Thursday, November 19th, 2009 at 9:00 am  |  135 responses

Report: Miami Enters the Iverson Derby

by Marcel Mutoni / @marcel_mutoni

It’s really amazing if you think about it. Here’s a guy who has now left two consecutive teams on horrible terms (the last one being an out-and-out disaster), and yet when he becomes an unrestricted free agent later on today, there will be no shortage of suitors

For what it’s worth, Larry Brown is putting in a good word for The Answer around the League. Actually, it might be worth something, as the Knicks aren’t the only ones reportedly “hot” after Allen Iverson.

It seems that Pat Riley and the Miami Heat are also interested.

From the NY Daily News:

Donnie Walsh said Wednesday night that the Knicks have yet to make a final decision on whether to sign Allen Iverson but the Knicks president hinted that the club is leaning strongly in that direction.

Iverson, a former MVP, is expected to clear waivers at 6 p.m. today and will become an unrestricted free agent. The Knicks could have competition from Miami, who according to a person close to Iverson said the team is “hot” after him.

If one were to guess — which is really all that can be done at this point — New York would appear to be the favorite to acquire A.I.’s services. He’d be the undisputed alpha dog on that team, an obvious impossibility in Miami, where Iverson would also have to battle for minutes at both guard spots.

Whatever the case, we’ll be finding out very soon what the next chapter of Allen Iverson’s life and career looks like.

  • Add a Comment
  • Share
  • RSS

Tags: , , ,

← Older Comments
Newer Comments →
  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    Jukai
    That’s the second time in two years they’ve had words on the bench, if I’m not mistaken. There is also talk of them having problems in the locker room.
    Now, this could just be rumors, but it’s obvious when you watch them play that they aren’t big fans of each other. Like Tavoris, I think it’s mainly coming from Rudy Gay who seems a bit desperate to get his shine. The Grizzlies did refuse to pay him this summer, and we all know that isn’t happening when OJ comes up for his extension.

  • http://www.shawn-kemps-offspring.blogspot.com/ TADOne

    No wonder Rudy Gay didn’t sign that extension.

  • http://www.shawn-kemps-offspring.blogspot.com/ TADOne

    Rudy should come to Detroit. We seem to have an affinity for former UCon players.

  • http://www.shawn-kemps-offspring.blogspot.com/ TADOne

    *UConn

  • tavoris

    Jukai, of course those headlines (which give more of the picture) aren’t NEARLY as widely seen as the “Iverson is upset with minutes” headlines that make him look like he’s the SOLE team/coach-killer in the NBA.

  • ball4life

    Whos better AI or Jammal Crawford????

  • http://fdjklf.com Jukai

    Tavoris: that’s partially because, when confronted about it, Gay and Mayo both downplayed it and pretended it didn’t happen. Iverson brought up the fact he wasn’t getting playing time about three times than began getting pissed at reporters for bringing it up constantly afterwards. Lebron-syndrome, I call it.
    Iverson didn’t really do anything to Memphis’ team chemistry. I mean, how could he? I heard reports about how cool Iverson came off to some of the younger kids. In that hellhole of a locker room, he probably only helped. People just see what happened in Detroit and they just say the same crap without any research.
    Iverson could have generally helped the Grizzlies, but it just wasn’t in the MO of the owner.

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    Ball4Life
    Right now Crawford is playing better. For their career, it ain’t even close.

  • http://fdjklf.com Jukai

    Also, no one really cares about Rudy Gay and OJ Mayo so that helps quiet the story too.

  • http://fdjklf.com Jukai

    Also, on a complete side-note, breaking news from The Onion Sports center: Lakers Players Claim Kobe Bryant’s Groin Is Tender To The Touch

  • ball4life

    Jukai. U have NO idea what you’re talking about. So stop commenting……Homo!

  • Jake

    Uhh,how come when I went to post a comment Jukai’s email address was already in the mail line?Miami would be awesome!

  • http://fdjklf.com Jukai

    Jake, who knows, but drop me an e-mail sometime!

  • Forrest Crunk

    Jukai: if he was fighting for a spot, then i think he unquestionably earned it over Mike Conley with his play. Granted he was injured, but he was not told by Hollins “we just want you to get well before we throw you out there”; he was told (by omission apparently, according to Iverson Hollins didn’t even consult him on the issue) that Mike Conley would be starting and that there would be no competition. Couple that with some frustrating losses and you have a pissed off athlete, especially when he’s a former MVP and one of the NBA’s career leading scorers who has not yet proven that he can’t play. I’m not saying he handled the situation admirably, rather I can understand why he would be upset and am not ready to call it a career for him just yet.

