Numerous team sources confirmed on Friday that the 76ers’ brass has already talked – and talks will only escalate this weekend – about bringing Iverson back to Philadelphia. Possibly as early as next week.
“It’s being seriously considered,” one Sixers official said before his team lost to the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night. “We know the history. We know the ups and downs. But we’re also aware of what (Iverson) can do and that he’s needed here. We simply can’t just ignore the upside he’d bring. Not with our situation.” ~ Fox Sports
Whether you like or trust Stephen A. Smith is irrelevant here. The fact that this is out there now after the team and Ed Stefanski so vehemently denied the prospect of this publicly numerous times as recently as 10 days ago kind of adds to its credibility just a little.
What else makes this believable?
- Speights and Lou out. They are the Sixers’ two best offensive players this season by a wide margin. It’s very clear this team will struggle to score without them. (more on this below)
- Brand hurt – again.
- Eddie Jordan doesn’t give a shit about defense so Iverson’s weakness there isn’t really a concern for him.
- Jordan’s version of the P.O. It is predicated on movement and a lot of perimeter spacing. That makes it a great offensive for quick, penetrating guards who can get by their man. That’s what Lou has been doing and what Iguodala has struggled to do.
- 29th ranked attendance in terms of volume and 30th ranked attendance in terms of occupancy. Whether you like it or not basketball is a business. It’s not a nonprofit putting on a show for us. Only filling 58.9% of your building puts any ownership in a desperate position.
- Heart. Whether you liked A.I. or not, the dude played with heart and desire every night. He fought. This team has very little fight in it. This team has already been called out by the coach as soft on two occasions. One thing A.I. has never been thought of is soft.
Okay so let’s expand on a couple of those points real quick.
The Attendance
I witnessed it first hand last night. Pathetic. No one really cares about this team.
20 minutes before game time
Game time
The sad part is that these images don’t even show the worst it’s been down there this season.
Simply put, desperate times, call for desperate measures.
Injuries
The Sixers need to add a player. Speights is out for a few more weeks. Lou is gone for 8 weeks. Brand is completely unreliable. That’s three top-of-the-rotation players. The Sixers need to add a player who can contribute. That means there is room and minutes for A.I. here which has been his biggest issue on other clubs.
He wants to play a lot and preferably start. The rumors suggest Jordan was planning to go with a Jrue/Lou backcourt anyway. Meaning you slot A.I. in there for Lou now. What’s really the difference? When Lou returns you can run them two together and really try to outscore teams. That’s been Jordan’s approach anyway. The problem has been the fact that he doesn’t have enough scorers and play-makers to pull that approach off.
Last night I witnessed some of the ugliest half-court offense I have ever seen. They were running around like chickens with their heads cut off. No one knew where to go or what to do. The ball ends up in Iguodala’s hands with 6 seconds on the clock and him needing to make a sharp move to get a good shot for himself. That is a losing proposition 90% of the time. And the result is him settling for his favorite shot – the 20-footer.
You ugh to A.I. coming back but not to watching that play happen 10+ times a game?
Heart and Sense of Urgency
One thing a city could rally around is a team they perceive to be playing hard all game, every game. I don’t get that feeling. I don’t see any sense of urgency from this squad at all. For the most part they look lackadaisical for the larger part of games.
Iguodala’s turnovers last night almost made me leave the game early. He is an f’ing clown. He is all about himself and looking good. He blew 3 fast break opportunities by fooling around and trying to be fancy. He is a loser. He makes loser decisions and plays. It speaks to his mindset when he is trying to make a behind-the-back pass in a game his team is losing and struggling to score. The more I watch this dude the more I dislike him. It’s ridiculous. When will it stop? When will he figure it out? When will he accept who he is and play within that?
I’d rather watch A.I. running around like a mad man than watch that dude. And I guess it’s not just us as fans who is tired of watching it. Eddie Jordan is tired of the fact that Iguodala settles for those jumpers because he can’t get better shots off the bounce.
On top of that you now have the coach questioning his eldest veteran’s work ethic?!?! Brand who is supposed to be this great guy. This hard worker. This model of a tough, hard hat and lunch pail player. What the hell is going on? Did you guys read that part of the article?
It’s alarming!
So The Big Question: Should They Pull the Trigger?
Should the Sixers really call upon “The Answer” to solve their problems?
There are pros and cons. There are a lot of emotions involved and to manage with a decision like this. There are plenty of opinion out there. But what are the real risks?
Stunt the development of young players all around. From a minutes perspective, an attitude perspective and an on-the-court perspective.
While this definitely comes into play, not so much in the next two months. Jrue would still be starting. Lou and Speights will still be hurt and not playing for over a month. So from a minutes perspective, Jrue still gets his for another 2 months.
What about when those guys come back? Well let me start by saying I don’t think Speights should come back early or even at the first chance he is cleared to. This season is trash. And it’s trash even from a development standpoint as well for Speights. He started off great, but this knee injury kills his season entirely. There is no reason to push for him to come back and play. Let that knee heal 110% and know Speights is part of the future which isn’t right now. It would be catastrophic if he came back and got hurt again OR struggled if his confidence was hit.
When Jrue comes back I think you run with a 3-guard rotation of Jrue, Lou and A.I. Ivey and Green don’t really need to play all that much if at all. And if Jordan was really planning to run with Jrue and Lou in the backcourt that means you have 96 minutes in the backcourt to split between those three guys. Plenty of time.
