The Charlotte Bobcats: The Answer To All Of Allen Iverson's Questions

[Built Ford Tough]

Allen Iverson has said on his twitter that the Miami Heat, New York Knicks, and the Charlotte Bobcats are all teams that he is interested in signing with. And with reports coming out of ESPN, among other media outlets, that Iverson is getting close to a deal, it makes you wonder which of these three teams are going to take a chance on the fallen superstar.

 

While the Knicks and Heat are interesting scenarios for Iverson, I think that there is a definitive answer to the question of where Iverson should sign, and that answer is the Charlotte Bobcats.

 

The Charlotte Bobcats are one of the best defensive teams in the game which is to be expected from a Larry Brown coached team. They do a fantastic job of playing team defense and making it difficult for the opposing team to score on them and that was the reason that the Bobcats almost managed to make their first playoff appearance in franchise history last season.

 

However, despite their excellent defensive play, the Bobcats are missing a player that can be the focal point of their offensive scheme. They have some very good complimentary pieces on offense in players like Gerald Wallace and Boris Diaw, but they lack that one player that can take over a game offensively.

 

Cue Allen Iverson.

 

Say what you want about Iverson as a person or a player, but there is no mistaking his ability to score the basketball and for a team that is hard up for scoring, his offensive capabilities could prove to be invaluable. He is terrific at slicing through defenses and drawing contact on his way to the rim. To put it simply, he is one of the most dynamic scorers that the NBA has ever seen.

 

On any given night he is capable of an offensive explosion and going off for 40-50 points, and on a team that is as defensively sound as the Charlotte Bobcats are, these kind of scoring outbursts could very well be the difference between a win or a loss.

 

Having Iverson on the team will open things up for his teammates though, and Iverson has shown in the past that he is more than capable of setting up his teammates with easy buckets. When Iverson is at his best he is putting the pressure on opposing defenses with his relentless attacking of the rim and this opens up plenty of opportunities on the outside for his teammates.

 

People are quick to point out the flaws in Allen's game and say that he is washed up, but in 2007/08 Iverson scored 26.4 points per game and 7.1 assists per game. He also shot a career best 45.8 percent from the field. With him having a season like that such a short time ago, I can't help but think that Iverson still has it and if he is put in the right situation, he can rejuvenate his stalled NBA career.

 

Allen Iverson experienced his best years as an NBA pro when he was surrounded by defensive players and had the ball in his hands on the offensive end and was making plays. The Charlotte Bobcats are a defensive oriented team and built in the same mold as the Philadelphia 76'ers that Iverson led to the playoffs earlier in the decade and I can't help but notice the similarities between the two teams.

 

No coach has gotten more out of Allen Iverson than Larry Brown. Iverson's agent, Leon Rose, has stated that Iverson would be happy to play under his former coach, and Larry Brown has not once indicated that he wouldn't be willing to reunite with Iverson. Could a reunion be in the works?

 

With the Charlotte Bobcats being a fantastic defensive team coached by Larry Brown that is in need of a focal point on the offensive end of the floor, signing Allen Iverson would be a perfect answer to not only Allen's questions, but the Bobcats playoff questions as well.

 

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/239462-the-charlotte-bobcats-the-answer-to-all-of-allen-iversons-questions?ref=lead

 

*I wrote this yesterday before hearing about the Houston/Iverson speculation. I just thought I would post it anyways*

Edited August 21, 2009 by Built Ford Tough

[Erick Blasco]

Charlotte's building a team that plays the right way---people are finally realizing just how detrimental Iverson is to a basketball team. He can score, but at what cost? Larry Brown wants no part of him, and rightfully so.

[Built Ford Tough]

Charlotte's building a team that plays the right way---people are finally realizing just how detrimental Iverson is to a basketball team. He can score, but at what cost? Larry Brown wants no part of him, and rightfully so.

 

If Larry Brown wants absolutely no part of Iverson, why would he say:

 

"He's done a lot for me, and if we could work it out -- the money, the opportunity to play -- I'd be all for it," Brown said. "He's always been good, always been there."

 

Source

 

I remember reading something in June saying similar things about how he would be open to a reunion with Iverson.

 

I get that people don't always tell the whole truth when being interviewed by the media but they also don't go out and straight up say "I love Allen." or "I'm very open to a reunion." or "I'd be all for it (coaching him)."

