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Sixers
According to the Inky's Kate Fagan, prodigal son Allen Iverson has been practicing with the starting lineup and is expected to start this evening against the Nuggets.
AI admits that he's not in the shape he wants to be in yet and that his first appearance is "probably more for the fans than anything else," though, as our own E. James Beale pointed out in this week's Sports Complex, the fans are pretty much what this whole AI redux endeavor is all about in the first place.
Given that — thanks to the injuries already sustained by Marreese Speights and Lou Williams — the Sixers are essentially already playing for next year, bringing the circus into town for three quarters of a season hardly seems like a bad move if it helps sell some peanuts.
But will No. 3 cry when he's announced, when he takes the ball up the floor for the first time, or will he save it for the post game presser?
The rumor mill is churning, people, and the word is that the recently retired Allen Iverson, the patron saint of good practice habits, could be coming back to Philly.
As Phil Sheridan astutely and pointedly explains in today's Inquirer, bringing back Iverson is essentially a white flag for a franchise that, just 18 months ago appeared destined for unbridled greatness after stealing Elton Brand from the Clippers and inking him to a blockbuster 5-year deal.
Quoth Phil:
This is a player the rest of the NBA has decided isn't worth the considerable trouble. Iverson - ahem - "retired" last week in a contrived attempt to attract attention to himself. After burning through the patience of franchises in Denver, Detroit, and Memphis, he would be attractive only to two kinds of teams: a championship contender faced with injury at his position (whatever that is) or a hopeless mess.
The Sixers are not a contender.
This is the Buffalo Bills signing Terrell Owens - a cynical move made for the sole purpose of bringing a little attention to a team that has proved itself incapable of earning it the proper way, by winning.
Brand's deal has turned out to be a back-breaker. The team's failure to resign Andre Miller and, after that, its inability to bring in anything even resembling an NBA-ready point guard, were the next steps in dismantling what appeared to be a skyscraper's worth of promise. Their handling of Andre Iguodala — first, by signing him to star money when he's clearly not quite that caliber player — and then by asking him to play every position other than the one he excels at, has been hamfisted. This is a management group that, the drafting of Thad Young and Marreese Speights notwithstanding, has made one one wrong move after the next.
Sheridan argues that "If [Ed] Stefanski and Eddie Jordan re-sign Iverson, they might as well resign themselves." It's a little early to pin this one on Jordan, but maybe Stefanski should resign regardless.
AI is the sixers. But as far as that 1 year I would not take it. Throw it back at them. AI has been floating around like a lost puppie since they trew him out on his rear and now they offer a 1 year deal. I want him back but he deserves more than that. AI built the Sixers up and they tore him and the team down.
Obviously, He will be the MVP. You guys will see....
Bring em BACK!!!!
i think that A.I should come back because what are the sixers accomplishing now? nothing so why not give Iverson a chance. I want him back.
Nothing is working for Sixers. Bring in Iverson and maybee some spark will bring out some focus in the talent they have....but A.I. can't be such a diva.
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Now, it's hard to make the argument that a guy who as recently at last season averaged 17.4 points per game and who just two seasons ago put up 26.4 per contest has nothing left to offer an NBA team. Which is why, despite his retirement, everyone, including the struggling Sixers, are debating bringing ol' No. 3 into the fold. And, of course, at issue is what kind of role Iverson should be playing and what role he will play. No young, developing team wants to make AI the number one option. A contending team could use a guy with AI's instant scoring ability as a super sixth man, but that doesn't seem to be the kind of gig AI wants or even knows how to play.
The Daily News' John Smallwood has an interesting take on Iverson over on philly.com, which looks at what's possible for his future, and what we may have been cheated out of in the past (and has a really bad-ass pre-cornrows rookie shot of Allen).
Iverson can clearly still play in the league. But can he accept a bit role on a contender, or will he go quietly into that good night on the assumption that if he's not "the guy" he's not gonna play?
Of course, Larry Brown has chimed in and urged Iverson to reconsider, and we all know how Iverson feels about what Larry Brown wants.
Should the Sixers take a flyer on him?
yes, i want a.i. back in nba. hes the best. i love watching nba becase of him.... for now i hate watching nba anymore...
[...] rumor mill is churning, people, and the word is that the recently retired Allen Iverson, the patron saint of good practice habits, could be coming back to [...]
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