What about A.I. dominating the ball? Someone’s going to do it anyway. Lou does it. Iguodala does it. Willie does it. Are any of those option that much (at all) better than A.I. doing it? Look I hate the pounding too. But that’s something that is also predicated by the coach and the offense. The coach needs to make sure the ball is moving and the offense is designed to create that movement.
Can A.I. even still play? This is one of my biggest sticking points. If he can’t stay healthy and can’t compete at a high level don’t do it. What’s the point? While I believe his name will put some more people in the seats, that won’t work if he is either sidelined or not exciting. Think about it…
The first couple games the seats will be packed to see what’s going to happen. See what A.I. has left. To see if he can provide the entertainment value he used to. To see if he can breathe some life into this boring, losing squad. If people show up and he is in a street clothes, it’s over. If people show up and he simply can’t play, it’s over. Small uptick in attendance for a very short period of time. Not worth it at all.
What about his influence on young players and attitude? Could hurt, could help? Dude plays hard and gets after it. That’s not a bad thing for the young guys to experience. But he also is a spoiled brat, and well, we have Iguodala for that already. One thing is for certain: if he gets minutes and the teams wins more games, I don’t think this comes into play at all. It’s a gamble for sure.
Should we be playing to win or for a lottery pick? Always play to win. If they lose while playing to win, that’s fine. But in my opinion, losing breeds more losing. And I’d just rather have these young kids not go through an excessive amount of losing. I want them in games, competing in winning situations. And hell, what’s better for development than having them compete in the playoffs again?
I just don’t like losing, don’t like watching losing. I don’t like watching games where I have no hope the outcome will be different, and that is where I am almost at with the Sixers most nights regardless of opponent.
The season is going to be half over by the time this team is fully healthy again. We are talking something like 25 games or so if Speights and Lou return towards the end of January. I think that makes this season a wash. I think that means the development year we wanted gets pushed back another season.
On the flip side most of the people who are against Iverson coming back think the team won’t improve that much anyway. So it doesn’t hurt the lottery odds all that much anyway.
With that in mind it becomes about money and business. And A.I. will no doubt help that.
Would I do it? Yup. But I am different than many fans. I don’t like this roster or many players on it. I like Speights and am intrigued by Jrue. My player support tends to end there. So from a pure fan perspective I am only watching games because of the logo. I love that logo, and I will forever support it, in good times and bad.
The prospect of seeing Iverson in the new-old uniform excites me. Partly because I was a big Iverson fan and partly because my excitement is at such a low point right now that almost any change would lift it.
And I know A.I. won’t change his ways and play the right way. I liken Iverson to a rogue superhero. A guy that everyone either loves or wants to love. A guy that has all the ability in the world. And an obscene ability given his stature. That if was just applied to the game of basketball in a slightly different way, he could have done even more great things as a individual player and more importantly as a team leader. Dude could have lead the league in assists AND scoring and won a ton more games. His talent was that enormous. If only he would use his powers for good.
There is a tiny part of me that wants to see, if in his last hooray, he could show just a little bit of that. And in Philly no less. It’s a dream. But it’s my dream, and I personally am willing to put out a couple bucks to see if it could come true. At the end of the day that is exactly what the Sixers organization would be trying to do. Draw people like me into that empty building.
Time will tell.
Should the Sixers Bring Allen Iverson Back?
- Yes (75%, 76 Votes)
- No (25%, 25 Votes)
Total Voters: 101
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Welcome back, AI, Retrojet (if you sign on). Take us to new lands; our eyes are weary of rubes and half-hearts and excuses.
I say do it! It wont add many wins but it would take a ton of pressure off of the underachieving lack of heart team.
AI will bring heart if nothing else.
No question about it – the team needs to generate buzz and this is the way to do it. AI can do whatever he wants and he can’t hurt the sixers because they were going nowhere to begin with. This makes them much more interesting, exciting, and relevant for the average fan. Plus we get to see AI end his career as a sixer and not in disgrace, which is what any sixer and iverson fan should want.
UUGGHH….he is going to ruin my dream of a top 5 pick in the draft. Welcome to another decade of mediocrity, #7 to #8 seed in the plyoffs, and a first round exit…yeah welcome back A.I.
Is it time for pitchers and cathers to report yet???
He’ll sell tickets and make the team, at the very least, interesting. It’s one thing to be bad, and it’s one thing to be boring. The Suns aren’t really going to contend, but they’re exiting. The Sixers are a flat out bore. This will liven it up a bit and make the games watchable again. Can’t imagine this will do much to develop Lou into a pass-first guard though. Fuck it, Jrue, AI and Iggy should be interesting. Who gets kicked to the bench? Thad or EB? That is assuming AI will start, he better. No point in sticking that crybaby on the bench to complain.
To be candid, I can’t for the life of me understand what’s appealing about such a signing. Eight years ago, at the top of his game, he won us nothing and was impossible to build around. What “excitement” does he bring? With a team of young players, you bring in a guy who doesn’t want to practice, EVER, who dominates the ball, who’s past his prime, and who doesn’t play a lick of defense. He’s been run out of EVERY town in which he’s played.
What in the world is exciting, buzz-worthy, and relevant about a few more games and still getting nowhere (except further away from a top-five lottery pick), about going back to a contaminated well, about bringing in a guy whose on-court attributes HAVE ALWAYS BEEN MORE THAN OFFSET by the impossibilty of fitting him with other high-calibre and championship-quality players, of his off-court lack of professionalism?
