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AI sees his days in Detroit more clearly now

Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press recently had a chance to talk with Allen Iverson at a Southfield T.G.I. Fridays.  Yes, Iverson is still in town but he’s just tying up all his loose ends before embarking on the next chapter of his HOF career.

I wish the article would have had less back story and more insights from Iverson about his Piston tenure.  There were a few notable and candid quotes that I’ll pull from the article though.

AI calls the 5 months he spent here the most ‘miserable’ of his career and that his back injury was legit and not just him bailing on the team.

As for what went wrong here in Detroit he cites ego and also points to the popular assertion that Michael Curry just was not prepared to be an NBA  head coach after a mere one year as an assistant.

I personally was hard on Iverson throughout the season on this blog, but I’d also point out that some of our fan frustrations should be directed towards Joe Dumars for selling us (and Iverson) a bill of goods on the November 3rd trade:

“It was sold to me as we were going to go for it,” Iverson said. “I was told that things had gotten stale around here.

“Now? I don’t know. I think it may have been about the money.”

May have been?  Especially with the way the season turned out it’s safe to say it was all about the money.

For those who might think that there’s any lingering animosities between Rip Hamilton and Iverson over the 6th man saga, that’s not the case.  Check out this AI’s Tweet from a few months back[*]:

we just got to the club…we met up with RIP and Tayshaun

Iverson is currently an unrestricted free agent.  There’s been rumors of interest from teams such as Chicago, Miami, Memphis and a reunion with Larry Brown in Charlotte.  The biggest question mark for the Answer will be is there actually a team out there that can somehow fit him in and be succesful?  But, like here in Detroit Iverson sees himself as a starter or bust.  When asked if he’d take a role as a spark of the bench:

“I don’t know. I think I would retire.”

Look, whomever made this video needs some sort of world saving high ranking position because they’re a freakin’ genius.  Simple as that.

UPDATE: Auburn Hills– The Allen Iverson project in Detroit is over. The Pistons announced Friday they were shutting the all-star and former NBA scoring champion down for the rest of the season, including the playoffs - DetNews.

Pistons.com:

 AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – Detroit Pistons President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars announced today that guard Allen Iverson will miss the remainder of the season. The all-star guard missed 16 games between February 27 and March 28 after exiting a game at New Orleans with a sore back on February 25.

“After talking with Allen and our medical staff, we feel that resting Allen for the remainder of the season is the best course of action at this time,” said Dumars. “While he has played in our last three games, he is still feeling some discomfort and getting him physically ready to compete at the level he is accustomed to playing this late in the season does not seem possible at this point.”

Wow! Thoughts?

I think the truth is being veiled.  I believe “physically ready” means “mentally ready”.  How is he going to handle other teams offering him roles off the bench as opposed to designing an offense around which is the only way to integrate his game?

Iverson is unhappy with his new role and it took all of two games for him to let that be known.

“Eighteen minutes, c’mon, man. I can play 18 minutes with my eyes closed, with a 100-pound truck on my back. That’s a bad feeling.“I’m wondering what the rush was to get me back. I mean, for that?”

There’s a lot I wanted to say about Iverson after making this statement, fortunately Chris McCosky hit it out of the park for me:

Rushed him back? He left the team Feb. 26. Hardly anybody saw him again until last week. He didn’t do one single basketball-related exercise for a month. So he comes back, clearly rusty, clearly not in game shape, and he complains about playing 18 minutes on the front end of a back-to-back.

Unbelievable. Then he has the audacity to follow-up his rant by saying he doesn’t want to vent, that he’s trying to stay positive and focus on the big picture. The statement loses credibility when it comes after he’s already vented.

Iverson keeps saying things like, “because of who I am,” and, “a person with my resume and all the things I’ve done.” The issue isn’t what he’s done in the past, it’s what he’s done as a Piston, and that has been not much.

The sooner he realizes that he’s not the same guy, that he’s 33 and out of shape, the better off he will be. He didn’t play horribly Tuesday, but he did what he’s done pretty much all year — make critical mistakes at critical times.

[...]

How many times is Iverson going to dribble into a crowd and either fall down or pass the ball wildly out of bounds? How many free throws is he going to miss? How many different ways can the Pistons junk up their defense to protect him?