 

Iverson gets such a bad rap for what happened in Detroit and gets basically all of the blame placed on him, which is bogus as far as I am concerned.

[Erick Blasco]

If Larry Brown wants absolutely no part of Iverson, why would he say:

 

 

 

Source

 

I remember reading something in June saying similar things about how he would be open to a reunion with Iverson.

 

I get that people don't always tell the whole truth when being interviewed by the media but they also don't go out and straight up say "I love Allen." or "I'm very open to a reunion." or "I'd be all for it (coaching him)."

 

Iverson gets such a bad rap for what happened in Detroit and gets basically all of the blame placed on him, which is bogus as far as I am concerned.

 

It could be him playing nice to Iverson in the meida.

 

Iverson gets a bad rap for his selfishness, shooting habits, his inability to care about practicing or defending, his inability to sacrifice, and his mindset of putting his image above his team. Aside from that one trip to the Finals, he never had much team successes in Philly, prevented the Nuggets from taking steps forward under his tenure, and walked out of Detroit when the going got tough.

 

It's not a coincidence that the two places he's left improved markedly after his departure.

[AtTheDriveIn]

It could be him playing nice to Iverson in the meida.

 

Iverson gets a bad rap for his selfishness, shooting habits, his inability to care about practicing or defending, his inability to sacrifice, and his mindset of putting his image above his team. Aside from that one trip to the Finals, he never had much team successes in Philly, prevented the Nuggets from taking steps forward under his tenure, and walked out of Detroit when the going got tough.

 

It's not a coincidence that the two places he's left improved markedly after his departure.

 

The Philadelphia team under Larry Brown that Iverson starred in only had one losing season which was Iverson's second season in the league. After that, they had some considerable success for a team that didn't have much talent. They won 49 games with Tyron Hill and Toni Kukoc as the main 'second guys' and made the playoffs every season, and got out of the first round three out of four times, making it to the semi-finals twice and even the Finals in 2000-2001. That, in my opinion, is more success than say, Chris Bosh could ask for at this point.

 

It was only after his failure to produce wins without Brown that got Iverson this status as some team killer or team cancer when in fact, in Denver's first season with Iverson, they improved considerably, from being a middle of the pack team to being the team 'that just needed one more piece', which they never got because they were too busy locking up Carmelo for $14+ million per season, but Iverson somehow got the blame for it. Then when they got the piece they needed, Iverson wasn't able to be around for it, so it obviously had to mean that Iverson was keeping this team back on the court, which definitely wasn't the case as he played with just as much heart and passion as he always had.

[Big Penny]

It could be him playing nice to Iverson in the meida.

 

Iverson gets a bad rap for his selfishness, shooting habits, his inability to care about practicing or defending, his inability to sacrifice, and his mindset of putting his image above his team. Aside from that one trip to the Finals, he never had much team successes in Philly, prevented the Nuggets from taking steps forward under his tenure, and walked out of Detroit when the going got tough.

 

It's not a coincidence that the two places he's left improved markedly after his departure.

selfishness? his career average is 6.2 assists per game. not bad for someone whos "selfish"

 

defense? chris paul is praised for coming up with steals on defense. that makes him a good defender. if AI only has 0.2 less steals on his career average, how is that bad? i know stats arent the whole story, and i know hes not a top quality defender, but to say he doesnt care is just wrong.

 

inability to sacrafice and put his image above his team? i guess that means, playing through countless injuries obviously means you dont care about your team.

 

aside from one trip to the finals? everyone praised lebron for taking his team to the finals once, but when AI takes a team with no relevant players (except an aging dikembe mutumbo) to the finals its nothing?

 

prevented the nuggets from taking steps forward? in AIs one full season at denver they had a 50 win season in a stacked western conference. and to say philly got better after he left was stupid. have they been to the finals since he left? nope. have they got out of the first round? nope.

[Erick Blasco]

The Philadelphia team under Larry Brown that Iverson starred in only had one losing season which was Iverson's second season in the league. After that, they had some considerable success for a team that didn't have much talent. They won 49 games with Tyron Hill and Toni Kukoc as the main 'second guys' and made the playoffs every season, and got out of the first round three out of four times, making it to the semi-finals twice and even the Finals in 2000-2001. That, in my opinion, is more success than say, Chris Bosh could ask for at this point.

