A.I. Shed by Pistons
April 3, 2009 by dwil
Allen Iverson is done in Detroit. After complaining about his lack of playing time sunce his return to the team from an back injury the Pistons sent Iverson home for the remainder of the season:
The Allen Iverson project in Detroit is over. The Pistons announced Friday they were shutting the all-star and former NBA scoring champion down for the rest of the season, including the playoffs.
Pistons president Joe Dumars met with Iverson and his agent, Leon Rose, over the last two days, and the feeling was that it was no longer in Iverson’s nor the Pistons’ best interest for him to continue trying to play.
Iverson played in 57 games with the Pistons, averaging a career-worst 17.5 points. He missed 16 games with a back injury. He came back for three games but complained bitterly about having to come off the bench.
On Wednesday in New Jersey, he told reporters he would rather retire than come off the bench next season.
In the meetings with Dumars, Iverson said his back was still bothering him and that coming off the bench was tough because he would get loose before the game, then sit and the back would stiffen.
Where will Iverson, who is a free agent after this season, land next?
Charlotte and a reunion with Larry Brown is the most likely sport for the mercurial combo guard.
I say the bobcats or Grizzles. Oh and ESPN and the rest are eating this and Plaxico stuff up.
Not to mention that crap that yahoo keeps posting from Vick’s lawyers. They and ESPN have been on Vicks nuts the whole freaking week.
I am refusing to mention Mike until there is something of worth to report (and there is – I’m working on it almost as I write this!).
Good to here brotha Dwil. These fools have got me hot……Vick can’t burp with out it being headlijne news.
First it was his house was for auction, then it was he couldn’t sell his house. Then it was he was on house arrest, then it was he has to pay back the Falcons 6.5 mill. Then it was his court documents stated that he felt he could make 10 mill a year. Then he had a job lined up, then he asked for forgiveness and wanted to play 10 years in the NFL. Now its look the judge rejects vick’s bankruptcy plan.
Man all this crap has made headline news this year. Yahoo has ran each one of these events as a top headline. This is insane.
These dirty MFers have gotten tons of hits and money off this dudes misfortune. He11 AJC couldn’t sell a newspaper without VIck.
I am just sick and tired of these A-holes.
Iverson is the most OVERRATED “superstar” the NBA has ever seen. This waste of sperm made the Finals once and rode that to some exaggerated career. The NBA desperately hyped this guy for years. He couldn’t succeed with a ton of talent around him. He could only perform well with guys who wouldn’t shoot the ball. He had to have all the shots. He had to have the ball 24/7. Ask him to play defense and he smirked. A career 42% shooter with 2 seasons of shooting UNDER 40%, but the NBA hype machine made this weasel more than he really was. People call Stephon Marbury a cancer, but HERE is the real cancer. He can’t or won’t play basketball unless he is a starter. Give me a fucking break. Iverson can go rot.
Jimmy, have you ever seen Allen Iverson play or do you just like using hyperbole?
Jimmy, while full of hyperbole is speaking mostly the truth, minus the hateful words.
He deserved to come off the bench in Detroit, he didn’t produce while in there as a starter period. Say what you want about 2001 or his days in Philly how he lead the 6ers to the Finals over such Eastern Conference powers like the Bucks and the Nets.
He didn’t fit in Detroit. His style of basketball doesn’t fit in a half court offense and considering how weak he is on defense and how much better of an on the ball defender Will Bynum is, Bynum is the better fit. Detroit is going nowhere this year, with or without AI, so reap the benefits of his expiring deal and move on.
No hard feelings… like the 8.5% of americans who are out of a job right now, it just didn’t fit.
Origin, I can’t WAIT for the AJC to finally go under. You’ll see me…I’ll be the black woman standing in front of their building doing stand-up on that great day. They have used Mike Vick to keep their lights on for far too long, I can’t WAIT for their final demise.
The whole bankruptcy appearance was just a farce. What was the point other than publicity of the judge demanding Vick appear if he was going to turn around and reject the plan based on the same damn numbers he was looking at weeks ago? Nothing changed…the judge claimed he needed to “see” Vick in person and that’s all…and then after all that, he rejects it based on the numbers? For real?? Hell, if there is no guarantee Vick will be reinstated, why say they have other chance to revise the plan? Ain’t no plan if he doesn’t play pro football so this is all a joke. Either they know already he’s gonna be reinstated and just can’t say it out loud or they don’t and no need to go through all this because you can’t file a Chapter 11 on hopes and dreams. I am simply amazed at the sad state of so-called journalism. These are OBVIOUS questions. Its a complete JOKE. All of this was for show…for Vick to get on the stand and play Kunte becomes Toby and to announce the next episode of Football Roots (or court appearance) for April 28th (coincidentally, right after the draft).
Oh please. If Marcus Camby’s sister doesn’t get raped during the playoff series between the Raptors and Knicks, it’s the Knicks that WAX IverFRAUD and his bullshit 76ers in the playoffs that season. Enough of the NBA created IVERFRAUD hype. It’s sickening how the NBA’s hype machine created this mythical “great” player. How the fuck do you fancy yourself a 2 guard when you’re barely 6’1″? This selfish prick forced legit 2 guards to become stand around players, while the team had to import a smaller point guard into the lineup, creating defensive mismatches on every team IVERFRAUD played with. The Knicks eliminate the 76′ers in 6 games that year and nobody ever talks about IVERFRAUD as an all-time “great” and what not. Poor baby isn’t satisfied taking 10-12 shots a game. What a joke!