[...]So what do they do? Let him go home and rest up for next season or deal with what could be a daily distraction for the next eight games? I vote the former.

The calf is still bothering Sheed and the Pistons aren’t looking to take any chances with him.

Coach Michael Curry said before the game Sunday that he doesn’t expect Wallace to play at Dallas Tuesday or at Houston Wednesday.

“He’s still not able to run,” Curry said. “I won’t say he’s out for that Texas swing, but I doubt he will play.”-DetNews

Also, in the same article Allen Iverson’s back is set to be re-evaluated by his Georgetown physician on Wednesday.

Philadelphia 76ers reserve guard Lou Williams told Philadelphia’s WMMR’s Preston and Steve morning show that Allen Iverson, whom he still keeps in touch with, is unhappy as a member of the Detroit Pistons.

At this point what does it matter?  It still remains to be seen if the Pistons can integrate Iverson in any way, shape, or form to the team.  A few more months and we’ll have a very unceremonious close to the Iverson days (or daze depending how you look at it).

The Pistons might be able to pull off some fun moments in the Playoffs, but for Joe D the real season will start after the Finals and that’s where Iverson has helped the team the most.

Source: Dimemag

Or rather releases this statement:

“I’m disappointed that the soreness I’m feeling in my back is going to force me to miss two weeks of action. After talking with the doctors at Georgetown yesterday they have told me that treatment and rest is the best course of action right now. Hopefully my back (will) heal and I’m ready to go following this two-week period.

“My goal is to help this team win a championship and I’ve said that from the first day I arrived here in Detroit. I’m going to do whatever it takes to help us achieve our goals as a team regardless if I’m starting or coming off the bench.” – mlive

Well, I’m glad he’s finally come out and addressed the situation.  It be a bit more interesting if he took questions, but this is something.  He’s still saying all the right things

UPDATE: At the suggestion of a clever Tweet by brgulker here’s a USA Today article near Iverson’s final days as a Sixer when he left the team with back spasms shortly before he and Sixers brass were mutually acknowledging the end to the Iverson era in Philly.  Eyebrow raising similarities.

 So it’s a officially a sore back?  Is this the diagnosis he was seeking, and if not for this Georgetown doc would he have sought a 4th or 5th opinion to stay away from the team?  I’m not accusing, just wondering out loud.

ESPN: AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Detroit Pistons guard Allen Iverson will miss the next two weeks with a sore back, the team said Wednesday.

Iverson was evaluated on Wednesday by doctors at Georgetown University in Washington. Doctors there recommended that he suspend basketball-related activities and be re-evaluated after two weeks.

Doctors at Georgetown have been in contact with the team’s medical staff and Iverson will begin treatment upon his return to Detroit on Thursday, the team said.

According to a press release from the team he won’t even be traveling with the team (to prevent stress on his back).  Is that normal?

Personally I’m not too broken up about the news.  I enjoy the way the Pistons have been playing sans The Answer.

UPDATE: Allen Iverson will miss Tuesday’s game still dealing with back injury.  He’s seeking a second opinion from a Washington specialist – espn

Allen Iverson came here in hopes of fitting in and helping get the Pistons back to the NBA Finals.  It hasn’t quite worked out that way.  Allen Iverson’s style and the Pistons concept have never meshed despite numerous different lineup configurations to try and get it to work.

If the MRI reports are any indication Iverson’s sore back is not serious.  So it’s kind of puzzling why a guy who’s as competitive and tough as he is isn’t in the lineup trying to help the Pistons stay in the playoff hunt.  Is his back really bothering him that much or is he more bothered that he, a sure thing Hall-of-Famer,  is being asked to be a reserve?

We’ve not heard any word from Iverson yet, only that Michael Curry said he wasn’t happy about the idea of coming off the bench.  Which, by the way, is not only understandable but should be expected.

The Pistons are better with Iverson not starting, but could be better yet with him embracing a new role off the bench.  He wants to play his game, well this is the perfect opportunity.  He has to know that he’s still going to get a good share of minutes.  Not only that he’ll be get a chance to play against the opposing second unit which should bode well for him on both side of the ball.

