Andrew wrote:NovU wrote:You are right, Andrew, but my point was what Iverson has done led to the point where no team wants his service, at least not in the way Iverson wants to contribute. Given that he's not the same AI who led Phillies to the finals, he should learn to accept what he is given at the moment, and not cry over playing time or at lessor role he's given. It seems to me, the best possible choice for him was to accept being 6th man at Detroit and prepare for off-season to get more attention from quality teams. But what he did was typical me-first attitude once again, and wanted a team built around him.
But that's assuming that he's not capable of being a starter in the NBA. Look at his numbers in his last full season with Denver, the last time he was playing in a system where he fit in and was able to play the game his way. I would say he's still capable of playing at that level given the opportunity, whether or not that team will be successful is another matter entirely but if he's still that good, why should he resign himself to a more limited role off the bench? To win a championship - possibly, there's more than one contender and no guarantees - but I'm sure the experience would be tainted by his professional dissatisfaction. If he wants to prove that he can still play at a high level and has the opportunity, why not? Why settle for less, especially when there's no guarantee that it'll pay off in terms of being a part of a championship team?
And again, it comes down to the contenders wanting (or indeed, needing) him. Looking at the teams you mentioned - the Spurs, the Lakers, the Celtics, the Magic - they don't need Iverson and he doesn't fit their system. He's a player who does damage with the ball in his hands and none of those teams really need another player like that. Even putting attitude aside, even assuming he'd be willing to come off the bench for them and play less minutes, even with all his talent they just don't need him. If he can't latch on with a contender, better to look for somewhere where he can try to prove he's still got it rather than warm the bench for a team like the Grizzlies.
I see your point, though I don't think that it was or is the best course of action for him. Retiring like this just isn't what I wanted to see and it seemed to me, him being on the contender, chasing after the ring sounded like the best choice for someone in his shoes. I for one wanted to see Iverson playing a major role as Grizzly so didn't really blame his decision even though it turned out to be like this, so him still being stubborn is just typical Iverson I like to watch. Anyways, I'd really like to see him come back and prove people wrong by playing good, so whereever he ends up, best wishes.
