Iverson - Best Thing that Didn't Happen to the Celts?

[Pucaccia]

Today there is a lot of talk about A.I. going to either the Clippers, Memphis or The Heat.  Remember before the big shift when there was all kinds of talks of Iverson going to the Celtics?
I remember hating the idea because A.I. never made a team better.  Now look what happened to him. He is an over rated player that can't even catch on to an elite team.  I am an old timer being hooked on the Celts in the early 70's.  Boston has always been about team and not the individual.
Every time I hear about A.I. I thank the Basketball universe that he never came to Boston.
Aren't we lucky. This is one of the best things that never happened to the Celts.

[KG_ended_Bias]

Not really! Iverson could have helped us, but only in a reserve scorer role off the bench for the Vet. Minimum. Iverson can still play & you can't believe in everything that your earlobes captures.

[RAcker]

Not really! Iverson could have helped us, but only in a reserve scorer role off the bench for the Vet. Minimum. Iverson can still play & you can't believe in everything that your earlobes captures.

I believe in what my eyes see and from everything I've seen, AI is a selfish bast.

[crownsy]

right, he can play a very selfish scoring game, which is not conducive to winning championships in a team sport.

He could overpower people when he was younger and had role players who defended for him (2001) but not now, and his ego won't let him blend in and just be another piece with a great team.

Good luck converting him to bench scorer when he just said he'd rather retire than come off the bench.

AI was a warrior, a great scorer, and a heck of alot of fun to watch in his heyday, but he never could work his skills into a team game.

[byennie]

right, he can play a very selfish scoring game, which is not conducive to winning championships in a team sport.

He could overpower people when he was younger and had role players who defended for him (2001) but not now, and his ego won't let him blend in and just be another piece with a great team.

Good luck converting him to bench scorer when he just said he'd rather retire than come off the bench.

AI was a warrior, a great scorer, and a heck of alot of fun to watch in his heyday, but he never could work his skills into a team game.

Exactly. When Iverson was in his prime, he didn't need to be a team player, because he was capable of carrying an entire offense on his shoulders. He was a superstar. But now he's not even a top-20 talent, and he hasn't adjusted.

[KG_ended_Bias]

Once again Im clearly stating if & only if he was willing to come OFF OF THE BENCH. I don't want him as a starter either. But I still don't believe in everything the media conjures up. We are the media & we can make up stories that can eventually get mainstream attention. I would much rather hear a player talk about AI's selfishness & not being a good teammate than reading it from an unidentified source. How did those sources work out when trading Rondo before the draft was a forgone conclusion?

[Kwhit10]

The OP might be referring to us trading for AI before the KG deal went down.  Which I'm very glad didn't happen.

[crownsy]

Once again Im clearly stating if & only if he was willing to come OFF OF THE BENCH. I don't want him as a starter either. But I still don't believe in everything the media conjures up. We are the media & we can make up stories that can eventually get mainstream attention. I would much rather hear a player talk about AI's selfishness & not being a good teammate than reading it from an unidentified source. How did those sources work out when trading Rondo before the draft was a forgone conclusion?

who was it a forgone conclusion with that rondo would be traded? you? other blog posters?

because it was never a forgone conclusion with anyone in the media or a majority of posters that realize any time a young kid has a break out post-season like rajon and has an attractive contract/ upside, you need to see what his value is realitive to the league.

all the media did was put out possible leaks and scenario's. That's thier job.

 Ainge has all but said he was on the block, along with ray, but that they didn't get any "WOW!" offers and thus didn't move them, since it would not have improved the team.

GM's always shop players. you never know when someone will trade you something, like say, one of the top ten PF's of all time for a young kid with potential and bench players.  

but getting back to iverson, he flat out said he would retire rather than come off the bench. What did the media hype/ lie about their?

[fairweatherfan]

I think the OP is referring to when Iverson was with Philly and on the trading block ('05? '06) and by most accounts we came very close to trading for him.  Most of the posters seem to be discussing whether he could help us now.  

