Kleeman's Last Word

Iverson should head to Cleveland or New Orleans

The NBA's most inevitable divorce has finally run its nasty course. Sixers team president Billy King has agreed to a deal that should have been inked before the 2006-07 season ever began.
Iverson was off to a hot start, scoring more than 40 points in a stretch of three games. The Sixers, standing at 5-12, a dismal last in the putrid Eastern Conference - not so much. And though Iverson's departure is not an act of kindheartedness or sheer foresight, both parties know it's time to move on. The question is where to?
How will Philadelphia's underperforming basketball franchise rebound from losing its dominant star guard? Tough question, but if you're Billy King, you have to wonder "can things get any worse?"
Iverson told Jim Gray he hopes a deal with Minnesota will be sealed soon. A tour with the T-Wolves means playing alongside Kevin Garnett, a prospect he's salivated over for some years. However, with the T-Wolves in the same plight at Philadelphia, should an againg veteran really put his best eggs in a basket with another aging veteran.
A duo of Iverson and Garnett, aided by swing guard Mike James and a cast of youngens could make a first round playoff dent. Getting past the first round, though, would be more of a miracle than Seabiscuit singing the entire score to Les Miserables.
I suggest Iverson place these two cities on his itinerary--New Orleans and Cleveland.
At 31 years old, AI is beginning to show the wear and tear of his 11 year tenure in the league. That doesn't mean, however, that he doesn't have enough juice to make a playoff-worthy team a title contender.
I doubt Cavs GM Jim Paxson or Hornets GM Jeff Bower have Iverson's agent on speed dial. Bidding for the "6-0 guard probably hasn't crossed the minds of management of either team. Out of the multiple teams rumored to be on Iverson's wish list, neither appears.
Iverson is a particular kind of player, jetting his own style and you can't just stick him with a good team like the Utah Jazz and expect magic to happen. Both Cleveland and New Orleans have needs that will hinder them from acheiving champion status. Cleveland, sitting at 12-7, is one of 3 teams in the abysmal Eastern Conference playing over .500 basketball. It's not like they're hitting the panic button.
However, Iverson's talents inside and off the dribble would mesh well with Lebron James's dunk-a-licious style. He'd be playing alongside a superstar; not an aging one, but a young talent who has barely sketched the surface of his budding career. Larry Hughes, who prior to his shooting performance this season, deserved the erradic shooter label, could start at the point or come off the bench. Anderson Varejao is one of the league's best defenders. He's active on all ends of the floor, but especially when he contests shots. Iverson, who is still smudged in a pack of players in the hunt for the coveted scoring title, would add more veteran voice to a young team. It would also prevent Eric Snow, a coot in my book, from being a 4th scoring option. The bottom line: Iverson heading to Philadelphia could pay dividends. Championship dividends.
All the Cavs would have to worry about is getting by which ever one of those pesky Texas teams ends up in the Finals.

posted by Robert Kleeman @ 4:22 PM