Nothing has worked here for the Answer so far, so why not give it a try?  Even if he’s not signing back with the Pistons this summer it’d be a great way to show other clubs that he’s committed to helping a team way in any capacity.

Remember what I said when Iverson chopped the ‘rows?  Pretty prophetic.

The On Deck Circle:

Ben Wallace showed up for tonight’s Raptors/Cavaliers game sans his trademark brades/afro hair. When asked why, he used the Iverson Answer (9 and a half years is a long time to do anything), and said his 3-year old daughter can be the one doing braids and such from now on. I’m sure a better photo will surface, but enjoy this print screen in the meantime. (H/T: Ball Don’t Lie)

ESPN’s Scoop Jackson asked all the NBA All-Stars if they be any other player who would it be?  Chauncey Billups’ answer put an ear-to-ear grin on my face:

“A.I. So I can get my Detroit No. 1 [jersey] back.”

Classic. Danm,  I miss Mr. Big shot.
(H/T: brgulker)

Check it out, Iverson is now become among the many NBAers who’s forsaken the corn rows for a closer crop. I always wondered how much guys like AI spent annually to get their braids done.

Who does that leave, Ben Wallace?

(more…)

Hoopsworld (with a ht to DBB)

“I love the fact that I have the opportunity to be wherever I want to be,” Iverson said. “At this point, all I want to be is happy. I want to be somewhere where I am happy and somewhere where a team is going to utilize me and get everything out of Allen Iverson.”

This isn’t the first time Iverson has said he’s not signing back with Detroit without actually saying he’s not signing back with Detroit.  Besides that, even if he wanted to what would have been the point of trading for him in the first place?  His expiring contract is what suits this team, not him.

It’s not all his fault though.  I believe he came here under a false pretenses, being that we were looking to compete for a championship by adding him to the bill.  He’s tried.  He’s said all the right things.  But at the end of the day it doesn’t really matter because it won’t work here.

Like Matt at DBB wonders; how many teams out there are going to A) pay Iverson, and B) retool their whole team to accommodate his brand of basketball?  Especially now after seeing what kind of team  you’ll get if you don’t cater to his skillset.

Even though I don’t think Webber should be dogging former teammates there’s some credence to his statement that Iverson is best suited to take the court with robots.

Potential suitors need to be willing be build their team to the specs of Philly’s early 00’s teams.  Solid defensive role players who can occasionally hit an open shot when they’re passed to.

Iverson needs possessions.  He needs shot total numbers north of 25.  I’ve noticed through his time here as a Piston that he’s not that great of a finisher.  He’s great at getting to the hole, but if he’s not fouled he puts up a lot of bad shots and commits turnovers.

I don’t believe that the Pistons just need the remaining 31 games to figure this thing out.  It’s a bad mix.  Even if Curry game-planned putting the ball in Iverson’s hands more I doubt that everyone else would just roll with that.  So I fear that as fans we’re going have to watch the Pistons, unwillingly or not, take a mulligan on the season and see who we can use some of this expiring money on in the offseason.

Nash might have owned the night as far as assisting goes, but this is still one pretty bounce pass from AI to Rip

“I think Grant going for it added more to the play,” Iverson said. “It would not have seemed as spectacular if he hadn’t tried to kick it. But that’s a play I’ve practiced since I was a kid when I saw Magic Johnson do it.” -DetNews

So says Chris Webber on TNT’s “Inside the NBA” :

 “Allen Iverson needs five robots to play with him,” said Detroit native Webber, noting the Sixers’ run to the 2001 NBA Finals happened when Iverson “had five guys who couldn’t score — Aaron McKie, (Dikembe) Mutombo, (Eric) Snow (are) all defensive players.”

To which Iverson responded:

“Listen man, I haven’t ever thought Chris had it all, anyway. It doesn’t matter, man. I do whatever is going to make the team better. It’d be tough. I have never (played) off the bench in my career so it’s something different.” - link

This spawns from their mutual time in Philly when they didn’t always see eye to eye.  Although I actually agree to an extent with what Webber is saying I don’t think he should have said it.  It’s just very uncouth to bag on former teammates.

It’s another  example of it not being such a good thing to have played with the future HOF’r.