Frankly, what’s exciting about feeling like a complete TOOL when you buy a ticket to see Iverson play?
Ugh, god. No thank you.
Hobbes, Wondering if you feel like a complete TOOLBOX when you buy a ticket to see present ’5 & Dime’ Sixers play.
I won’t watch this current team play, either–except when I get free tickets. I get it; the team blows. I’m pretty much convinced that about 4/5ths of the team is junk. But the sliver of hope I retain, for Speights and for Holiday, for the possibility of acquiring something decent through trades involving other players, is shashed into tiny pieces when I think about Iverson coming to town to sell jerseys and tickets.
God, the thought of watching AI pound the floor with the ball makes me ill. More than that, though, the thought of AI in Philly makes me irate because it tells me, for sure, that Comcast and the brass don’t have a f***ing clue about how to right the ship. It tells me that all bets are off, that this organization would rather peddle a magic show than do the risky and more honorable thing and give the kids all the minutes, try like hell to reconfigure the roster, and play to win while simultaneously hoping like hell to land a top ten draft pick.
You show me the coaches or players that cried a river when AI left town and then I’ll rethink my position and assume that Iverson will be good for Speights and Holiday.
Hobbes you do know that Spieghts and Lou aren’t playing for quite a while right? That Brand looks completely unreliable right?
That the team needs to sign a player either way right?
That Jrue will be starting for another 8 weeks right? Meaning he will be playing and that the article said Jordan had planned to start Jrue anyway so the plan is to develop the kid one way or another.
Speights is irrelevant to me. He has a MCL injury. I would give him MORE time than needed to make sure he comes back 100%. He is part of the future and this season MEANS NOTHING. It would be a terrible mistake to rush him back. Knee injuries are nothing to fool with.
Dannie, I love your posts and am curious to hear your thoughts on this possible acquisition. Myabe you’ll even change my mind (but doubt it).
But in answer to all questions… you bet I know it.
And while I’ve played competitive sports all my life and hated losing and did whatever I could to avoid it, I’m praying and hoping that the team plays to win and still loses. I’m more interested in trades that help the future of the team and sniffing a decent lottery pick than Iverson’s one-man-show and a first round appearance in the playoffs.
And, yeah, “here, here” for not fooling with injuries. Let Speights and Williams heal for as long as they need. In the meantime, go pick up a couple of inactive players interested in rebounding. Leave Iverson on ice.
i dont see the point in this. He takes us from a 15-20 win team to a 20-25 win team. whoop-d-do . thats the difference between having a #4 pick and a #8 pick. AI may increase attendence but do you really care about that ? lack of attendence is ownership’s problem. i really dont care if the team makes or loses money this year. Boosting short term attendence should not be our goal.
As Dannie said in the original post, it’s about running a business and not having stands that are empty. I can’t believe that there are people out there who already watch this sad team that would actually stop watching and be less interested if AI was playing, but if there are, then for each one there are 20 more who will watch and fill the stands. Absolutely nothing to lose here!
I do care about attendance because I’m a Sixers fan and I want to see them prosper and be relevant. As far as I’m concerned, the key question for the naysayers is – what is there for the Sixers to lose here? That’s the part I don’t get – this team is not remotely close to winning a championship and is about as unwatchable and irrelevant as it ever has been. At least now they’ll have a year where they’ll be a little more entertaining and interesting to the average fan. Iverson won’t be holding anyone back since this team isn’t going anywhere. The only argument I can somewhat understand is the idea that he will cost them a higher draft pick because they will be better, but that implies that they will be better with him – I’d rather get a chance to watch him again than tank the whole season.
AaronMcKie – You really should care if the organization makes or loses money.
Teams that don’t make money don’t get good players or invest in good players.
Teams that don’t make money don’t win either.
Whether you like it or not it plays a part in the on-court decisions.
This is obviously going to be a polarizing debate. It’s Iverson. That’s what happens with him.
You have people that would die for dude and people that want to kill him.
What’s interesting to me is Eddie Jordan’s comments. He clearly doesn’t like this team.
And I am more curious who these high ranking officials are in the Sixers organization?
Sonny Hill? CFO?
He mentioned both Aaron McKie and Randy Ayers were not opposed to this idea. Really?
I do not want to see Iverson come back to this team. When he left it was bitter sweet because I think we all knew we weren’t going to win with Iverson, but we also knew the Sixers window had closed and they would struggle for a few seasons. By now the Sixers should have recovered , but due to a number of awful moves by King and Stefanski the Sixers are still stuck in a rut. As many thrills as Iverson provided in the late 90′s & early 00′s there is no reason to start back at square one. I was a big Iverson fan and consider the final Raptors/Sixers playoff game (Carter’s missed shot at the buzzer) to be the most exciting sporting event I ever attended; however, I think it would be a mistake to bring Iverson back. As others have suggested, let the team go through the growing pains and get a lottery pick next year…
TEAMS THAT DIDN’T MAKE ENOUGH MONEY: Tri-Cities Blackhawks, Ft. Wayne Pistons, Chicago Stags, Rochester Royals, Minneapolis Lakers, Chicago Zephyrs/Packers, Syracuse Nationals, Philadelphia Warriors, St. Louis Hawks,
Cincinnati Royals, Kansas City-Omaha Kings, Baltimore Bullets, Buffalo Braves, San Diego Rockets, San Diego Clippers, New Orleans Jazz, Charlotte Hornets, Seattle Supersonics.
