Interesting Iverson Article

[Snakehead]

My guess here is you guys would probably have given OJ Simpson another chance and even let him date you daughter or sister or mom, because, after all, he said he didn't do it and everyone can change.

Not quite, but I tried to sell him some baseball cards and it didn't go well 

[LB3533]

My guess here is you guys would probably have given OJ Simpson another chance and even let him date you daughter or sister or mom, because, after all, he said he didn't do it and everyone can change.

That's not right man.

Iverson committed double murder?

Get real dude.

[LB3533]

Wow a lot of people around here kissing AI's butt! I couldn't care less if he's in the league next season. The guy is a jerk and always has been. He never cared about winning. The only thing he ever cared about were his own stats!

Kissing butt?

Just stating facts, not opinions about one's character.

[celticsclay]

My guess here is you guys would probably have given OJ Simpson another chance and even let him date you daughter or sister or mom, because, after all, he said he didn't do it and everyone can change.

That's not right man.

Iverson committed double murder?

Get real dude.

Your comparing a guy charged with a double murder and currently serving 33 years in prison to AI? I know you are making a joke and hyperbole, but the sad thing is a lot of people have acted like Iverson actually did commit a murder. That is why a few posters have felt obligated to defend him and say he might be in the league next year (as well as point out some of the things he has accomplished in the league). Its interesting how someone posts he is such a horrible player defensively and LB makes some pretty strong statistical counter arguments and we return to being labeled butt kissers etc.

[GreenFaith1819]

My guess here is you guys would probably have given OJ Simpson another chance and even let him date you daughter or sister or mom, because, after all, he said he didn't do it and everyone can change.

Nick - I don't think we want to go there. Bringing OJ into this thread will surely get it locked.

You know that.

I have followed your posts since I came on this Blog. You are one of the most intelligent posters in CelticsBlog Forums.

You are better than this.

[celticsclay]

I am going to try and steer this back on topic with the five teams I think Iverson might end up with in order of probability
1) Charlotte - They need a guard after losing felton and Larry Brown has gone to bat for iverson a few times in the recent past. Time for Brown to step up

2) New York - After semi whiffing on the fee agents sweepstakes they are definitely in a transition year as they wait till next summer when they attempt to land Carmelo or Paul. Getting Iverson to the team as a starting 2 or to back up Felton would definitely sell some jerseys in NYC and he would be pretty exciting in D'antonio's run and gun offense. It would also perhaps lift them to first round playoff fodder for the heat or celtics.

3) New Jersey - Their new owner wanted to make a splash and has been unable to do so. I am pretty much including the nets on this list cause of him. Roster wise they just unloaded Courtney Lee because they had too many shooting guards.
4) LA Clippers - Clippers are a very unpredictable team the last few seasons. They cut costs one minute then take on massive salaries the next. Roster wise I think Iverson would be a good fit behind baron Davis and Eric Gordon. I am not sure how comfortable Iverson would be sitting behind Gordon though.
5) Cleveland - Gilbert's roster is stuck with enough players from the Lebron era (Jamison, Parker, Moon, Mo) that they won't be bad enough to get an incredibly high pick. They need some star power after losing Lebron, Shaq and even fan favorite Big Z. Iverson would help fill some seats and could probably fill the roster spot of Delonte.

Additional Possibilities:
Minnesota - On paper makes no sense, but Kahn has never made sense on paper. He has also shown a propensity to sign as many point guards/shooting guards as he can. (See last years draft). This would still be a longshot...
Spurs - The spurs need offense, are an aging team and have lost Mason off the bench who played about 20 mpg last year. The spurs brought in Glenn Robinson at the end of his career for the same purpose and might try the same for Iverson

[Finkelskyhook]

I don't know where the notion that Iverson didn't play defense.

Was he small? Yes

Did he not try off the court? Yes

Did he give it his all on the court? Hell yes.

Active Career Steals

1. Jason Kidd
2. Allen Iverson
3. Kobe Bryant
4. Kevin Garnett!
5. Shawn Marion

7. Ron Artest
8. Paul Pierce!
9. Ben Wallace

11. Ray Allen!


Of course, steals doesn't measure the "be all, end all" of defense.

But if you look at those names on that list....those are all very reputable defenders in someways.