 

It was only after his failure to produce wins without Brown that got Iverson this status as some team killer or team cancer when in fact, in Denver's first season with Iverson, they improved considerably, from being a middle of the pack team to being the team 'that just needed one more piece', which they never got because they were too busy locking up Carmelo for $14+ million per season, but Iverson somehow got the blame for it. Then when they got the piece they needed, Iverson wasn't able to be around for it, so it obviously had to mean that Iverson was keeping this team back on the court, which definitely wasn't the case as he played with just as much heart and passion as he always had.

 

Those Sixers teams had some pretty efficient scorers though, and if Iverson were more concerned with running a more balanced offense, instead of holding Larry Brown hostage, the Sixers could have done more than they did. Making the playoffs in that conference isn't an accomplishment. Struggling to win 50 games in the East says more about Philly and the awful conference they played in.

 

The Nuggets were a somewhat unstable, yet talented team before Iverson. Those Nuggets could have matured faster if Carmelo matured, if Nene wasn't always injured, and if Marcus Camby was off the roster. Instead, Iverson brings more flash, little substance, and the Nuggets get troucned by the Spurs and the Lakers. Take Iverson out, put in Billups, it's a whole different team.

 

Assume Iverson stays on the Nuggets with Billups, the Nuggets defenses suffers horribly with Dahntay Jones relegated to the bench, Anthony and Nene don't get premium shot attempts because he isn't getting them the ball in better positions to score. Iverson would slack off in practice, so the rest of the team would slack off more. The Nuggets would become more of a short-cut taking team, and would struggle in the postseason.

 

Iverson plays with heart, Iverson plays with passion, and Iverson plays with no awareness as to the difference between winning teams and losing ones. GM's are finally getting the memo.

[Erick Blasco]

selfishness? his career average is 6.2 assists per game. not bad for someone whos "selfish"

 

defense? chris paul is praised for coming up with steals on defense. that makes him a good defender. if AI only has 0.2 less steals on his career average, how is that bad? i know stats arent the whole story, and i know hes not a top quality defender, but to say he doesnt care is just wrong.

 

inability to sacrafice and put his image above his team? i guess that means, playing through countless injuries obviously means you dont care about your team.

 

aside from one trip to the finals? everyone praised lebron for taking his team to the finals once, but when AI takes a team with no relevant players (except an aging dikembe mutumbo) to the finals its nothing?

 

prevented the nuggets from taking steps forward? in AIs one full season at denver they had a 50 win season in a stacked western conference. and to say philly got better after he left was stupid. have they been to the finals since he left? nope. have they got out of the first round? nope.

 

Getting assist isn't always a byproduct of selflessness. For someone who dominates the ball as much as Iverson, of course he's going to get a ton of assists. And simple drive and kick assist passes don't replace a crisp offensive sequence orchestrated perfectly. Look at how Utah runs their offense. Not all of it involves Deron Williams making assist passes, but Williams always makes the right play---the assist pass, the right pass to initialize the set, the pass to thwart the defense's counter, the cut, the screen, etc.

 

Chris Paul is praised for his defense by many people, but not me. Deron Williams is a better team defender, and a much more aware on-ball defender. If Iverson cared, he'd finally learn to buckle down and learn how to play positional defenses instead of getting off-balanced swiping at every dribble, and abandoning his responsiiblities to gamble into the passing lanes.

 

Iverson's refused to come off the bench, refused to accept a role where he doesn't dominate the ball, and refused to integrate into Detroit's system. That's putting his ego above his team and watching the team suffer for it.

 

There are differences in LeBron and AI's trips to the Finals. One, the Pistons were much, much better opponents than the Milwaukee Bucks. Two, LeBron has shown that he's more talented, but is also more aware, a harder worker, and a better defender. LeBron has improved some of his major flaws since his trip to the Finals. Has Iverson?

 

Plus that team had a very relevant defensive stopper in Aaron McKie, a relevant defender and rebounder in George Lynch, a relevant point guard in one of the smartest players to ever play, plus a big time defender and clutch playmaker in Eric Snow, and the relevant Toni Kukoc who was only an orchestral piece of Chicago's second three-peat.

