he's coming off an injury, what's wrong with him coming off the bench to score double figures in limited minutes? AI is no longer the Answer, he is the Common Denominator.
What are we talking about? We talkin bout Memphis? Memphis. Memphis. Not a real team. We talkin bout Memphis...
Was his problem really coming off the bench or was it watching from the sidelines in overtime after only playing 17 minutes?
They should just cut him, his attitude isn't gonna do anything for that team. Is it any wonder he doesn't have a championship?
There's really no reason for AI to only play 18 minutes a game in Memphis. I realize that they want to develop the other guys, but sometimes there is positive experience gained by watching a guy that has proven to be solid in clutch situations in the NBA. As fun as it is to pile on Iverson, he's a former MVP, has taken a team to the finals, and his teams have a track record of doing a hell of a lot better than Memphis has done over the past few years. He's the one guy on the team that has a consistent record of winning in the NBA, he plays with passion, and is who the fans want to see when they come to a game.
SCF- his track record over the last three or four seasons tends to contradict your assessment of AI's winning ways. He has had a very Marbury-like career since he left the 76ers
Oh, really? I'm sorry, the facts indicate otherwise. Denver the year before Iverson got there: 44 wins. Iverson the two years after Iverson got there: 45 and 50 wins. 50 wins, only the third most in Denver Nuggets franchise history. Did the Nuggets get better with Billups? Yes, but they also got better with Iverson. I don't see a Chauncy Billups in Memphis. The problems in Detroit had to do with a combination of a GM dumping salary, one of the worst NBA head coaches in recent history, an aging roster, and Iverson having absolutely no role on the team that made any sense.
from 44 to 50 wins over two seasons? the 45 win team- lost in first round the 50 win team- lost in first round and the year Iverson left? 54 wins and a trip to the Conference Finals addition by subtraction
How can it be addition by subtraction when they got a player that fit their system better? Wouldn't that be addition by addition? I'm not saying the Nuggets weren't better without Iverson. My argument is that it's dumb to not play Iverson when he's the only guy on your roster that has done jack diddly in the NBA. You then said that he's been a Marbury-esque loser since leaving the 76ers, which the facts clearly prove otherwise. Your argument is clearly false. I never said that the Nuggets didn't get better with Billups over Iverson. The Nuggets had their THIRD BEST REGULAR SEASON EVER with Iverson when you had compared him to Stephon Marbury, which is a point blank erroneous statement with no factual basis.
Which team currently in the NBA has a system - philosophy & roster similar to what Philly had in the glory days for AI?
The comparison to Marbury is from an attitude related standpoint. I never compared Marbury's effect on team winning percentage, I used Marbury to show how a toxic me-first player can destroy team chemistry. Philly, Denver, Detroit, now Memphis. nothing is working as long as AI is complaining. whatever you say about a 50 win team, they underachieved and lost in the Playoffs! And an Andre Miller led 76er team improved after he left Philly! my argument is only a personal opinion, not a factual debate. I have looked at the teams that AI left and joined, and in my opinion, he did nothing but destroy team chemistry.
I don't see a current roster like that but the most recent one would have to be Lebron's Cavs that went to the finals against the Spurs. Their philosophy is still very similar but their roster is full of much better players than that finals team and any team AI had in Philly.
He's only been on three teams. Did he destroy chemistry in Philly? He took a crap roster to the NBA finals. Did he destroy chemistry in Denver? They had their third best regular season ever and won more than before his arrival. The team was then able to trade him for a player that improved their roster. How can you argue that he destroyed the chemistry of those two teams with a straight face? Did he destroy chemistry in Detroit? OK, lets say he temporarily "destroyed the chemistry" in Detroit. Let's also take note of the fact that the team traded for him solely because they wanted to dump Billups' contract. The team did not make the trade in order to improve their product. The Detroit Pistons acknowledged that their team was not going to be a contender last season and wanted to blow it up. They traded for him knowing that he was not a good fit for their roster and did it for one thing, and one thing only: money. Then the coach botched the situation about as horribly as he possibly could have, and got fired for it.
The Grizz can cut him any time they want. It's just stupid to sign a guy like Iverson and play him for 18 minutes a game. In Iverson's last full season in Denver, where they won the third most games in franchise history, he averaged 26.4 PPG, 7.1 APG, 3 RPG, 2 SPG on 46% FG shooting and 80% FT shooting. WHY WOULD YOU ONLY PLAY A GUY WITH THOSE STATS 18 MINUTES? You can't make the argument that Denver wasn't winning with him putting up those type of numbers! Also, we should at least acknowledge that Denver's playoff run was at least partially aided by the weakest western conference in several years.
And the Pistons were much worse with AI than with Billups. Then when Hamilton became a starter, they were better, then AI whined. I don't hate AI...I don't love him either...and Mango is right on. No team is like what AI had back then. AI took that team finals because it was built around him. You would need to have the following players to complement AI: Rondo Battier Joakim Noah Tyson Chandler Only then, would AI be happy, cause he'd get to take every shot like in his prime and be surrounded by defensive specialist and rebounding specialist.
I think the biggest point now is that AI is 2. He thinks he's a 2 and plays like a 2 (well, he doesn't play 1 well). So that means if you start AI, then you're sitting Mayo. I don't think Mayo would be happy with that, and the Grizz would rather have a disgruntled AI who is a short term sign, rather than their future (who is arguably better than AI now) mad at them.
Did AI get a clause in his contract with Memphis that promised that he would get to play a certain number of minutes (or more) provided he was healthy? If he did, then he has grounds to complain and should file a grievance for breach of contract. If he didn't, then he is out of line and needs to be <i>counseled</i>.
A lot of people pointed to the Finals team in Philly. First of all, that season had the worst Eastern Conference (maybe of all time) I've ever seen. At least 6 teams from the West could have beaten them handily. The Lakers, as expected, clobbered them as an after thought after the "real" finals in the West. That team also showed that the only "system" Iverson could succeed in was where Iverson was a one-man offense. All the other guys were just responsible to defend and get the rebound and hand him the ball.