Question…
Is Iverson still a draw?
How can we decide if he is?
Dannie, Great post! Don’t like AI. Too selfish for me but the organization needs to get more people in the seats. I agree with your post.
I clicked the “yes” button on the poll without hesitating. Excuse me for being a passionate fan and wanting this team to be relevant. Allen Iverson was the reason I started liking the Sixers (I’m not from Philly so don’t hate me) and I hate to see him end his career in shame and disapointment. Bring him back, see if he can make some more memorable game winners, and try to get as many wins as possible.
We have seen nothing but complaining and lack of support for this team the whole entire season. And you think that’s going to change after we lose at least 4 more games in a row? Anything to make this team better and more likeable I am all for. We will likely still get a high draft pick, which isn’t even the main concern for me. Even if we leave Iverson retired and continue to stink the rest of the season, we still have to land the right ping pong ball. I’ll take my chances grabbing Iverson and winning 5-10 more games.
^The above comment was made completely with my heart. Not my head.
SFW – Thanks.
I am not naive or stupid. I know Iverson is what he is. He was a great talent that could have been an even greater player had he adjusted his game some.
The Sixers need to sign a player either way. This team is so depleted right now. They are trying to kill two birds with one stone by bringing in a guy they also thing can attract some more fans. No one is disputing that’s what this is about.
Stefanski killed himself last week in that Missinelli interview saying that it doesn’t make sense to bring Iverson back from an on-court perspective AND he even went so far as to suggestion he wasn’t sure if Iverson would even bring in more fans.
If this deal goes down if you haven’t already now you will have lost all faith in Stefanski. AND if what he said before about A.I. is true it’s clear he has lost some power or some other people are pulling the strings a bit now.
This team and franchise is a hot, disgusting mess right now with no visible light at the end of the tunnel.
They are praying some decent young players grow into game changing players. That’s a big gamble in my opinion given what I’ve watched on the floor the last three seasons.
More than anything in the world the Sixers need a lot of luck to turn around their fortune.
No thanks,
I’d rather the Eddies just pack up and head back to Jersey. Get a more defensive-minded coach with a serious commitment to the running game in here that will play to the strengths of the roster. Not this PO crap, which predicated on the threat of the mid-range jumper that most of the roster can’t shoot anyway, which means no reason to overplay, which means no backdoors, which leads to stagnation.
Bringing AI back is a bad, bad move. Just play the kids, the team is at least a couple of years away anyway. So, why bother? They need to commit to the youth movement, period.
Sean – They have committed to the youth movement.
That’s why Speights was playing more than Brand and Sammy. Why Lou is getting tons of offensive touches and minutes. And why you can fully expect to see Jrue’s minutes to stay up there while Lou is out and even when he returns.
I wanted Tom Thibodeau as the head coach this year. It didn’t happen. Nor is a real coaching change or GM change going to happen this season either.
All that could happen is you fire Stefanski and Jordan have have interim guys holding the fort until the off-season when you can go through the selection process all over again.
I think people are looking at this Iverson thing like they are building a team around the dude for years to come. We are talking about 64 games of commitment at most.
Give me a break with this youth movement nonsense. What youth movement?
Two of the “kids” aren’t going to be playing for two months. That’s like 25 games.
The so-called youth movement will have to wait until next season. Sucks but that’s what happens when guys get injured and I really think Speight’s should be on the shelf longer for precautionary reasons with the knee.
Jrue is still going to play and start for a while. Thad is still going to play and his minutes have actually increased a bunch the last couple games playing 40+ minutes.
What other youths are there?
Iguodala? Nope. He is 26, in his 6th season and on his past the development stage, you need to put up or shut up contract.
Dannie: No, EJ does not seem to like this team at all, and if you watch him talk after losses, he doesn’t seem to to think that any of the problems are his fault. It was interesting to read that he was planing on starting Jrue anyway, a recognition that Igoudala can’t play SG. Hopefully if Iverson is signed, Thad will come of the bench – he needs to rediscover his hunger and toughness. As a rookie he averaged 7 RB/ 36 minutes – this year, only 4/ 36 minutes.
Signing AI is interesting in of itself as a news story, and even as now a disillusioned big fan of his, it very well might be interesting to see hm on the court again – more interesting than the current team. And while I can’t blame them for for chasing tickets sales in a down economy, the move would be yet another sign that there is no plan in place to contend. The Brand signing has been a bust, and the hiring of EJ over a defensive minded coach has really backfired thus far.
Morty – Tell me about it. Clear display of cluelessness, lack of foresight, lack of plan and pure desperation.
I don’t know what Thad’s deal is. I still hold out hope I am wrong about him. I’ve not been on the Thad bandwagon from the beginning. There was just a softness and passiveness about him that bothered me.
As much as I love his efficient as hell 22 points on 13 shots and 3-3 from beyond last night. 2 free throws, 2 boards, 1 assist and no impact in any other way in the game in 43 minutes.
I just feel that’s what he is going to be for his career. That looks like a really good bench scorer to me.
Dannie -
I think Thad needs to have a coach that stresses the importance of defense and rebounding in his performance. Is it a coincidence that he notched his best rebounding per36 performance during his rookie campaign, when he had a coach that would pull him if he slacked off defensively or on the glass?