Iverfraud? Is that Skip Bayless in the house?
Jimmy is funny.
I wonder if Jimmy knows that Bob Cousy NEVER shot over 40 percent from the field?
Now he knows.
Boney
I can’t argue with you about the fit.
However, Stuckey has been stinking up the joint for weeks now, and his starting spot appears to be safe.
Iverson made his mistakes and his legacy will take a hit for it. That’s life.
Stuckey is a 1st year starter, and getting rid of Billups cleared an opening for Stuckey to start. Stuckey should start. The team hasn’t developed any young players since this whole run began so… Stuckey needs to start otherwise he’ll be gone when his contract comes up too.
AI isn’t a point guard.. .and if AI came off the bench like the Coach said he would (he did say he’d do whatever it takes in the initial press conference), the team would be a whole lot better.
With Bynum lighting it up recently though, I’ll take my chances with him… the team wasn’t going anywhere this season. They’re lucky McDyess came back otherwise they’d be out of the playoffs at this point.
i think the pistons problem this year was curry. and i think it didn’t work because it seemed like a lot of the organization didn’t want iverson there including curry and some of the players. and i don’t think iverson would’ve minded coming off the bench if he was playing at least 30 minutes. he would’ve wanted to play 45 no doubt, but i don’t think he would’ve complained. also, i think it’s good they’re giving playing time to stuckey and bynum because they will need those guys after iverson is gone, but it seems like if they really wanted to make a run this year, they would’ve found a better way to incorporate iverson. it seems more and more likely that it was a salary cap move with a lot of potential upside. but i still think it comes back to curry. if you’ve got iverson, hamilton, prince, and wallace, how do score under 85 points so much of the time?
They play at the slowest pace in the league.
They are a team of jump shooters.
Their defensive intensity hasn’t been constant for years.
Let’s not forget that the Pistons have been on the decline for a while. However, Curry should have made a decision about who was coming off the bench earlier and then stuck to his guns.
Wow AI the most overrated player in the history of the NBA? Jimmy you are the most underrated Crack smoker in the history of crack smoking, and I know for an absolute certainty, I mean I am 100000000% sure you are wrong, because not only do I disagree with you, but Boney agrees with you, and that my man is the kiss of incorrectness!
By the way the trade to Denver was plain fing dumb, I knew that wasn’t going to work and the GM there should have known that as well.
BIG MAN- Cousy played in a totally different era, where players stayed home with their man and double teaming was rare unless Chamberlain or guys like that were around. Cousy wouldn’t chuck up shots outside of the flow of the offense. IverFRAUD is a soloist, who can’t played in an organized system with elite players. The ONLY time IverFraud made himself look good was when he was chucking 75 shots a game for that Sixer team that went to the finals. Like I said before, there hasn’t been a bigger FRAUD than this guy. IverFRAUD was the guy who forced the NBA to FINALLY enforce the carry call. Just a joke that the NBA in their desperate time needed someone to replace Jordan and they tabbed this little weasel for exaggerated hype.
And for all you IVERFRAUD apologists, there is NO FUCKING WAY Iverfraud ever should have been allowed to play 2 guard. IverFRAUD’s team got SHREDDED on defense, because the kid can’t cover 2 guards. So what do teams with IverFRAUD needed to do? They have to place a shorter player to play point guard, because there aren’t too many point guards taller than 6’4″ on the court. Most 2 guards are bigger than 6’5″ and little weasels like IVERFRAUD create defensive disadvantages for any team he plays on.
It’s amazing how people forget basketball fundamentals and get all giddy because some idiot can cross someone over. Big fucking deal. Any guard at Ruckers can cross you over. It’s not a big deal. Thank ESPN for creating this FRAUD. Hope he does retire. The NBA is better without guys like this poisoning the game.
maybe i’m forgetting, but when did the nba ever try to promote iverson? and if they ever tried, when did iverson ever let the nba promote him on their terms? i think you can even argue that the nba dress code is a response to iverson.
and, i think iverson can do more than cross someone over (although he probably does that as good or better than anyone ever). he can also score anywhere on the floor at anytime in spite of the fact that he’s under 6 feet tall and not even 160 pounds. not only score, but score in unbelievable ways time and again.
BRIAN- The only crossover you know about is a fork and knife crossing over a steak, son. Iverson’s crossover was a carry. That’s why the NBA cracked down on his crossover because it was illegal. The original killer crossover belonged to Knick legend Bernard King. The next man with the killer crossover was Tim Hardaway, and not the one in Miami. I’m talking about the one on Golden St. before he tore his ACL. And Tiny Tim didn’t need to carry when he did it. The NBA was airbrushing IverFraud’s tats when they were promoting him on their magazine and a host of other NBA affiliated sponsors. IverFraud’s J was as overrated as they came. He better score 30 if he shoots 25 times a game.