Heat Should Listen to Wade and Sign A.I.

If the Miami Heat really do want to keep Dwyane Wade happy, they had better sign Allen Iverson quickly before he goes to Memphis or Charlotte or some other dead-end destination.

The move makes perfect sense. Just pay Iverson the $5.8 million mid-level exception for a year, and a deal will get done. Quit trying to negotiate a bargain, and just pay the tax.

Imagine the fun that a backcourt of Iverson and Wade could produce this season while the Heat retains its ability to land another big-name free agent next summer and gets serious about winning another championship.

In the meantime, they will have the most exciting backcourt in the NBA, one of those stand-back-and-wait-for-the-highlight type of duets that fans love to see.

Sorry, Mario Chalmers, but you'll have to sit down and watch for a year. You may have started all 82 games last season at point guard, but this isn't about planning for the future. It's about winning games now, about keeping Wade happy.

It's been a long time since the NBA had a starting backcourt that averaged 60 points a game, and that would get everyone's attention. No, neither one is a true point guard, and yes, they would be be a defensive liability at times, but putting Wade and Iverson together could make the Heat a traveling road show, and spark an unbelievable interest at a time when the Heat needs to sell tickets.

Iverson deserves it, too.

He is coming off the most painful season of his career, traded to Detroit, where he didn't fit, and where he insanely was asked to come off the bench. At 34, he remains the toughest little man who ever played the game, still full of pride and still good enough to score when he wants.

He has done too much for the NBA through the years to let him finish his career with one of those also-ran teams. No one wants to remember him pouting in Detroit. We want to see him go out in his typical blaze of glory, pinballling his way into the lane to hit an impossible shot.

Both Wade and the Heat management already know they can't win big this season because of their salary cap plans for next summer. They made the playoffs and lost in the first round last season, leaving Wade filled with frustration.

Wade wants to feel like a winner again and to be relevant, which is not how he felt last season when he was overused and beat up beyond belief as he tried to carry the load. Iverson would be everything he needs. And let's see opponents try to guard Iverson and Wade on opposite sides of the floor.

If they shine together, it will make it even more attractive next summer when they try and add a free agent like Chris Bosh or Dirk Nowitzki or Carlos Boozer. Iverson would be happy to tailor his game to win his first NBA title.

Even with Iverson this season, they won't be good enough to consistently beat the likes of Orlando, Cleveland or Boston. But with Iverson, Miami would be an upset possibility every night, and that's a start.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

7-13-2009 @ 12:05PM

BMman2003 said...

What the hell are you talking about? Iverson doesn't deserve anything and he's not going to change his ways to fit into any team, his tenure so far hasn't proved otherwise. The Detroit situation exposed him for his true colors, that he's a me me me player, and he won't settle for anything less.

7-13-2009 @ 12:28PM

hdekiere said...

Not a good idea. I feel for the fans if Miami takes A.I. I am from Detroit and we had all the same hoopla about bringing this high scoring champ to the pistons and how it will help. B.S. he is still the little baby who cries if he doesnt get the ball or for that matter if he doesnt get things his way. Yes he has had a stellar career but the key words here are HAD. He is older, not as fast as he was, his shot is not as consistant as it was. Thye biggest problem facing the Heat is the fact that A.I. always wants the ball and wants to lead and score. Well you already have that in a player and thats WADE. If the Heat sign A.I. you will have the same problems we had here and that is too many people will want to lead. A.I. got shipped out of Denver but they have Carmelo there and because he wasnt the leader and wanted to be he was shipped out. Good luck Miami if you sign him.

7-13-2009 @ 12:34PM

FLOW said...

It's a gamble but why not? It's not like Miami is contending for the title so at that price, what can it hurt? Besides, the most important thing is D Wade wants him and you definitely need to keep him happy.

7-13-2009 @ 1:29PM

foottdude said...

Great!! Sign Iverson! He'll screw up Miami fast!
Iverson sucks. He was given every opportunity to do well in Detroit. He was fed the ball in the 4th quarter and couldn't do anything with it. He's a lousy shooter (my mother can shoot 42%) play's no defense, and defenders have learned his same moves to the basket. He tries to drive the lane until a big man slides off to take the shot away, then he looks for the open big man that should be open, but the defense has learned to cover that guy, and Iverson is too far down under the basket to pass to the perimeter, and he throws the ball away every time. Then he blames everyone else. He's a big baby that has to be on a lousy team, so he can shoot 30+ times a game, hit 12, put up some free throws and lose while scoring 34 points a game.
YOU COULD HAVE HIM.

