Feel sorry for Iverson?

[Reality]

left Grizzys on what appears to be "pouting leave".

[rickortreat]

Yes. He is more talented than being gien credit for, and more teams should have been interested in his services.

One wonders what the agreement was when he signed with the club. Both Iverson and the Grizzlies needed to be up front about what they expected from each other.

Are the Grizzlies afraid of winning? Do they want to win and develop young talent, or exclusively develop their young players. If the later, why did they even sign Iverson? You can't fill the seats if you keep him on the bench.


AI was out of line crying about PT his first game back off of injury, but it appeared he was ready to go and was playing well, but not being given minutes.

I think the Grizzlies are in such disarray as a franchise that they don't know what they want. Iverson is too much of a player for Hollins to handle.

They should play him or trade him to someone who will. Iverson has a couple of good years left and they shouldn't be squandered on the bench of a dysfunctional franchise.

[Reality]

B.S.P.N. had earlier had quotes as part of the he said/she said, but took them down.

On his playingtime however, AI says:
"I'm not a bench player. I'm not a sixth man," he continued. "Look at my r?sum? and that'll show I'm not a sixth man. I don't think it has anything to do with me being selfish. It's just who I am. I don't want to change what gave me all the success that I've had since I've been in this league. I'm not a sixth man. And that's that."

You're also someone without a Championship.  Ever heard of Billy Walton, Bob MacAdoo, and to an extent Bobby Jones, Kevin McHale?  All 1st team NBA players at one time who played less minutes later in their careers and contributed heavily to a title.
Dipstick acts like he's above playing 20 minutes per game.   

[rickortreat]

Dipstick puts up more points in 20 minutes than his coach's starters do.  Coach is dumb. Management is dumb. The team he's on has no more chance of winning the NBA title than we do!  Come off the bench 'cause you're the best player on the team, but we want to play other guys? Yeah, that makes sense!

If you are a fan in Memphis, why are you going to a game when every game is a practice, and the team isn't putting their best player on the floor?  What's my reason for going? At least if AI were playing, I'd know he'd put on a show!

[Reality]

I don't think Iverson is better then OJ Mayo.
But, why join the Grizzleys in the 1st place?  We already know they are scam artists after the Gasol for Kwame joke.  Why wouldn't AI go to a title contending team?  He has no interest in a title, that's why.  He'd rather start and play big minutes for a loser then contribute as a 6th man for a real team. 

[rickortreat]

No one but the Grizzlies pursued him, that was his only opportunity. The Lakers and Celtics would both be better with him, and the Lakers could start him ahead of Fisher and be better.  Neither team gave him a chance. 


Can't blame Iverson for wanting to play, that's what he loves to do. Not sit on the bench on a losing team. If the Grizzlies were winning he couldn't say anything. Sending him off for an extended leave makes no sense, either. Grizzlies management shouldn't have made a deal with him if they were going to jerk him off.

[RickyPryor]

This might be a first...but I agree with Ricky on every count.

Many, many teams would be better with AI than without him.  He's a Hall of Famer...still has some 'stuff'...and is a winner.

If you weren't at least entertained by him all those years, you didn't have a pulse.

 
And so, yes, I do feel sorry for him.  I still appreciate what he did here and for the game in general.

[Reality]

Maybe the word is out that his "I ain't no 6th man" attitude is one he wants to continue on a contender.
Find it hard to believe all the contenders passed on him if he is indeed willing to pursue a championship as a 6th man/20 min a game player.

Then again, the Memphis Lakers have zero credibility.  Trading Gasol for Kwame Brown then signing Zac Randolph at 16 mil per year. 

[rickortreat]

I think if Boston or LA asked AI to come off the bench he would. It's one thing to play off the bench on a team that can win a title, quite another to expect him to back up some 1st or 2nd year player who can't wash your jock strap.

At this point in his career AI wants one thing: A shot at a ring.  No matter hat he does in Memphis that isn't happening.

Seriously, Cleveland's back-court sucks and Delonte West is a psycho. They should do everything they can to get Iverson to the Cavaliers.