"We DO/DON'T Want Allen Iverson" Thread (merged)

[cdif911]

sign him up Mitch:

[WeMadeIt17]

Great mix! That video alone makes me want him! He was my favorite player growing up!





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9MiqUHx4_g

[GreenFaith1819]

I'd say Yes AI could come here. I was somewhat skeptical of Marbury coming here, but he did play well within our scheme during his time here in Boston, and helped us win a game against ORL.

This was after hardly no one(including myself) thought that he would be any good after his time in NY.

Doc and the C's organization gave him the opportunity to play. Yes his playing time was spotty, and sometimes it appeared that his contributions was minimal, but he did fit in.

I say all this because I think AI could fit in as well. Everyone deserves an opportunity.

With that being said, right now our roster doesn't appear to have a spot for him. Barring an injury to Ray or Eddie our roster is set, right now.

But--if one of those two go down with an injury God forbid, then IMO AI should at least get consideration on Boston's team...and agree to come in and play within the scheme.

The man definitely has a fire in him and something to prove. He can be taught to play defense better. The guy knows how to score.

[Eja117]

This is just me, but when you look at the way Danny handled Sheed it's worth looking at. They flew over there, stroked some ego, recruited, yada yada. Then he bought in and everything is fine.

Iverson keeps saying people are lying to him etc.  So go talk to him and say straight up "What do you want?"  Have a conversation. If he says "I want to be a starter" you say "I can't do that. Is there anything else you want?"  Just honestly figure out if there's a fit or not and be like "This is what we need and this is why we want you for it" and if he's like "no" then leave a business card and be like "call us if you change your mind".  

That's it. I don't think you need to get all psychological will he or won't he Freudian on the guy.

If he buys in you could have a very good situation on your hands.

[Rondo_is_better]

If he buys into the system...

wow.


Would you start Iverson over Rondo?

[GroverTheClover]

By grovertheclover at 2009-06-29

[Steve Weinman]

I'd say Yes AI could come here. I was somewhat skeptical of Marbury coming here, but he did play well within our scheme during his time here in Boston, and helped us win a game against ORL.

I know I'm going a bit off topic here, but the revisionist history compels me to offer a reminder that the bolded claim is patently false.

Yes, Marbury made a big difference in the Celtics' final win of the season, Game 5 against Orlando.  Credit him for that.  Yes, he showed brief flashes of getting the job done at other times - in fact, I even devoted a couple of Daily Babbles to praising him down the stretch last season.

But those were isolated instances.  By and large, he was horrific as a Celtic.  Had he qualified for the true shooting leader board, he would have finished second to last in the entire league.  His defense, albeit perhaps more energetic, was still nothing to write home about, and the team often suffered at both ends with him on the floor.

The fact that Marbury coming here and the team not consequently suffering spontaneously combustion has been looked back on by many as a success of sorts is testament to what a train wreck his career had become previously, not what a fine job he did in Boston.

-sw

[Steve Weinman]

Not only that, [Iverson] wants to play (Unlike our very own Celtic stars).

Completely and utterly uncalled for.

The Celtics' effort and energy their last two games has looked short of ideal, to put it nicely.  But the unfavorable comparison to someone who has made it clear that he only "wants to play" when everything revolves around him as he sees fit is flat-out offensive.

I'm not quite sure what could have transpired in the last two years that would serve as evidence for the claim of yours cited above.

-sw

[Kuberski33]

AI = the most overrated 'great' player in the history of basketball.

[gpap]

I know I am probably in the minority here, but I would love to see
A.I. in Boston! Iam sure it won't happen, but I would love to
see it.

[guava_wrench]

This is just me, but when you look at the way Danny handled Sheed it's worth looking at. They flew over there, stroked some ego, recruited, yada yada. Then he bought in and everything is fine.

Iverson keeps saying people are lying to him etc.  So go talk to him and say straight up "What do you want?"  Have a conversation. If he says "I want to be a starter" you say "I can't do that. Is there anything else you want?"  Just honestly figure out if there's a fit or not and be like "This is what we need and this is why we want you for it" and if he's like "no" then leave a business card and be like "call us if you change your mind".  

That's it. I don't think you need to get all psychological will he or won't he Freudian on the guy.

If he buys in you could have a very good situation on your hands.

The difference is that Sheed has said publicly that he can't jump anymore. He knows he isn't what he once was. Sheed has also always been a good complimentary guy, so it was not much of an adjustment for him.

AI could be an insanely great 6th man, but can he handle being on the bench watching Rondo and ray in the backcourt at the end of a close game?

[Celtics17]

I have no idea of what the particulars of his contract might be but lets look at the pros and cons. If we dont give up anyone of any significance, or noone at all, then there is no downside there. If we get him and he cant find his game or he is a "chemistry killer" then we cut him. Now, what happens if Rondo goes down with a bum ankle in the Eastern Finals and it takes him two games to come back and be effective. Maybe Daniels comes in and plays well enough for us to advance but wouldnt it be nice to have another option. Like, say, a guy who has been one of the best scorers, if not the best, of the last decade and a half. And, dont give me any flak about his low shooting percentage either. How about a guy who has zero rings and may just have a little left in the tank. The guy could be the difference maker between a deep run in the playoffs and a title.

[Brickowski]

After watching the Celtics lose to Indiana, I think Iverson would be a great fit.  Instead of standing around and watching their navels, the rest of the team could stand aroudn and watch Iverson.  They would lose 50 games, but hey, if they play like they did against Indiana, they're going to lose 50 games anyway.

So I'm all in favor of bringing Iverson in, so that we can get the lottery pick.

[moiso]

AI = the most overrated 'great' player in the history of basketball.

True.  A great 1 on 1 player, I imagine.  Not very good at 5 on 5.  He didn't help Denver at all despite his numbers.  The Pistons were a pretty good team, and he made them worse then quit on the team.  He was 3 games into his integration to the Grizzlies following an injury and he quit on that team too.  The winning track record is just not there.  He does not have the mental capacity to help the C's win games. 

[Steve Weinman]

And, dont give me any flak about his low shooting percentage either. How about a guy who has zero rings and may just have a little left in the tank. The guy could be the difference maker between a deep run in the playoffs and a title.

This is the type of comment that make it unfortunate that FJM closed its doors last November.

What you're intimating here is that the fact that Iverson may "want a ring" outweighs a certain thing he does that is tangibly detrimental to his team's performance - and thus, his (and his team's) chances to win said ring.

That's the thing about those "tangibles": While not as tell-all as baseball, they often give us a pretty reasonable idea of what a guy brings to the table.

-sw