Allen Iverson
Iverson's stock has dropped exponentially in the last year. He went from hoping to ink an $8-10 million a year extension with the Denver Nuggets at this time last summer to simply hoping he can find NBA employment for the 2009-10 season.
The one suitor that has been mentioned in the media of late is the Charlotte Bobcats. Iverson's former coach Larry Brown still has a lot of respect for Iverson and also a team he's trying to push into the NBA Playoffs for the first time in franchise history. On the surface, the idea seems like a good one. However, let's not forget that while Iverson and Brown ended on good terms, they butted heads repeatedly over the course of many years in Philadelphia.
One also has to wonder whether or not Iverson would be open to coming off the bench. The Bobcats are already trying to balance giving minutes to both Raymond Felton and D.J. Augustin. Adding Iverson into that equation would only make things more complicated, even if he sees most of his minutes at the two spot. All that said, expect Brown to try and get the Bobcats to take a look at Iverson this summer.
Another destination for Iverson could be the New York Knicks. While some people will likely dismiss this notion without even giving it a thought, stop and ponder it for just a minute. The Knicks didn't get the point guard they were hoping for in the draft. Moreover, there remains a decent likelihood that both David Lee and Nate Robinson could be playing elsewhere next season as the Knicks prepare to clear salary cap space for 2010. The end result is a team that likely won't make the playoffs and could make the fans in NYC restless.
Enter "The Answer."
The Knicks could sign Iverson to a one-year deal. It would be a near-perfect fit for both parties. The Knicks could bring some excitement to The Garden while the fans wait for the summer of 2010. For Iverson, he could try and revive his career in Mike D'Antoni's shoot-first-and-ask-questions-later offense, which would be a perfect complement to A.I.'s skill-set.
One final destination for Iverson could be the Atlanta Hawks, especially if Mike Bibby departs. Iverson would likely be playing the point guard position if he signed in Atlanta, though, and there are some major issues teams face long-term with that such as Iverson dribbling away the shot-clock while teammates stand on the weakside. This is one of those ideas that might sound good in theory, but in practice it could be detrimental to head coach Mike Woodson's job security.
http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=13121
Iverson's stock has dropped exponentially in the last year. He went from hoping to ink an $8-10 million a year extension with the Denver Nuggets at this time last summer to simply hoping he can find NBA employment for the 2009-10 season.
The one suitor that has been mentioned in the media of late is the Charlotte Bobcats. Iverson's former coach Larry Brown still has a lot of respect for Iverson and also a team he's trying to push into the NBA Playoffs for the first time in franchise history. On the surface, the idea seems like a good one. However, let's not forget that while Iverson and Brown ended on good terms, they butted heads repeatedly over the course of many years in Philadelphia.
One also has to wonder whether or not Iverson would be open to coming off the bench. The Bobcats are already trying to balance giving minutes to both Raymond Felton and D.J. Augustin. Adding Iverson into that equation would only make things more complicated, even if he sees most of his minutes at the two spot. All that said, expect Brown to try and get the Bobcats to take a look at Iverson this summer.
Another destination for Iverson could be the New York Knicks. While some people will likely dismiss this notion without even giving it a thought, stop and ponder it for just a minute. The Knicks didn't get the point guard they were hoping for in the draft. Moreover, there remains a decent likelihood that both David Lee and Nate Robinson could be playing elsewhere next season as the Knicks prepare to clear salary cap space for 2010. The end result is a team that likely won't make the playoffs and could make the fans in NYC restless.
Enter "The Answer."
The Knicks could sign Iverson to a one-year deal. It would be a near-perfect fit for both parties. The Knicks could bring some excitement to The Garden while the fans wait for the summer of 2010. For Iverson, he could try and revive his career in Mike D'Antoni's shoot-first-and-ask-questions-later offense, which would be a perfect complement to A.I.'s skill-set.
One final destination for Iverson could be the Atlanta Hawks, especially if Mike Bibby departs. Iverson would likely be playing the point guard position if he signed in Atlanta, though, and there are some major issues teams face long-term with that such as Iverson dribbling away the shot-clock while teammates stand on the weakside. This is one of those ideas that might sound good in theory, but in practice it could be detrimental to head coach Mike Woodson's job security.
http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=13121
