Iverson Is Too Good To End His Career in Memphis

Allen Iverson is too good to come off the bench. For any team.

Too good to play only 25 to 28 minutes a night; too good to be asked to take only 14 shots per game; still too good to be asked to be a second or third option, unless hes with LeBron, Kobe or D-Wade; too good to end his career in Memphis.

But you probably won't see him coming off the bench for any team next season.

He probably won't take less than 16 shots and play less than 32 minutes a night either. He won't land with the Lakers, Cavs, Celtics or Spurs. So, he probably won't even think about being a third option. But he might just end one of the greatest careers in the history of the NBA in MEMPHIS!?

Yesterday, the Grizzlies reportedly made him an offer around $5.85 million yesterday. The highest one he's received to date this offseason.

It was going perfect last week.

Reports said Allen Iverson had agreed to a deal with the Bobcats, and he was supposed to sign in the past 48 hours. But something went wrong and he's yet to ink a deal. Maybe it was the Grizzlies offer that made him think twice about signing with the Bobcats?

But what we all know for sure is that Allen Iverson wants to be able to play like Allen Iverson. You know, the same A.I. that makes you change your plans to watch the game on Friday nights. The one that drops 50, and puts his hand to his ears running around the Wachovia Center or the Pepsi Center.

The Iverson that is the go to guy in the fourth quarter. The one that is truly "The Answer" for your team.

Well, who knows how to let Allen Iverson be Allen Iverson, and win games at the same time better than Larry Brown? Nobody does.

Iverson and Brown led a not so talented team to the Finals in 2001. Allen Iverson always got to play like Allen Iverson. But even after that, Iverson was able to play in the manner he's always been successful in.

The Nuggets won 50 games and Iverson averaged 26.4 ppg along with 7.1 apg. But they ended up facing the Lakers, which made that season look like a complete disaster. Iverson's run in Denver was pretty good, because even though he was being used less, he still got to play his style of basketball.

So why wouldn't Iverson just sign with the Bobcats no matter how much money they offered? If he wants to prove the haters wrong, why not just go to the coach who knows how to make you happy and have the team win games? Is money really an issue for the multi-millionaire? This guy is super rich—he shouldn't care about it.

The Grizzlies want him to sell tickets, and make the team money in the same fashion the Pistons did. They don't really care what he does for them basketball-wise, because its a tossup. But in Memphis, odds are it probably won't work at all.

Let's take a look at what Iverson would have to try fitting into with this team.

OJ Mayo=Scorer trying to become one of the league's biggest stars. Certified volume shooter.

Zach Randolph= A scoring big man trying to prove people wrong.

Rudy Gay= A player trying to become like the Melo's and LeBron's. Wants to be a star and needs the shots to do so.

Mike Conley= Rising young point guard who probably doesn't want to lose his spot.

Iverson= One of the greatest players ever, trying to prove people he can still be the go to guy. At the same time, being a player who needs the ball and shots to prove everybody wrong.

Each good player on this team would have the same goal- to score.

The Grizzlies are probably not winning a championship anytime soon, so nobody's worried about sacrificing. Iverson can prove he is still the man on a team. He just needs to go to the right team.

That right team was the team that almost had him signed this week: the Bobcats.

There, he could be the go to guy. He could get his shots, good coaching, and be brought in not for just sales, but basketball reasons. Bringing a guy as good as Iverson to sell tickets and jerseys is not a signal of respect at all.

Iverson needs to listen to his heart now and pick the right team. Deep down, he probably knows the idea of going to the Grizzlies is crazy.

Most of the league is scared he might affect their team negatively, as witnessed in Philly and Detroit. But the Detroit disaster was not Iverson's fault, yet no one will fess up to this. They are going to say it was because of his history. The tatted up boy from the hood who brought hip-hop and bad behavior to the league.

But, despite all this, Iverson can prove it was not his fault one way; choose the right team, and succeed individually and as a team player. That team is for sure not the Grizzlies.

The Bobcats should be Iverson's "Answer," not the money. He can end his career there in a good way, and remind everyone why he became a legend in the first place.