Allen Iverson Belongs in Miami

We said it month ago, but it's worth saying again. Allen Iverson belongs in Miami.

Yes, he has flirted with the Clippers, Knicks, Grizzlies and even the Bobcats and Larry Brown. He has a big money offer waiting in Greece. Yet there isn't a team that needs him more -- and could help his reputation more -- than the Miami Heat.

It's why Pat Riley, according a recent report in the Miami Herald, has left the door open for him to walk through. It's a perfect match, and both sides know it. They're just doing the mating dance now, both sides waiting to see if the money is right.

The Heat have spent the last couple years juggling contracts and clearing salary cap space in anticipation of the free-agent class of 2010. They are better positioned than anyone to make it a jackpot summer by adding a second star like Chris Bosh and re-signing Dwyane Wade.

Yet it's going to be tough selling a fickle fan base that this season is just a write-off before it even begins. Without adding anyone significant, the Heat won't be any better than the middle-of-the-road, 43-win team they were a year ago when they overworked Wade, which is something they won't do again.

Iverson would be happy with a one-year deal -- leaving them their coveted cap space for next summer -- as long as it's a significant amount, but the Heat must venture into the luxury tax territory to do it.

He won't be a long-term investment. He'd be a short-term shot of adrenalin -- a huge drawing card -- and running mate for Wade, who would help him form the most exciting backcourt in the league this season.

Iverson at 34 can't play every night like he once could, but he's still better than most guards in the league. He certainly would reduce the wear-and-tear on Wade, while providing the kind of thrills that Wade does every night.

Allen Iverson

Iverson has meant too much to the league – history will remember him as the toughest little big man in the game – to have him finish on a dead-end team like the Grizzlies, Knicks or Clippers. And no one wants to remember him for last season's disaster in Detroit. There is too much pride within him.

With Wade alongside him, he still could average 20 points and half dozen highlights most nights, making him marketable again next summer if he doesn't like the South Beach lifestyle. Yet he also just might decide to stay, to play alongside Bosh and Wade and seriously contend for that championship that always has eluded him.

Too often in this league teams sacrifice victories today for a promise of the future. And too often that future never arrives the way it was planned. With the best backcourt in basketball this season, the Heat might be better than anyone expects, giving fits to the top teams in the East.

Earlier this summer, the Heat spent weeks futilely chasing Lamar Odom, who doesn't have a fraction of the sizzle that Iverson would have. With Iverson, the future would be now in Miami.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

8-07-2009 @ 5:39PM

randy said...

Allen Iverson belongs in Miami? Allen Iverson belongs in jail!

8-07-2009 @ 5:37PM

Web Hosting Reviews said...

This seems to be that the last team Iverson will have to is Miami.Maybe there's a great chance for him in this team.

Wherever he wants to be in,will just support him...lol!

8-07-2009 @ 5:55PM

yokoach said...

actaully Miami has a decent team without him...Iverson isn't a good fit anywhere except on your pickup game where you don't expect to ever touch the ball...he's a high touch player, meaning he has to get a lot of touches in order to be effective, unfortunately that often comes at the cost of his team...even though it seems he has a lot of assists, he is still a detriment to any team he's been on...witness what happens when he leaves...the team chemistry gets better and they get better results...let him go back to street ball for which he is uniquely suited since practice is so abhorrent for him...

8-07-2009 @ 7:04PM

Lakergregg said...

You wrote,"Lamar Odom who doesn't have a fraction of the sizzle that Iverson would have."
Well let me ask you, who's more likely to win a Championship the Lakers with Odom or the Heat with Iverson and his sizzle?
I wish FanHouse would hire me, I'm as capable as most of their bloggers at writing complete garbage.
And at a fraction of the sizzle.

8-08-2009 @ 2:29AM

cjgdnight said...

A more interesting question is who has better chance of winning: MIAMI without AI or Lakers without Lamar.

8-07-2009 @ 7:13PM

melissa said...

