 2009 9:57 pm
Score: 131
Iverson back, but not in controlThis is great for A.I. and Philly. A.I. can do his thing and show everyone what heart is all about and Philly will have a reason to watch their team. I have always maintained that the only reason he shot so much in Philly was due to their lack of other skilled offensive players. I've watched him play on the Olympic and All Star teams and he distributed the ball like a true PG. I think he is going to surprise alot of people for 2 reasons. |
playmaker21
Reputation: 0Level: Amateur Since: Sep 28, 2006 |
Posted on: December 2, 2009 10:59 pm
Score: 69
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