He’s 21. I’m not worried yet. As an example, when Carmelo was his age, he wasn’t boarding or playing much D either.
As far as the Youth movement I was speaking of, what is the point of bringing in AI? He becomes an offensive focal point and reinforces the fact that defense is optional? Thad & Dre should be the focal points until M16, Brand & Lou return. If they lose, they lose. Keep this Jrue/Dre/Thad on the perimeter until Lou returns. I’d rather have Antonio Daniels, if you have to make a move. Smart vet, has a ring, defends, PG mentor for Jrue. Much better move.
He’ll draw his legion of old fans until they realize that the thrill is diminished … by AI’s diminished physical capacity and his diminished emotional reserve … too much water under the bridge, I suspect. Might sellout his initial encore, but turnstiles will continue to turn only if team, by osmosis, plays with original AI heart & soul and regains its collective self-respect - an unlikely scenario.
And counting on Speights and Williams as rocks on which to build is a mistake.
Their statures have curiously grown of late as we’ve not been able to observe their scattered play (especially off the ball).
Yahoo, Mountain Dew! This organization is sinking on account of slick but ultimately dopey, in-bred administering, including its positioning as a team on the rise. Painful to watch.
I’ll believe AI will return only when I see him wearing red, white & blue on a court.
If by chance he does, I’ll wish him the best as he’s earned my respect by taking on all comers at full speed in original style.
I will be ecstatic if we sign A.I.
This team is in for a long rebuilding process and signing the most exciting player in team history isn’t going to change that one way or the other.
If we suck with A.I. – at least we get to see him play again and get the good draft pick we were going to get anyway.
If we climb up to 7th or 8th in the east with A.I. (unlikely) – we’ll get a worse draft pick, but I’m not seeing anyone out of the top-3 that is going to be a game changer for this franchise anyway.
Sean – Two things.
I am not worried about Thad because unlike most I am not resting my hopes on him getting all that much better (i.e. becoming a complete player). I am reserved to the idea that he is what he is. And last year people were saying “he’s only 20.” Next year you and everyone else will be saying “he’s only 22″ and so on and so forth. Lou is only 23 do you believe he will change his style of play?
Melo? Don’t think so. He has consistently been a 6 rebound per game player. His peak was 7.4 and in fact his rebounding is actually down this season so far from the last two.
To that end Melo is still under performing on the boards and defensively given his size and ability.
About the focal point of the offense. Tell me, who is the focal point of the offense now?
There isn’t one. We don’t have a volume shooter on this team. Iguodala leads the team in shots per game at 15.8. The offense isn’t built to create a single dominant scorer.
Sometimes the ball goes into the post, sometimes they run pick and roll, sometimes they run that dumb ass hand off at the top, sometimes they put the ball at the top of the key. The offense is suppose to create scoring opportunities for every player on the floor fluidly.
Sure you can break everything down and go iso or exclusively pick and roll with one player.
Will that happen if Iverson is on the floor? Better question will he hijack the offense? Maybe, maybe not.
But I can tell you one thing, from what I have seen when Speights and Lou aren’t on the floor no one really wants to be the focal point. Jrue passed up far to many shots last night he just wants to pass.
I would give Thad the ball more but you really can’t. He can’t run pick and rolls because he can’t dribble, read defenses or pass. So he is limited to isos and post ups. He will still get those opportunities.
Iguodala right now isn’t getting good shots in the half court. He is put in situations where he has to break his man down to get a good shot and he hasn’t been able to do that efficiently. He has been matched up against some small shooting guards but he isn’t a good post up perimeter player to take advantage of that.
See where I am going with this. Iverson is what the team needs offensively. So long as he can still penetrate and get his own shot and draw defenses. Right now this team is missing guys that can draw defenses.
I get your stance. Just let the team suffer. Let them suck. That’s one way sure. It’s just not the only way when a player like Iverson is out there available. There is a reason Eddie Jordan’s wants him.
I’m in that picture! Apparently I wasn’t there 20 minutes before game time though.
I don’t like the move to bring Iverson back. While it would make the Sixers much more exciting this year and maybe next it’s certaintly not going to result in a championship. All this will do is set the Sixers even further back.
For the life of me I can’t understand why Iverson doesn’t want a championship…he’s already done everything else. He needs to go to a contender and be the “instant offense off the bench” guy.
Dannie – I get your point.
Part of it is the fact that the Sixers don’t currently have a coach who is actually demanding players to expand their games beyond scoring, so Thad, who due to his natural talent, has never really had defensive demands put on him save for his rookie year w/Mo, doesn’t stress that part of his game as much. The reason I keep going back to the age thing is that most players his age who are not already defensive stoppers rarely become that this early or quickly. Rebounding is an issue, but both of these things point to a lack of fundamentals coming up.
As far as the offense goes, you are right, they “don’t” have a volume shooter. However, I’d argue that as opposed to equal-opportunity offense, they need to funnel it through Thad & Dre nearly non-stop. Right now, given their personnel and health issues, their offense should be about playing through Thad & Dre in the mid & low post, in that order. Iguodala should also be doing screen/rolls with Smith & Thad. Jrue should be doing the same. The Screen/Rolls with Thad should be trying to provoke switches to get Thad an even better matchup. They tend to go away from favorable matchups way too quickly(which is where a better PG comes in, Holiday is showing that on a couple plays). Thad should’ve had 30-plus last night. One thing I miss about LB; if you couldn’t stop something, he’d keep running it until you did. Dre can overpower most guards down there, and the few times he goes down there, the teams are doubling quite quickly. A few hard cuts or some ball reversal action and you “should” get a good shot from that. It needs to be a staple of what they do. Honestly, I’d have Dre working on a 5 to 10-foot jump hook every single day, including shootarounds. Then again, I also would have hired a professional shooting coach to follow this team around constantly.