  • ball4life

    Who thinks Jukai is Gay???

  • Brian

    I would start AI at the 2 and bring Wade off the bench.

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    Why, you interested in him?

  • http://fdjklf.com Jukai

    Forrest Crunk: That was not Hollins who said that. That was the owner who said Conley would be starting no matter what. Then the owner said “Hollins can decide what to do.”
    Did you ever stop to ponder that, if Iverson had stuck around for a couple more games, he may have gotten that starting spot? Or at least been the finisher?

  • tavoris

    ball4life…he annoys me to no end, but that has NOTHING to do with this topic, dude.

  • http://fjkld.com Jukai

    Relax, my entourage. Just ignore him.

  • ball4life

    Brian. WTF how could d. wade come off the bench??? he’s an all star

  • tavoris

    Jukai, Hollins made it clear when he didn’t even discuss Iverson’s role with him that he wasn’t gonna budge.

  • http://fjkld.com Jukai

    Tavoris, I believe his statements were that he wasn’t going to ‘immediately’ bring Allen off the bench. In other words, because Iverson said he wanted to start, that wasn’t going to be the case.
    Obviously, Conley is in the dog house (ESPECIALLY since he has made Memphis look terrible by sucking so much) so Iverson could easily chipped away at his minutes slowly but surely.
    And I would even say Iverson might have done that if Iverson wasn’t dealing with so much family issues at the time.

  • tavoris

    he also said that he and Iver never discussed Iverson’s role. And he also said “My door is open if Iverson wants to talk”. Why not BE A COACH and tell the player what you expect of him, so said player won’t have justification to be suprised by the lack of minutes?

    Lionel Hollins sux as a coach, because he should have seen TEN GAMES AGO that Conley wasn’t getting the job done.

  • slamfan4life

    Iverson+Wade=Wade to Chi

  • http://fjkld.com Jukai

    Tavoris: As I said, Hollins is a young, stupid coach. You’re right, he should have been more active in getting in touch with Iverson, that’s a sign of a bad coach. But Iverson is a 13-year-old vet, and IVERSON should have also gone and talked to Hollins about his role because Iverson should know better. So the blame goes both ways (or 60/40 for Hollins but once again, it’s more excusable)

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    maybe if iverson didn’t skip the preseason and training camp he would have had an idea of what his role is tavoris…. thats like playing HS ball, you have a senior who transfered from another school, he didn’t try out, didn’t practice with you guys, then on your first game gets butthurt because he didn’t get starters minutes because he did so well at his previous school when he has proven absolutely nothing to you as a coach personally. Being a “d-1 coach” (which we all know is a lie) you would definately understand that you can’t have a player come in and undermine your authority the first week of the season.

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    and iverson said he had no injury at all. so don’t try and say he was injured

  • RedRum

    AI is done, not because he is not a capable player, but because of his attitude that he wants to start. He cannot start in any winning team. Period. Unless he comes down from that cloud he is riding in which he is a starting guard for a contending team, he is done. My guess is that only a personality like Jax or Pops can convince him to be the leader of the second unit. He is an idiot not taking that chance, doing what Manu and now Crawford are doing. But unless someone shakes him off that warped vision he has of himself that he is a legitimate starter, he is done

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    NBK
    That’s a damn lie.
    Wow, you just made up a damn lie.
    A hamstring tear, in which Iverson said he heard a “pop” was no injury?
    Really?
    What actually happened was that Iverson said he felt ready to play earlier than the doctors thought was advisable. So when reporters asked him if he was ready to play, he said yes, but the team didn’t want him to play.
    I can’t believe you just told that lie.

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    wow your right i did. I misread an article about the injury a week ago. that injury comment is my bad. this is what i read
    “I feel 100 percent, but they’ve been telling me with this injury, that’s the way it is,” Iverson said. “You feel well and then you go out there and try to take it fifth gear and it can tear again. That’s my whole dilemma right now, but I feel good.”

    that is my fault

  • Yesse

    The same thing would just happen with Heat.Wade is starting for sure dude.

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    once again my bad for the fictional comment… but the fact that he was injured, and didn’t trust his own opinion of the injury is another good reason for him to see reduced minutes. either way i think he should not have started, but should have gotten atleast 20+ minutes, and should have put time into earning a spot instead of quitting

  • http://fjkld.com Jukai

    NBK: Iverson actually came out and said if it was the 7th game of the Finals, he couldn’t play because he was too hurt. Wow, buddy!