7-13-2009 @ 3:40PM

Rob said...

"It's about winning games now..." "Iverson would be happy to tailor his game..." Who the hell are you talking about??? Iverson will quickly sink any team and destroy the morale of the locker room. He is a cancer. He will never win a ring. Let him go to Memphis where he can demand to be a starter while not going to practice. If Miami wants him, then they'll deserve what they get. Well said, Footdude.

7-13-2009 @ 4:02PM

Serge said...

GREAT Post!!! All of you haters we will see what you say after Miami makes the 2nd round with AI and put's up a great fight against the likes of the Cavs/Boston/Orlando.

7-13-2009 @ 4:09PM

CHYNADOLL said...

South Beach =Party time for AI....GOOD LUCK hEAT

7-13-2009 @ 4:28PM

burt said...

you are a idiot to think iverson could do anything positive!
he is done!
stick a fork in it!

7-13-2009 @ 4:33PM

Seth said...

The difference is this time Iverson wouldn't be making $21 million plus but rather a mid-level exception, the salary of a good role player who is unrestricted again next summer. He would have no choice but to fit into the offense in order to resurrect his career. Who would pay him more next summer when all the big names hit free agency? He knows that this is his last chance. Besides, Miami knows that if AI is healthy they might still have a great player on their hands.

7-13-2009 @ 5:47PM

henryclemente said...

Uhhhh.. wasn't that last year?? It was a contract year, he had no choice but to fit in to Detroit's team oriented game, or else no one would want him.

Guess what, now no one wants him!!! On talent he should be a top-tier free agent. Instead, the likes of Gortat, Brandon Bass, Jannero Pargo, Anthony Parker, are all getting contracts before him.

7-13-2009 @ 5:37PM

This is a joke. It's a copy/paste of the same arguments about Iverson, how this time it will be different, how he will fit in for the good of the team... Riiiight...I am sure you Iverson apologists will still be saying the same thing when he's 40 and has burned his 1,392th bridge.

7-13-2009 @ 7:44PM

Eric said...

Your posts kind of strike me as the voice of the uninformed mainstream. I mean, I appreciate the perspective, but if Iverson does anything worthwhile in the remainder of his career, I'll be quite surprised.

Volume scorers just die off quickly when their efficiency isn't at its peak. Inefficient volume scorers with bad attitudes and patterns of disruptive behavior? Yeah...I hope Miami isn't that dumb.

7-13-2009 @ 8:22PM

plaudenbach said...

Why would they want to do that?? Do the Heat really need another BALL-HOG??? AI is a terrible team player (Clearly, there's no "AI" in "TEAM" either...) and I play better defense than he does (and I haven't touched a basketball in 30 years...). Lotsa luck, Heat, if you go down that road.

7-14-2009 @ 1:41PM

t.d. said...

so why do a.i.'s teams improve as soon as he leaves? even in his prime, iverson was a loser

7-13-2009 @ 10:22PM

Giles said...

I expect Wade is more concerned with whether Memphis because they drafted ThaBeet, trades Marc Gasol to Miami for Udonis Haslem, and/or whether Houston trades Tracey McGrady for Jermaine O`Neal and Mark Blount, than who the third fiddle on the perimeter will be (if Wade listens to fiddle music at all). But I`m sure he`d appreciate any quality teammates he can get. And he is familiar with A. I., he started with him in the all star game this past season, again. But if Riley could sign James or Anthony for the mid level except, I`m sure Wade would be even happier. But Riley kissing Mourning on tv won`t get that job done. He`d have to kiss some other guy, who doesn`t play under him. And probably considerably more. Mouring would make a fair replacement for McAdoo at assistant coach, if one of the many teams needing a big man assistant coach, like Dallas, Memphis, Toronto, etc., were to sign little Mac away from the Heat. Though Hakeem Olajuwon would be the most obvious choice to coach Thabeet. And Nowitzski already is a blanched version of McAdoo, and it is too late for Mac to upgrade Dampier`s game.

7-14-2009 @ 10:47PM

resou said...

When AI came to Detroit, I really wanted him to be the offensive spark that we needed. Instead, after he was asked to come off the bench, he was merely offensive. Miami should know better than to want him, but if they don't, oh well. It just means that they'll be easier to beat!

7-15-2009 @ 11:06AM

robbadboy32 said...

hay this a good deal right now.if you dont make wade happy right now then you can kiss wade good bye next year.thats real.just sign AI and make miami happy aleast for this year.