I agree that if we had traded for Iverson it would've crippled our team for quite awhile.  We wouldn't've had all of the young pieces we used to get Ray and KG.  The team would have been better for awhile but would've never contended, and we'd be in the middle of rebuilding the team yet again, and Pierce and AI would probably be somewhere else.  Don't know if it's the best move we ever didn't make, but definitely the best recent one.

[byennie]

The OP might be referring to us trading for AI before the KG deal went down.  Which I'm very glad didn't happen.

Yes, that's how I read it too. As in "phew... look at him now, I'm so glad we didn't trade for him before". I don't think anyone (outside of maybe the Gerald Green supporters) wants to sign him now.

[KG_ended_Bias]

Don't act foolish even Bucher was talking about the Celtics dealing Rondo! It was a subject on PTI & numerous other Newspapers around the country even here in Phoenix for Stoudemire, The Grizzlies & The Kings. Once again I say you can't believe every thing your earlobes captures! All I ever saw from Iverson was a player who was better than 90% of the league & probably still is. I just don't understand why so many people hate on players who they would be IN LOVE WITH IF THAT PLAYER HAD PLAYED FOR THE CELTICS. I am not a homer when it comes to players. I am a Celtic fan, but a all basketball lover. I dont hate on guys because they suit up for the enemies.

[fairweatherfan]

Don't act foolish even Bucher was talking about the Celtics dealing Rondo! It was a subject on PTI & numerous other Newspapers around the country even here in Phoenix for Stoudemire, The Grizzlies & The Kings. Once again I say you can't believe every thing your earlobes captures!

Everyone was reporting the C's were talking to other teams about trading Rondo.  The reason why they reported that is because that's what was happening.  Nobody in the national media said "Rondo's definitely gone, the Celtics trading him is a foregone conclusion, the only question is where and for who".  Big difference.

[KG_ended_Bias]

It still doesn't change my view of thinking Iverson can still ball. And I never heard a teammate say he was not a good teammate of player. Probably because they couldn't hold his jockstrap if it came down to it.

[crownsy]

Don't act foolish even Bucher was talking about the Celtics dealing Rondo! It was a subject on PTI & numerous other Newspapers around the country even here in Phoenix for Stoudemire, The Grizzlies & The Kings. Once again I say you can't believe every thing your earlobes captures! All I ever saw from Iverson was a player who was better than 90% of the league & probably still is. I just don't understand why so many people hate on players who they would be IN LOVE WITH IF THAT PLAYER HAD PLAYED FOR THE CELTICS. I am not a homer when it comes to players. I am a Celtic fan, but a all basketball lover. I dont hate on guys because they suit up for the enemies.

come on now. he was reporting they were shopping him, which was and still is true.

but at no time did anyone come out and say that some trade was on the table, or even that it was likely.

Sounds like your projecting agenda's onto people to me, much as you assume I hate allen iverson in this paragraph, when in fact i love allen's game, and have always been a fan of his.

That doesn't make me obligated to pretend he's something he isn't for some misguided sense that he's "my player". It's called being objective, and objectively, allen iverson on this team right now would be a disaster. he provides nothing we need as a starter at his age and has shown zero interest in adapting to a bench role.

Paul pierce got me into basketball when he was drafted when i was 15, but i wouldn't argue he was better than bird out of some sense of "loyalty" paul is a great player, but he isn't bird. He's an all time celtic, but im not blind to his place in Celtics history, and it isn't at the top of the list.

Neither am i going to turn a blind eye to the deterioration of allen's on court game and the lack of acknowledgment on his part about it.

Allen was a great entertainer and game changer when he was young and in his prime, but those days are long gone, and if he has no interest in adapting, then he will finish out his career as a starter for an irrelevant team. That appears to be the path he is going to take, which is his choice.

[Prof. Clutch]

I was marveling at this same idea a few weeks ago in another thread on AI.  I believe it was the thread about how he is almost being forced into retirement.  Its incredible to think how much different it probably would have played out if we had gone with AI instead of waiting and ultimately getting Ray and KG.  Now just a few short years later, we have banner 18 and there is talk that Iverson may be forced into early retirement because nobody wants him.  I'm still pulling for the guy though, he's entertaining if nothing else.