Once Brand gets back, he should be at the Elbow, on the block or in screen/roll. He should NEVER touch the ball again beyond the arc. Anything else and you do the defense’s job for them.
As far as AI goes, yes, he provides you an offensive attack dog, which is just fine. Just feels like treading water for no good reason. The Eddies need to try to keep their jobs so this move reeks of closing-time at the bar desperation to me.
Let Thad, Dre, Smith & Jrue have a bigger piece of this for awhile. The experience will be beneficial in the big picture.
Given the circumstances with the injuries, especially to Lou, I say why not?
Also, if the AI to AI2 connection can reappear again (2004-2006), then it should make things interesting for this team. This new AI does not have that competitive spirit like the original AI. This team needs leadership from one of the players and this is only a rental player, so perhaps Stefanski should give it a try. It all depends on what this team wants to do this season!
If they want to make an attempt for a playoff spot, I say go for it. If they want to get a higher draft pick, then drop the AI idea. Simple as that.
GO SIXERS!!
If you lose an injured player that is your 2nd leading scorer and can replace him with a similar player for the minimum , you do it, it is a wise basketball decision. If your so called star is full of himself, and you can bring in a personality that knocks him down a rung or so, you do it, it is a wise basketball decision. If you can improve your gate with a minimum contract, you do it, it is a wise basketball decision. I was totally against this but the more I thought about it , the more it made sense. Take who it is out of your thoughts for a minute, and it makes basketball sense. If L.Will. and Marreese were healthy, this would not be happening anyway, so who gets hurt by this; Thad, who doesn!t have an aggresive bone in his body: Iggy, I really don!t care what he feels about it because his head doesn!t seem screwed on straight anyway, and that!s a damn shame. Our young guys, for the most part are quality people that should be able to deal with this, and who knows, it may make them a little tougher. Dannie, I have turned completely around on this, but for you I have 2 questions; 1] what is the conversation like when Jordan has his sitdown with A.I. ? : 2] Get inside Iggy!s head and tell me his reaction.
Suede – Why am I having a sit down with Iguodala? To make him feel good about the decision? To coddle his ego? Ask if he is okay with it? Ask his opinion?
Nah. I am not having that conversation. No need. He isn’t Chris Paul, Kobe, LeBron or any other top flight player that might be involved in that type of decision. Nor do I want him to think he is.
Hell, New Orleans didn’t even tell Chris Paul before they fired Byron Scott a guy he really liked. So why would I need to have a sit down with Iguodala?
If I need to say anything (meaning he starts babying) it’s suck it up and play.
Iverson led this franchise for 10 years. We all went down there and enjoyed the games. There was really no other reason to go other than AI. The other players were as ordinary as the ones we have now and the ones we have had since he left. Maybe the franchise and us fans owe him something for the good times over those 10 years.
I was down there last night and I will not be going back any time soon (this from a season ticket holder who went to 35 games per year for the past 10 years). Just too weary of watching Sammy, Iguadola and Willie Green represent the franchise. Last night we really never had a chance. Fell behind by a few early. Trailed by a few more at the half. Down 10-14 in the third and lost a little more ground in the 4rth. You could have written the script before it happened.
Looks to me like lack of talent and basketball IQ rather than lack of effort. Maybe the lack of effort lies with management and ownership and not the players on the court.
Four reasons not to sign Iverson and why they don’t apply to this team:
Can’t build around him. Don’t plan to. Sign him!
Doesn’t play defense. Neither do the Sixers and Bruce Bowen couldn’t change that. Plus, AI has led the league in steals more than a couple of times. Sign him!
Destroys chemistry. This team doesn’t have any and they ain’t going to develop it regardless of who they sign. Sign Him!
Can’t coach him. Eddie Jordan couldn’t coach me into a better basketball player. SIGN HIM!
Here’s my opinion: SIGN HIM!!
He will sell tickets and a bunch of those new jerseys. Plus he’ll make the team interesting.
The Best argument I’ve seen against this move, as well as a implied indictment of Eddie Jordan’s tenure:
http://www.nba.com/2009/news/features/john_schuhmann/11/28/iverson.sixers/index.html?ls=iref:nbahpt1
No thanks. Just raise his jersey to the rafters and call it a day.
Sean -
Didn’t find that article convincing one bit. It isn’t based in reality.
These players, coached by this coach, aren’t going to have a sudden turnaround on the defensive end of the floor. Just not going to happen.
It’s like a Pittsburgh Pirates writer saying the Pirates shouldn’t sign Rick Ankiel because they really need to sign John Lackey and Matt Holliday. Sure they do. But they aren’t going to.