You cannot tell me that is a list of "non-defenders" in the NBA.

You could have anybody on that list and it would be the most irrelevent list to defensive prowess that you could possibly come up with. Iverson's defense consists of occasionally cheating a passing lane.   Player efficiency rating would be a close second in relevency to winning basketball.  

Want a relevent list as to why somebody with his overrated , albiet great talent is looking for a job?  Come up with a list of coaches fired under  or Organizations alienated 

[fairweatherfan]

Want a relevent list as to why somebody with his overrated , albiet great talent is looking for a job?  Come up with a list of coaches fired under  or Organizations alienated 

How many coaches has Iverson gotten fired?  Larry Brown left on his own, George Karl is still in Denver, and Michael Curry got fired for a lot of reasons, but Iverson wasn't one of them.

Looking closer, Johnny Davis got fired after his rookie year, but that was to make room for Brown.  Randy Ayers was fired midway through the year after Brown left, but none of the stories say anything about Iverson - being 10 games under .500 is the more obvious cause.  Jim O'Brien was fired after the next season but the news stories say Chris Webber was the most notably unhappy player and don't mention Iverson at all.

Long story short I can't find anything to indicate AI's gotten any coach fired.

[anthony83]

 Right now there is a list of teams that Iverson could play without problems, I do not understand how is still in free agency, he has already said he will accept any role in helping a team win the championship, said on his Twitter .
Iverson can still score 20 points to 7 or 8 assists, it is clear he will not be the same as before, but this is normal, it happens to every player, but AI still has gas in the tank to help a team. As has been said before, I think that Iverson could be useful on many teams:

 New York: Amare and AI would be a perfect match, he could perfectly play of shooting guard.

 New Jersey: Another option, a reconstruction team, Iverson would bring his experience to this team.

 Cleveland: Bron is gone, Cleveland needs something, the answer is Iverson.

 Clippers: It could be another option for AI.

 Wolves: Honestly I do not want to see Iverson in the Wolves, but is another option.

 I'd like to see AI in the Madison with Amare, I forgot, Charlotte Bobcats, they have lost Felton, they need a shotting guard, Brown is expected to rescue Iverson.

I would like him to sign for a contender, and win the ring, but it is very difficult.
And my dream would be to see Iverson playing on the Celtics, but this will not happen.

Iverson has to finish his career as it deserves, as a future hall of fame and one the greatest players of all time.

It is incredible that he has not received any offers, I trust that he still sign for any team, hope is never lost.

Allen you are the best, your fans await your return.

 I still think it's the blame of David Stern and the media.

 "THE LAST CHALLENGE"

[celticsclay]

Want a relevent list as to why somebody with his overrated , albiet great talent is looking for a job?  Come up with a list of coaches fired under  or Organizations alienated 

How many coaches has Iverson gotten fired?  Larry Brown left on his own, George Karl is still in Denver, and Michael Curry got fired for a lot of reasons, but Iverson wasn't one of them.

Looking closer, Johnny Davis got fired after his rookie year, but that was to make room for Brown.  Randy Ayers was fired midway through the year after Brown left, but none of the stories say anything about Iverson - being 10 games under .500 is the more obvious cause.  Jim O'Brien was fired after the next season but the news stories say Chris Webber was the most notably unhappy player and don't mention Iverson at all.

Long story short I can't find anything to indicate AI's gotten any coach fired.

Yep I don't believe any of those Philly coaches save O'Brien got second chances after Philly. In fact looking back at them now they seem like unbelievably bad hires

[nickagneta]

You people who are supporting Iverson have to get your heads out of the clouds of "what once was and what could still be if..." and start taking a look at the stark realities of the situation.

Last year Iverson was in exactly the same position he was now and teams he were rumored to be interested fell of his wagon faster than Lakers fans leave the Staples in the fourth quarter of a blowout loss. It took the GM that many regarded as on of the worst in the NBA, Chris Wallace, a GM that once traded Pau Gasol for close to nothing, to sign him in Memphis.

He played three games and QUIT on the team. I don't care who he was playing in front of or behind. He joined a team and signed a contract which gave his coach the right to use him any way he felt best benefited the team.

AND HE QUIT!!!