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    yeah wow is right. idk what i was thinkin. i actually read that too. brain fart. oh well

  • http://Slamonline.com NUPE

    If AI wants a chance for a ring, he’ll go to Miami or maybe even start calling teams saying he’ll come off the bench for them. If he want to play (which is different than wanting a ring), then he’ll go to NY. I wouldn’t fault him either way. If he loves the game and loves to play then that’s what he should do. Memphis was the worst situation, he didn’t get a chance to play much and they didn’t win. It doesn’t/didn’t take much to see that AI should have started and gotten more minutes. Both in Detroit and Memphis the players still say they liked him and they got along. If AI doesn’t get picked up this year, unlike Starbury, somebody will take him next – when they have time to fit him into the system.

  • Reemo

    Iverson thought he was going to run Memphis and he probably would have if he had been healthy. He played three games, decided he wanted it all sooner and left. He can enjoy his time away from the team better in Miami but he ain’t going to be the top dog. And he definitely is not going to win a ring there this year

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    NBK
    No problem.

  • tavoris

    Jukai, it does go both ways, but Iverson has been clear about his desired role FOR MONTHS now. i dont see where Hollins-or any other coach-could make a decision that conflicts with that, then cross their arms & say “well, he didnt tell me”. Especially in light of the fact that he immediately started to give Marcus Williams the minutes a end-of-game responsibility he refused to give Iverson. Conley got demoted the day after Iverson was granted “leave”. that’s no a stupid coach, that’s a stubborn coach that didnt want Iverson there.

  • tavoris

    Allenp, dont sweat it. nbk was coming for me (as usual) with made-up or twisted stories (as usual) to support his biased claims about AI (as usual). If i had called him out for the same thing, he woulda NEVER backed down. It’s hilarious when people show their true colors

  • http://fjkld.com Jukai

    Tavoris: once again, on the issue of fairness, the owner has said for months that Conley was starting. It was only when Iverson made his stance known about coming off the bench clear that the owner said “uhhh it’s up to the coach I’m not making decisions here.”
    I’m not sure how Memphis figured, after the Detroit Fiasco, that Iverson would be alright coming off the bench. On the flip-side, for the life of me, the owner came out so many times and said Conley was starting, I have no idea how Iverson DIDN’T know that. It was either ignorance or Iverson was hoping it was just the media being the media. Christ, even NBA 2k10 and Live had Iverson coming off the bench! It wasn’t a secret.
    This was just two stubborn, stupid forces clashing together, really.

  • Jer Boi

    Ah I Remember when Frank first took over and the Nets won 13 straight..

    now it looks like he might get fired after losing 13 straight..if that happens..

  • tavoris

    Jukai-u r right, but i’m talking about the coach, not the owner. That’s where the confusion about role occured.

  • bigtime

    Why dont A.I just go to the Bulls??? they need someone who can score…. that would be a great fit for him

  • MtotheS

    Larry Hughes is just waiting for Larry Brown to walk back in.

  • Brian

    The Heat should sign AI and start him at the 2 as I said earlier. Wade can either be an explosive 6th man like Ginobli or start at the point if he can focus on D and play an Eric Snow type role. Up front they can start guys who don’t need shots and can play some D like Haslem, Joel Anthony and Daequan Cook. It makes perfect sense.

  • http://slamonline.com Brad Long

    A.I. just confirmed that he would sign with the Knicks or at least that’s what realgm.com is reporting.

  • KB24

    The Lakers should sign him to a 10 day contract to see if he could work out good in L.A.

    Reasons for the Lakers to get A.I.
    1.Fisher and Farmar are playing horrible
    2.Let Kobe take a few games off to rest his groin
    3.Pau Gasol still hasn’t played
    4.Sasha Vujacic is also playing horrible
    5.Luke Walton is out 6 weeks
    6.Plenty of minutes with Gasol out, bench playing horrible and time to give Kobe to rest, because A.I. could still carry the load

    Potential Starting Line-Up
    PG- Fisher
    SG- Kobe
    SF- Artest
    PF- Gasol
    C- Bynum

    Bench:
    PG- Farmar
    SG- Iverson
    SF- Brown(Because Walton is out 6+ Weeks, Even though he is PG/SG, but he is better than Vujacic)
    PF- Odom
    C- Powell

  • tavoris

    Brad, he won’t clear waivers for another 2.5 hours…the Knicks can’t even contact him yet.

  • tavoris

    KB…10-day contracts can’t be signed this early in the season.

← Older Comments
Newer Comments →
Advertisement