Allen Iverson may not be what he once was, but he’ll still be valuable to a team. The game’s fifth leading points per game scorer is still an effective ball player, though his stock dropped sharply after a bad campaign in Detroit last season.
He doesn’t have to get along with his teammates or coaches. Look at his time in Philly with Larry Brown, where the two were constantly at each others’ throats. Amidst the chaos, Iverson still strung together 30+ points per game and brought his team into the finals.
He may be aging, but there are still teams out there that would benefit from Iverson’s presence. He’s fast, wise, and can put the ball in the basket. He’s a much younger 34 than most.
With all that said, the talk of Iverson joining the Clippers would be a really bad thing for the franchise. There’s simply no room for him with Baron Davis occupying the role that Iverson usually takes on. Add Al Thornton to the mix, and you have three ball hogs fighting for the basketball.
There’d be no defense either, between AI, Thornton, and Baron. The only guy playing any kind of defense would be Marcus Camby and I’d really hate to see this happen.
I love the Clippers and I know they’re doubtful for anything resembling the playoffs this season, but Iverson would really kill off any positive momentum that we’ve established in the off-season. I don’t see where he fits into this team. Let him play for a team filled with contending veterans.
Maybe the Knicks, even. New York loves to go after guys like Iverson, and it’d be interesting to see AI and Nate on the floor together, to say the least.
Realistically, it seems like the Hornets could benefit the most from Iverson’s presence. There’s really no one at shooting guard on that team and alongside Paul, I could see them doing some good things together. The team doesn’t have much to lose anyway.
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