Then, basically no one wanted him. All his media buddies and powerful friends around the league wrote and said nice things about AI trying like hell to get him a gig. Well, Ed Stephanski, another GM not exactly reknbown as a great manager of basketball teams who has made some seriously bad decisions, decides to bring in AI in hopes of getting a tick in the attendance figures that were about the worst in the league.

After nursing injuries AI once again QUIT THIS TEAM. Why? Steven A Smith, an AI confidant wrote it might have been alcohol and gambling addictions. Others, who have always written well of Iverson claimed it was an illness to his child. Either way, the truth could never be ascertained and since people were just glad AI was going away, people didn't dig any deeper.

But now come the stories AI still wants to play. Well, Kahn in Minnesota, the absolute worst GM in the NBA hasn't shown the least bit of interest and the other bad GMs have already been burned by AI.

There's a reason Iverson was in tears at his press conference last year. It's because he thought it was all over. He thought no one would take another shot on him and yet, there was one GM stupid enough to do it. With Kahn not interested that leaves exactly zero GMs willing to take on the train wreck that is the current player and person and businessman that is Allen Iverson.

Enough with what he did. Enough with his purported ability to change. Enough with what he may or may not still have as a player. Businessmen that make decisions with the bottom line in mind and not some sense of heart and love, see this guy's total package as a bust and waste of money waiting to happen.

Give me all your counterarguments you want but the one thing you can not argue is that based on his recent history he is a giant risk to add to one's team. Business men don't like taking giant risks especially when the reward is so minor and given the quality of his current game, under the best conditions his contributions to a team would be minor.

High risk, low reward is not a game businessmen play.

And that is the last I will say on this sorry subject.

[GreenFaith1819]

And Nick - you are once again welcome that train of thought.

As for me, I think I've stated my stance clearly.

Can we agree to disagree?

[celticsclay]

Nick,

All of your points and claims are pretty much true and its fine to feel that way about Iverson. However, you are doing one thing that is really unfair and claiming you know that no GM will give him a shot(for that matter you don't even know that Kahn is not interested). Maybe AI has been asking for 3 million in talks with the Clippers. Unless you personally know every single GM and every talk they have with players you have no way of knowing this. So you can't claim it to be fact like you are. It is the middle of august, the season starts the beginning of October. Teams still sign veterans up through February. If it is february next season and he has not played I will agree with you he is done and give you a boatload of tommy points. Until then, we can't act like the present timepoint is final and absolute for NBA transactions. Small moves and rumors are still happening everyday. Write him off when its official, but not before.

[nickagneta]

Nick,

All of your points and claims are pretty much true and its fine to feel that way about Iverson. However, you are doing one thing that is really unfair and claiming you know that no GM will give him a shot(for that matter you don't even know that Kahn is not interested). Maybe AI has been asking for 3 million in talks with the Clippers. Unless you personally know every single GM and every talk they have with players you have no way of knowing this. So you can't claim it to be fact like you are. It is the middle of august, the season starts the beginning of October. Teams still sign veterans up through February. If it is february next season and he has not played I will agree with you he is done and give you a boatload of tommy points. Until then, we can't act like the present timepoint is final and absolute for NBA transactions. Small moves and rumors are still happening everyday. Write him off when its official, but not before.

Thank's but I'll write him off now and then you can PM me with an I told you so message when he signs and I'm proven wrong. How's that.

[celticsclay]

Nick,

All of your points and claims are pretty much true and its fine to feel that way about Iverson. However, you are doing one thing that is really unfair and claiming you know that no GM will give him a shot(for that matter you don't even know that Kahn is not interested). Maybe AI has been asking for 3 million in talks with the Clippers. Unless you personally know every single GM and every talk they have with players you have no way of knowing this. So you can't claim it to be fact like you are. It is the middle of august, the season starts the beginning of October. Teams still sign veterans up through February. If it is february next season and he has not played I will agree with you he is done and give you a boatload of tommy points. Until then, we can't act like the present timepoint is final and absolute for NBA transactions. Small moves and rumors are still happening everyday. Write him off when its official, but not before.

Thank's but I'll write him off now and then you can PM me with an I told you so message when he signs and I'm proven wrong. How's that.

Thats fine.. ill be watching the transaction wire like a hawk