Why Is Allen Iverson Considered To Be so Great? He was a chucker..

He carried a terrible team. He's one of the best players I've ever seen. One of my favourite ever players to watch play. Maybe you did have to see him to appreciate how good he was and what he was able to achieve with the players he had around him.

 

he was better than carter. He was a gamechanger, and he led that patetic team to the finals. great player, op didnt watch him play, only talk about stats, like they tell all the story.

 

qft, I think he was a low - IQ chucker but the guy was flat out scary sometimes and one of the most iconic players of all time. He practically reinvented the crossover we see today.

 

don't get into the numbers too much with Iverson. He is a sure Hall of Famer. He basically created the crossover.

 

The numbers are fine, even without the context, which makes them better

Some people just don't understand how to read them.

 

This should settle the debate, in my view. AI was given free reign with seemingly no regard for offensive efficiency. This era should be known as the iso era for ball dominant guards. (Looking at you Starbury, Franchise, Agent Zero, et al.)

Make no mistake. I'd take Iverson over those chumps without batting an eye. But let's be real. Would the Answer have advanced to the Finals without Coach Brown's clamps and defensive schemes? Probably not.

Was Iverson fun to watch? Sure, depending on who you ask. Killer crossovers and breakin' ankles. The kids sure seemed to like it. And so did the NBA marketing machine until they realized the beautiful flow of the game was suffering.

I'm more of a purist, but I must admit it was a joy to watch AI bounce off the floor after getting destroyed in the paint. Time and again, the little guy was absolutely fearless and came back for more. I'll tip my hat.

Does this mean he routinely made his teammates better? I woudn't say so.

According to basketball-reference.com:

I have yet to understand how this metric correlates favorably to overall player efficiency. That's another reason why I don't value PER as much as others often do.

At the end of the day, Iverson's career offensive & defensive ratings are nowhere near the top of his peers (same era). His win shares of 99.0 (estimate of the number of wins contributed by a player) rank him 75th all-time. That measurement, in itself, isn't bad at all. However, when taking into account his ridiculous Usage % of 31.8 -- good for 3rd ALL-TIME -- it's quite telling, especially for inefficient volume shooter, IMO.

 

If there was a stat for ankles detroyed per game, Iverson would be the all-time leader. His crossovers were NASTTYY.

 

Not sure if serious.


Original crossover.




Original killer crossover.

 

Does defense and preventing the other team from scoring help your team? If your answer is yes then you can't call the Philly team terrible. Their defense was great.

 

Well I'm not a big AI fan but remember that:

1) AI lived in the "hardcore" era, where handchecking was still allowed in the NBA. If he can score like that then he might put up Harden-like efficiency now, AI wasn't shy about getting to the line.

2) AI was a pioneer, one of the first combo guards in the NBA. Kobe had MJ to as a guide, AI was on his own.

3) IMHO he was a bit of a wasted talent. If he had gone to a decent team like say the Spurs, AI would have been a franchise caliber pg. Instead he went to a team where he can rail against practice.

 

11 all-star teams, 7 all-nbas, 1 mvp. Thats a Hall of famer.

 

DJ Augustin would have 0 pts if he has the same defense attention like AI. I seriously doubt Kobe or Tmac could lead the philly team in 01 into finals and beat the lakers in LA

 

I think some are misrepresenting what those of us who aren't enamored by Iverson feel. I of course think he's a sure fire HOFer, special player. That doesn't mean he isn't overrated.

Most athletic player of his generation... Created the crossover... Career PER that makes him better than Nash or Pierce.

This is overrating.

I lived in Philly from 98-02. Iverson was special... And amazing to watch. But his negatives are meaningful and often overlooked because of his size, his attitude (which appeals to some) and style. Take those away and look at the results. Which clearly say HOF player.. BUT inefficient, overused chucker playing in a weak conference with crazy usage who was t exactly a plus off the court.

 

he wasnt a chucker cause he went hard to the basket. Chuckers are kobe and melo

 

No one is eating up the fact the EP compared Allen Iverson to DJ AUGUSTIN?!

 

Because he put up those numbers without practice.


Seriously could never stand the guy. He's the epitome of the thuggery that non-sports fans think of when they think of basketball players.


I'm not saying he wasn't a good player, because he was, just couldn't stand the guy.

 

Why doesn't Usain Bolt run the mile? Look at his 100m time! Just times that by 16 and he would smash the world record!

 

As a guy born and raised in Philly, who started following Iverson at Georgetown and who had the distinct pleasure of watching Celebrity Boxing "with" him at a Houlihan's bar on Cityline Ave. ("BLAOW, he got knocked the F&%K out!" -actual quote), I wanted to add my 2 cents.

This is my all-purpose AI story:

http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?p=8104081#post8104081

And Iverson was great for 3 reasons.

1. His Game - The quickness, the crossover, the impossible shots/drives, the toughness, the heart; there will never be another Allen Iverson. Plain and simple, just a sheer joy to watch.

2. His Career - Other posters have mentioned the impressive career accomplishments already. I HATE the "if Player X took 25 shots a game..." argument. Why? Because Player X DID NOT take 25 shots a game. Iverson did and that's why we are talking about his greatness now and not Player X's.

3. Impact on the Fans - This one never gets talked about enough. Sports exists because of and for the fans. A player's legacy with his fans, especially his hometown fans SHOULD count a lot to their reputation. Before I joined this forum I had no idea how much Houston loved the Dream. That love has actually increased my respect for him and his greatness.

Iverson didn't win any rings, but for an entire generation of basketball junkies, he is Philly basketball. And unless Philly lands Wiggins, I don't see anyone taking that crown for a long time.