76ers considering Iverson
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76ers considering Iverson
The 76ers are considering bringing back Allen Iverson, this according to a source with knowledge of the situation. It's not a done deal, but the team has changed its stance from 0 percent possibility as of last year to considering bringing back the team's all-star point guard from the 90's and early 2000's.
The Sixers have had Iverson on their radar this entire year, but when point guard Lou Williams injured his jaw, requiring surgery and 8 weeks sidelined, the issue became more pressing. According to the source, the team is in the process of seeing if they can make an Iverson deal work.
FoxSports.com has reported that Sixers coach Eddie Jordan might make a trip to Atlanta -- Iverson's home -- after this weekend's two-game swing to San Antonio and Dallas. That piece of information, according to the source, is advanced where the two parties are, but it is a possibility that Iverson could be a Sixer within a week. Early this coming week, Iverson is supposedly meeting with his former Georgetown coach, John Thompson, who reportedly will try talking Iverson out of the retirement he announced on Thursday.
According to the source, Iverson is only one guard on their list of potential guards they could sign. So this is in consideration, but not being hotly pursued.
The Sixers are below this season's luxury-tax threshold, so they could sign Iverson for the season without huge financial ramifications.
Iverson parted ways with the Memphis Grizzlies earlier this season.
There's two ways to look at this possibility: 1.) Why do this? Doesn't it set the team back? Sixers General Manager Ed Stefanski has said he wants to develop his young core. He refused to trade some of those guys last year because he believed so much in the young nucleus of this team. Williams' injury looked like an opportunity for Jrue Holiday to develop. Sure, he would struggle some this year, but the kid is good. All those minutes would help the Sixers in the long run. In two months, Williams would be back and possibly starting alongside Holiday -- if the kid proved he was ready. That's a backcourt that could start for years to come.
Which brings you to the question: What's the plan for this season? At 5-11, it's still too early to say whether they'll be a playoff team or not. Clearly, if you sign Iverson, you're saying that you're worried about right now. That you want to win this season. But can you win with Iverson? How many more wins is he going to get you? And at what cost? At the cost of developing a promising rookie and exposing your young team, once again, to a player that had some issues (that's a kind way of putting it) while he was here.
But the real way to look at it right now is from a business standpoint. Iverson will sell tickets. The Memphis game was the highest attendance of the season. He will boost intrigue, relevance, profitabiltiy -- all those things. And let's be honest, the Sixers are pretty boring right now. They're injured, they likely need someone to come in and be another body, but how can that be Iverson, who will not come in and be another player on the roster, but rather expect to be the player on the roster. How will that sit with Iguodala? What will happen with Brand?
This is a confusing state for the Sixers right now, and for anyone who's been around them for the last two years. It really seemed like the Iverson chapter had been closed in this city. The support staff, the front office, the players, they'd all moved on and did not appear to have any desire to return. But a rough start to the season, a few injuries, and now it looks like the Sixers are a few days, some phone calls, and a meeting from bringing back a guy they said they'd never bring back.
*Some of this news was up first on Twitter. If you want to get quicker, faster updates, follow Deep Sixer on Twitter, click here: Deep Sixer.
--Kate
I'd rather see A.I. then whatever it is they're calling a team right now. They're headed nowhere either way.— ChekUrFax
This isn't done yet? Allen would stabilize this team and add some much needed energy and excitement. This Holiday kid: He's going to need at least a few seasons. Don't destroy the kid. Start AI and when Williams comes back, run those two as your backcourt. Let Holiday come off the bench. This is such a no-brainer. What a waste of fonts.
Comment removed.- Sixers have to do this. It will put fans in the seats and should help them win a few more games. As for setting them back...back from what?— iceman
- No chance of winning the Championship so why not?— WCPhan
- He's the best player the team has had in the last 15 years and the best scoring little-man of all time. You're worried about upsetting two egregiously overpaid role players who have never won a playoff series with this team, and who currently are "leading" a boring squad that will be lucky to sneak into the 8th spot in an Eastern Conference that goes about 4 good teams deep. AI won't make them a championship level squad, but he'll help give them a shot every night, and they'll be interesting for the first time in a while.
- Yes!!!!!!!!!! ...;-)— Gtown
- I say go for it. The 6ers are a joke...and the fact that the are even considering this is laughable. It makes for good Sports Talk. As it is the 6ers are not even discussable.— cartoong98
- This team is done until the Brand deal expires. Might as well let AI retire a Sixer. No offense, the young guys like Williams, Speights, and Young have huge holes in their games and are just role players on a good team.— JonKap
- Go for it! He's worth the investment...— ronguida
- What a farce. May as well sell the team and start with an expansion one.— ziller0604
- Comment removed.
- I posted this elsewhere, but since I agree with Kate, would like to post it here: If the Sixers bring back Iverson, who at 34, oft-injured, and dumped by the lowly Grizzlies, is no longer the explosive player fans remember, who is a shooting guard and is not and has never been a quality point guard, who is now a defensive liability, who on a really good night will shoot 10 for 24, then the organization will be admitting that Stefanski and Jordan should be fired, that the so-called Princeton offense is a joke, and that the franchise should be sold and moved because it lacks any real plan or hope for the future. There is not one NBA club interested in signing him, not ONE, not the abysmal Knicks, not Larry "I still think he has something to offer" Brown's Bobcats, not even the New Jersey Nets, who might never win a game this season. What impact will Iverson have on the young players? What happens when Williams returns? How does Brand fit with Iverson? What happens to Holiday? How will Iguodala handle this snub, as he thinks he is the team's star and how in the world will they share one basketball? Does Eddie Jordan really think Iverson cares about the Princeton or has any interest in learning it? How many of these "Bring back Iverson" posters here will pay big bucks to watch him struggle night after night, to watch him get bored and then argue with Jordan and bad-mouth the organization? He is a sideshow, a mere curiosity for a couple of games, and then his supporters will stop going and the Sixers will be stuck with him and his distractions for the remainder of the season. The Sixers can always give him a special night now that he is retired. The team should bite the bullet, continue losing with Holiday at point, learn the Princeton for next season, get rid of Dalembert and if possible Btand, and get a lottery pick. Otherwise, get out of town and move to Las Vegas!— chuckw
- Let's show him and ourselves some respect. Bring him back so we have a legitimate shot to win when we go up against the elite teams in the league. The younger players will be fine. Iguodala will probably thrive in a supporting role without having to be the man. Jrue Holiday, come on. Who knows what we even have there. He'll have plenty of time to develop. Iverson has more heart than anyone in the league. The Knicks were fools as usual not signing him with their pathetic team. If the Sixers organization cares about their fans at all they will sign Iverson.— jj10280
- Allah No.— daffydux
John Mitchell is in his second year covering the 76ers for the Inquirer after joining the paper in November 2011. He covered the Washington Wizards for the Washington Times from 1998 to 2008. He's also worked at the Philadelphia Tribune, the Wilmington News Journal, Courier-Post, Trenton Times and Elmira Star-Gazette.Born and raised in West Philadelphia - not too far from Will Smith - he graduated from Overbrook High School the same year the 76ers won their last championship. He's a proud graduate of Howard University and the proud father of two sons, Jared and Jordan.
ABOUT MARC NARDUCCI
Marc Narducci has served in a variety of roles with the Inquirer since beginning in 1983. He has covered the 76ers as a backup and a beat writer. In addition, Narducci has covered everything from the Super Bowl to the World Series and a lot in between. Narducci also has a true passion for South Jersey scholastic sports, which he has covered for many years.
