NBA Free Agents 2011: Why Allen Iverson Is the Key to a New York Knicks Title

I'm sure just based on this article's title you're already in a fit of laughter, but hear me out. I have a good point to make.

Here is my point: Allen Iverson is the key to the New York Knicks winning the 2011-12 NBA Championship, and here is why.

Adding Tyson Chandler brings a serious defensive force to the New York Knicks front court and that is something that they haven't had for quite a few years.  The Knicks now have one of the most formidable front courts in the NBA, but that won't mean anything if they don't have a veteran point guard to run the show.  

The Knicks had a veteran point guard in Chauncey Billups last year, and he did an above average job for the Knicks.  Unfortunately to clear space for Chandler, the Knicks must cut ties with Billups, which leaves them with a gaping hole at the point guard position.

Currently the Knicks have guards Anthony Carter (free agent), Toney Douglas, Iman Shumpert (rookie) and Andy Rautins on the roster who could technically replace Billups.  While Shumpert and Rautins could potentially help out at the point guard position, none of those above-mentioned players is capable of producing like Billups.

This is where Allen Iverson comes in.

Iverson has been out of the league for almost a year-and-a-half after leaving the 76ers in February of 2010 and then playing overseas in Turkey for a handful of games.  Iverson has stated that gone are the days of him wanting to be the center of attention for a team and that he is willing to fill whatever role a potential employer would need.

The New York Knicks need a player to fill the void left by Billups, and that is a role that Iverson could undoubtedly fill.  While Iverson's production has been on a steady decline since leaving Philadelphia, I believe that reflects the situations he has been in rather than his pure talent.

While Iverson isn't in his prime anymore there is no doubt that even at the age of 36 he is still able to produce.  Coming off the bench with the 76ers in only 25 games played and averaging 31.9 minutes a game, Iverson put up an average of 13.9 points per game and 4.1 assists per game.  That production is slightly less than that of Chauncey Billups, but it shows that Iverson still is capable of putting up numbers that the Knicks could utilize.

The New York Knicks don't need a point guard who is going to put up a double double every night.  The Knicks need a point guard who can score when he needs to and facilitate the game to stars like Carmelo Anthony, Amare Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler, and that is exactly the kind of player Allen Iverson now is.

If the Knicks signed Allen Iverson it would also give them the ability to start the development of either Iman Shumpert or Andy Rautins while still getting the production they need right now from the point guard position.

The best part about signing Allen Iverson is that the Knicks can do so without committing a large amount of salary cap space to his contract.  The Knicks could feasibly sign Iverson to a one- or two-year deal for around $1.6 million, which would be the best $1.6 million the Knicks have ever spent.  

If the New York Knicks want an NBA Championship this season they need to sign a veteran point guard, and that veteran point guard needs to be Allen Iverson.