In the immortal words of you know who, “Thanks, but no thanks”, the guy has been kicked off of three teams since he left here, that should tell you something right there. To me it’s a short term fix to a long term problem, it doesn’t solve anything, it merely prolongs it. What we need is a real strong offensive player capable of doing his thing within a team offense, and that type of player almost always comes within the first 5 players selected in the draft. I’m not sure how much Princeton offense we run now, but with both A.I’s on the court I’m pretty sure will run none of it in the future; we’ll be strictly a one-on-one team the rest of the way. I see Rodney Carney and Jrue Holiday’s minutes disappearing, and the defense becoming even more non-existence. I just think it’s another bad decision based on short term (tactical) thinking, rather than the long term (strategic) approach.
I must say that I was somewhat taken back by Dannie’s comment on our roster, if I’m not mistaking, I believe he said the only two players he likes are Speights and Holiday. Well, I think we certainly have more than those two. I like Thad’s future, I know that he has struggled for the first few games, but he’s starting to come on, and Lou is really starting to come on too, I think he’s doing a pretty good job running the offense; he’s our best scorer, and is distributing the ball better than I expected. He has kept his turnovers down, and recently I’ve seen some improvement in his defense. Jason and Rodney have talent too, I expect both will have very good NBA careers. Currently, our two main problems are: too much small ball, we’re getting killed one the boards. We need to have a 4, and a 5, together on the court at all times. Sam And Elton both need to be playing 30-32 mpg, and Jason needs 20-25 mpg, just those three in a three man rotation. Secondly, changes need to occur in Andre Iguodala’s game. He needs to play within the offense more, instead of so much one-on-one. He needs to have more discipline when he’s passing the ball, take fewer shots, and play better defense.
In closing let me say that there is a remote possibility that Allen comes back a “reborn” basketball player. After being kicked off of three teams, I expect his ego might be in-check. He could come in here with something to prove. He may just want to show the world that the can make his teammates better, that he doesn’t have to take all the shots, or be, “the man”. That he can be a leader who puts his team first. It’s possible, I’ve seen selfish star players, in their twilight years, do it. He might, (considering what he’s been through the last few years), have seen the light, and wants to repent. Like I said, it’s possible, however, I’d say the odds are against it. Besides, I’m not sure he’s capable of playing any way other than the way he’s played his entire life, (that goes for Iggy too). And, like I said earlier, he’s a short term fix to a long term problem. I still prefer to play the kids, take our lumps, and get that high draft pick (top 5).
Dannie, Jordan is supposedly going to have a sitdown with the real A.I., in Atlanta, I believe; what do you think he asks him?
LA Steve-
If the real thing this team needs is a top-5 draft pick, and you seem to think Iverson will make us worse – isn’t signing Iverson good in that respect?
If you compare the other 4 pieces around him; Theo/ Sam : Tyrone/Elton: George/ Iggy : Eric/ Jrue ; its all about the coach, and if L.Brown had these 4 defenders he could turn them into something that we all wish we had here.
It’s different in many ways, but when the Phillies had everyone excited about acquring Roy Halladay, they had a lot to fall back on, but at least offered up Cliff Lee instead.
Now, for better or worse, this intruiging AI question has eveyone’s attention, and like the Knicks, 2 weeks ago, surprisingly the 76ers are offering play by play through the press on the courtship of AI. As in this negotiation and team executive discussion is solely for the interest of our captivated public, and any reproduction other than us dong this the Knick way is strictly prohibited. You could almost feel the collective, desperate sigh from remaining Knick fans when it became a bit apparent that owner James Dolan nixed the idea. The Knicks had already lost credibility, so it probably didn’t matter. The excitement of rooting for the same old Knicks seems uninspiring even though they’ve been better since the AI conversations. The 6ers are also wildly attractive only to close friends and immediate family. Compare that to seeking Halladay, and “settling” for Cliff Lee.
This might be a little different than the Knicks. Iverson magnetizes most anyone, but his long history in Philly really brings it out locally. The haters have little to fall back on if they don’t sign him. No other signee would inspire emotion like this. Those that are fired up are going to feel drained after this scenario if Iverson doesn’t wear a Philly uniform again. Its just going to lead to more frustration among what’s left of the fan base.
Thus, whether they should or shouldn’t, the 76ers to me have backed themselves in a corner and have to approach this with every intention of signing Iverson. Personally, I find that pretty sad, but you get used to this kind of stuff when you hear Jeff Laurie talk about his dog loving ways on the same stage as Mike Vick after agreeing to pay him over a million bucks. It’s not just politics that makes for strange bedfellows.
I might add that one way or another, I hope Iverson finds some peace in time. Obviously, he’s driven by a chip on his shoulder, and hasn’t always been angelic, but I don’t wish the embarassment of a talent like him being retired in such strange manner no matter how much was self created. If he meets with the 6ers, and reflects a hunger to play, they have no choice but to sign him. Should or shouldn’t exited stage right when this once proud franchise sank to levels just north of Roy Rubin days.
jjg: appreciate your even keel approach to the matter.
Dannie: lengthy post. all our horrible play so far this season gets briefings but both AIs have got you mouthing off.
suede: agreed about the pros of signing him. heck if it can knock some sense into Iguodala its worth it.
bout Iverson: whether they do it or not, i think considering it is a bold move. could mess up everything we have built up so far but really what is that?? remember though he specifically demanded starter’s minutes.
but then again, coming back here will give us more leverage as to what w can ask of him. I’m sure he’d be willing to tone it down some just to be able to retire as a Sixer.
