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Iverson to the Grizzlies

Allen Iverson will be introduced as the newest member of the Memphis Grizzlies today. I'm not sure I have the words to describe how much I hate this move.

I do have a few questions for Grizzlies management, though.

  • The Grizzlies have a fairly promising young backcourt with O.J. Mayo and Mike Conley Jr. One of those two -- Conley, most likely -- is going to wind up losing a significant amount of playing time to Iverson. Why mess with their development by bringing in a short-timer like Iverson?
  • Do you really think Iverson and Zach Randolph will be able to co-exist... on or off the court?
  • Don't you think Conley, Mayo, Gay and Hasheem Thabeet could be the core of a decent team?
  • Don't you think your fans would rather see that core develop, than watch a once-great player pad his lifetime stats for a losing team?
The fantasy angle seems obvious... a big downgrade on just about every member of the Grizzlies, as Iverson will almost certainly leech shot attempts from everyone.

Comments

By: Justin Phan
On: 9/10/2009 10:37:00 AM		 The Grizzlies managed to add the two biggest team cancers in the league during one offseason. Well played.
 
By: nayfel
On: 9/10/2009 1:59:00 PM		 I never understood why the Knicks didn't pursue Iverson. He could be had for a measly $3.5 million and only one year. He would have put plenty of butts in the seats and would have made the Knicks at the very least interesting. Worst case, they are as bad as last year.
best case scenario would be an Iverson led Knick's team gets to the playoffs and then the front office can tell future FAs ( LBJ and Wade) that if Iverson can take this team to the playoffs, then they surely can make them title contenders.

Maybe I am naive but how much damage could he have done with a one year contract with the Knicks?
 
By: rceisner
On: 9/10/2009 2:37:00 PM		 One word: dollars. The Grizzlies barely drew 500,000 fans last season (last in the league), and they had become an afterthought to U of Memphis Tigers basketball. They know Iverson will but a few more casual fans in the seats and sell quite a few jerseys. Also, outside of Mayo and Conley, there is no one in that back court (unless you consider Marcus Williams and Marko Jaric someone). I don't think they'll be able to unload him mid-season, given the rep he picked up in Denver and Detroit.
 

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