Allen Iverson at a Career Crossroads

By Damien Akao

thebasketballblogger.com

He’s won the Rookie of the Year, he’s won scoring titles, has made All-Star teams, has made All-NBA Teams, and has even won an MVP award in 2001 when he led his team to the NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers.

He is none other than Allen Iverson.

Iverson, at 34, has not yet won what every player in league wants—a championship.

Iverson is at that point of his career where his body is slowing down and he may not be able to average 30+ points for a whole season.

After averaging career lows with the Detroit Pistons last season, A.I. is looking for the correct team for him. Some of the teams that are possibly considering Iverson are the Heat, Grizzlies, Clippers, Knicks, and Bobcats. He also has received an offer from Olympiacos in the Euroleague overseas.

The Miami Heat would like to have Iverson, but based on comments made by Pat Riley, it appears that Miami would have Mario Chalmers start while having Iverson come off the bench in such a scenario. That was the same situation that Iverson was unable to accept in Detroit.

If Iverson goes to the Heat, he would probably be put in the same situation as J.R. Smith or Manu Ginobili, coming off the bench and being the focal point in the second unit. It would be interesting to see how Iverson and Dwyane Wade would play together. If Miami gets a few more pieces, this would be Iverson’s best chance to win a championship.

The New York Knicks have also expressed interest in Iverson. If Iverson went to the Knicks, he would likely emerge as their star player and average 20 to 25 points a game. I think he would do great in Mike D’Antoni’s system—pure offense and speed. This season, the Knicks might make the playoffs but are looking forward to the 2010 summer.

My opinion is if Iverson wants to win a championship, he needs to accept a smaller role. If he still wants to be a star, then he needs to go to either the Grizzles, Knicks, or Bobcats.