Jordan would earn his money coaching this one.
bout Iguodala: I wonder whether it was the organization annointing him as their franchise player and selling it that created his ego problem or thats mostly his character.
Pete, If Allen comes here and is the same AI we all know, I expect we’ll win a few more, (3-10 games), than we would if Holiday and Carney are getting those minutes, but what will it accomplish, other than impeding their growth? Allen has been in the league 13 years, how much does he have left, and how does he impact our future? I just don’t see the point.
As far as putting butts in the seats, I don’t get that either, we weren’t drawing at all his last few years here. When it comes to NBA Basketball, Philadelphia will not support a losing basketball team, regardless of any one player.
My god Iverson is a reason why I love the NBA. What a divisive figure. Anti-hero indeed, Mr. Dannie. Great post. So, usually since I overanalyze and over-intellectualize everything to death, I’ve just decided to turn my brain off with this one and become a total mindless homer fan instead of analyzing anything:
BRING THE LITTLE FELLA BACK!!! He still has it in him to drop a crafty 23 ppg. People forget how fun he is to watch. It’ll ignite a fire under Iguodala’s ass…once upon a time when AI was here he played defense. Lou will get jealous and he’ll be a monster when he gets back. Brand will be a nice fit with him as Brand is best when he defers to scoring guards (see: Duke, Clippers). I miss his shake-bake of defenders. I miss the “Why the F— are you shooting th…YES YES YES!!!” shots he takes. I miss his no look passes and dumps to frontcourt players for easy baskets. I miss the craftyness and total smoothness in finishing around the rim. What can I say. I !@#$ing miss the guy, and even miss how he misses practice.
This is such a bad and frustrating season that the whole fan base are like whiny little kids in a classroom. He will be the pizza the teacher hands out that shuts us all up. Why? Because he’s freaking fun. And the past three seasons of Sixers ball, with our ceiling of 7-8th seed, I have been BORED OUT OF MY DAMN MIND and could use some fun.
AI: Welcome back.
(hanging out with the family too much for a weekend will make me write things like the above)
A squarely-stated current opinion: “It is a desperate move by a horrible, horrible
franchise in the city of Philadelphia … worse than Dalembert, Brand, Webber, Geiger [signings].” – Howard Eskin, WIP radio talk show host.
Agree that it is now a horrible franchise and that a consideration of re-signing
former organization cash cow/disrupter is mostly business and desperation-based.
Disagree that obtaining Iverson’s basketball juice (and residuals) for a low-cost rent-to-buy partial season arrangement would be worse than their signing big name dogs that he referenced. I’ll take a high-octane, flawed drive to ‘play, shoot and win’ as influence to younger players over the conventional, lukewarm, nice loser, paycheck-is-my-cushion mode that I now perceive.
jkay, Thanks for the compliment.
In reply to your consideration of Iguodala: I think it’s a mark of both his character
and his organization’s ‘rushing-to-fill-the-AI-void’, premature annointing of a “star.” Too long a leash for too long a time on an obviously flawed player. Could be a good third fiddler but first needs an attitude & perspective adjustment. Hard to arrive at with a Superstar contract contradicting the need.
jkay – Hard to write lengthy posts about this team when they lose the exact same way ever game.
I have another lengthy post written that I’ll post tomorrow or Tuesday. Hasn’t been a lot of time between games to write stuff that isn’t a game related post. This Iverson stuff came out of nowhere and of course it was going to rile some people up.
Dannie,
of course i care if the organization makes or loses money – in the LONG TERM. the problem for me is the signing of one of the biggest losers in NBA history for 1 year to try to boost attendence. the team gets no other benefit from this except the 5 more wins i mentioned above.
who signs with a team, plays 3 games, cries, and then quits ? this guy is such a loser. he single handily made denver a powerhouse by leaving and stunk up detroit.
AaronMckie4MVP: HEY!! he is not a loser! okay… he plays with a lot of courage and reckless abandon. lacks defense but so do a lot of other players. just because he is the focal point, selfish and lacks a conscience does not mean he can be blamed for all the losses. he is a player. period. one that can be credited for once getting us to the NBA Finals.
I’m starting to enjoy this. i hope they sign him.
What do they really have to lose? As long as Jrue gets his minutes there is no downside.
Question for whoever wants to answer it. Assuming they bring AI back and assuming they start him – which I assume they would. What is the starting five?
My thought:
Holiday, Iverson, Igoudala (at the 3), EB (out of respect for a vet) and Dalembert. I suspect Thad would still get good minutes because EJ seems to hate Brand.
not a loser??? a 1 for 1 swap for Billups turned Denver from average to elite. at the same time , it turned a perennial playoff team into mediocrity. there hasnt been a better 1 for 1 experiment since the Winthorp for Valentine swap. the evidence could not be more clear.
the guy played an exciting career, but lets face it, his legacy is more Cwebb than Kobe. anyway, what is the point ? i just dont see how it helps us. i could care less about the Eastern conference 8 seed. the sixers always aim for mediocrity, thats always been the problem. thats why iguodala was maxed out.
for someone who loves Aaron McKie so much you should at least appreciate Iverson. I’m not saying he is;nt who he is, but you’re giving him way too much credi.
besides we’re not aking him to come and revive our franchise; just to have some last laughs and fun for a while. think of it like a party on cocaine* when you just got fired and losy your girl.
*jkay does in no way advocate the use of, trafficking or production of cocaine nor is he admitting to ever having use a controlled substance.