NBA Rumors: Could Allen Iverson Fill the Chicago Bulls' Need at Shooting Guard?
The Chicago Bulls need a shooting guard and Allen Iverson may be planning a comeback. Ā Is this a case of "put two and two together" or simply yours truly reading too much into a rumor (as he so often does, though not typically in third-person narrative)?
Anyway, as we all know, Chicago can definitely upgrade at the 2. Ā Last year's starter, Keith Bogans, averaged a whopping 4.4 points a game this past season. Ā And his position isn't the only one marred by a lack of offensive ability.
One of the Bulls' biggest problems against the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference finals was the lack of support for Derrick Rose on offense. Ā He carried the team all season long, and it caught up to them in the organization's biggest post-Jordan moment.
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So, they not only need a shooting guard, but someone who can create a little for himself and take a little pressure off the overworked Rose.
Enter Iverson.
He just turned 36 years old, andĀ accordingĀ to Slam Magazine, is looking to make one last go at theĀ NBA.
The Answer averaged 26.7 points, 6.2 assists and 2.2 steals in 914 games in the league and last year just didn't feel like the right kind of ending to his storied career.
After signing with a Turkish team, he spent much of his season on overseas sidelines with a calf injury.
For a player who helped the game evolve in the late 90s and early 2000s, it would be much more fitting for his last game to be played in an NBA jersey rather than one from a Turkish league.
Granted, Iverson is 36 and nowhere near the player he once was, but there is certainly some intrigue involved with bringing in the four-time scoring champion.
He would still put plenty of buns in the seats, even if he's not a starter for whatever team takes a chance on him (though he'd have a good chance of being in that first five for Chicago).
In anĀ interviewĀ with Slam, Iverson said, "My whole thing now in trying to get back is letting any organization know that I'm willing to play any part that they want me to play."
Even at his advanced age, I can definitely see Iverson providing instant offense off the bench or alongside Rose in Chicago's starting backcourt.
He probably wouldn't be any kind of ultimate answer for the Bulls, but I for one would pay closer attention to that team if A.I. was on the roster.
You can follow Andy Bailey on TwitterĀ @_Andy_Bailey
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