 

AI had one full season in Denver and they embarassed themselves against the Lakers. Absolutely embarassed themselves. And to say the Philly isn't a better team once Iverson left...Have the Sixers missed the postseason with sub-40 win seasons with Andre Miller? Yes. Have they shown the grit, and toughness to put a scare in playoff opponents much better than them? Yes.

[AtTheDriveIn]

Those Sixers teams had some pretty efficient scorers though, and if Iverson were more concerned with running a more balanced offense, instead of holding Larry Brown hostage, the Sixers could have done more than they did. Making the playoffs in that conference isn't an accomplishment. Struggling to win 50 games in the East says more about Philly and the awful conference they played in.

 

Efficient scorers?

 

1998/1999 Second leading scorer - Matt Geiger, 13.5 points per game, career, 9.2 points per game

1999/2000 Second leading scorer - Tyrone Hill, 13.0 points per game, career, 9.4 points per game

2000/2001 Second leading scorer - Theo Ratliff, 12.4 points per game, career, 7.5 points per game

2001/2002 Second leading scorer - Derrick Coleman, 15.8 points per game, career, 16.5 points per game

2002/2003 Second leading scorer - Keith Van Horn, 15.9 points per game, career, 16.0 points per game

 

Although all were fairly efficient in the sense that they could all hit layups and open jump shots like most NBA players can, none were scorers in the literal word. Ironically, the worst seasons they had was the season when Van Horn and Coleman set 'era' highs of 15.8 and 15.9 points per game respectively, the most out of any second leading scorers in the Brown era.

 

The 76ers were head and shoulders above most of the competition, anyway. It was their inability to beat Western Conference teams that had them 'struggling to make 50 wins'. Their record against the East in 1999, where they won 49 games was 36-18, meaning they only went 13-15 against the West. Similarily, in 2002/2003, when they won 48 games, 35 of their wins came against the East; the best East Vs. East record in the conference if I'm not mistaken. They were basically, by and large, the class of their conference; they just couldn't capitalize outside their conference.

 

The Nuggets were a somewhat unstable, yet talented team before Iverson. Those Nuggets could have matured faster if Carmelo matured, if Nene wasn't always injured, and if Marcus Camby was off the roster. Instead, Iverson brings more flash, little substance, and the Nuggets get troucned by the Spurs and the Lakers. Take Iverson out, put in Billups, it's a whole different team.

 

But that's the thing; look at what you just said:

 

Carmelo did mature

Nene wasn't injured

Marcus was was off the roster

 

and they still did the best they could without the head cases they still had. They were always going to get beaten when they had Allen Iverson and Anthony Carter as a starting back court and everyone knew it, especially by the more physical teams (oh, wow, Spurs and Lakers guards are physical, who would've thunk it?). But for some reason, people expected Iverson to be some enormous saviour like LeBron to the Cavs when he was never that player. He leads average teams to dark-horse statuses; he doesn't lead average teams to championships contention like many think he does.

 

Assume Iverson stays on the Nuggets with Billups, the Nuggets defenses suffers horribly with Dahntay Jones relegated to the bench, Anthony and Nene don't get premium shot attempts because he isn't getting them the ball in better positions to score. Iverson would slack off in practice, so the rest of the team would slack off more. The Nuggets would become more of a short-cut taking team, and would struggle in the postseason.

 

Iverson plays with heart, Iverson plays with passion, and Iverson plays with no awareness as to the difference between winning teams and losing ones. GM's are finally getting the memo.

 

 

 

 

I have more to talk about, but I want to go watch Formula One. If I don't get back to this topic, just argue the top points if you're going to reply.

[Heir Rose]

Charlotte should sign Iverson. They could be getting an All-Star for the MLE, and he gives them that premier scorer they've never had. The Bobcats' roster is set up to be a playoff team if they can sign Iverson, as they have a solid supporting cast that fits A.I. perfectly. Wallace is a legit #2 scorer, Diaw is versatile in what he can do on offense, Chandler doesn't need the ball in his hands to be effective, and Felton can also chip in 10+ PPG.

 

He will set them back defensively, and although he's the kind of player that appears to care more about his image than team success, he will make them better nonetheless. I see the Bobcats winning around 45 games this year with A.I., and with him they would be expected to make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. Don't expect them to get any further than the second round, though.