Iverson, Please go over seas and play ball and never come back!!!!! Ballhog!!!!!

8-07-2009 @ 8:15PM

krmagley said...

he doesn't deserve to be remembered for his disastrous season with the pistons, true. but you're assuming this season won't be equally or more disastrous. he's just as selfish as he ever was, just as disinterested in team aspects of the game, and his body can't back it up with the scoring he once could. at least on a team like the grizzlies he'd have a better excuse for losing.

8-07-2009 @ 10:32PM

jma91122 said...

just because you dont like allen ,you dont have to disrespect him,,Allen has brought a lot great basketball to the NBA for Philly and Denver,okay the pistons didnt work but dont blame it all on Allen,the piston needed to be rebuilt and everyone new that,I think Allen and wade would be a powerful team in the back court and i am really hopeing this happens not just for a year but for a couple years,its funny everybody says Allen is loseing his skill,s but that he is still better then most nba players,Allen had one bad year,I think he really has something to show,i look forward to anyteam he plays on because that team is going to very exciteing to watch,

8-07-2009 @ 11:24PM

Mike Schmitz said...

Would AI and D wade really mesh? I highly doubt that, they both need the ball to be effective. But then again, would AI mesh anywhere we he isnt the number one? I wish the guy would just swallow his pride and come off of the bench. He would be a great spark off of the bench for a team like the Phoenix Suns. Imagine AI in the Suns' Seven Seconds or Less offense.

8-08-2009 @ 1:06AM

Giles said...

The Heat are going to start O`Neal, Beasley, Haslem, Wade, Chalmers? Three power frowards and two point guards? They need wing forwards if the are going to run, wing guards if they are going to set up. Iverson was an all star this season. He ought to get a good contract somewhere, but I don`t think the teams care. And Miami is not the right fit. Krypto Nate Robinson is young and good, though not an all star, he should also get a good contract somewhere, but the nba doesn`t seem to want him, either. Hope Miami has a good season, and we`ll see where Wade signs after that, but everybody talking about signing James, Yao, Wade, Stoudamire, Bosh, etc., ain`t getting `em. Only one team each, maximum, will get them, less teams than that if two or more sign with the same team, and teams which have non free agent all stars, like Orlando, and Los Angeles, have a head start.

8-08-2009 @ 3:19AM

Well, Lakers without Lamar still have Kobe, Pau, Artest so they're still the better team.

8-08-2009 @ 11:58AM

FLOW said...

Players grow and change. Ron Artest is a good example. Allen has been kicked around for a season, he's still undeniably a great scorer and Miami's not getting past Boston, Cleveland or Orlando anyway, so what do you have to lose. He may sell tickets-he could be a dangerous sixth man if you could convince him to come off the bench (if he says no, don't sign him), and he will take the scoring weight off D-Wade. Miami has no other player who can go one on one and get his own shot. I say sign him if he's not asking for too much, and just have fun.

8-08-2009 @ 11:01PM

clecase said...

Al Iverson should consider retirement before he totally diminishes the reputation of a once great offensive player. His legs are shot. He can't take the hits with his diminutive aging body.
He can only disrupt the flow of a team that has chemistry.

Maybe he can play backup to Kidd with the Dallas Mavericks. Maybe he can play for the Phoenix Suns as abackup point or shooting guard

8-08-2009 @ 11:04PM

Have him join the Cleveland road show with Grandpa Shaq. Maybe he can play with Koby and fight over the ball. Hard telling what use he would be to any team with championship possibilities.

8-08-2009 @ 11:07PM

Maybe the Harlem Globetrotters. He can backup Meadow Lark Lemmon and Sweetwater Clifton. LOL!!!!!!

8-09-2009 @ 1:40AM

How about Jerome James, Jared Jeffries, Chris Duhon, a 1st pick and $3 mil for Nash, "6`3", opening two roster spots, one for Iverson, at maybe double the MLE. Small, but high scoring backcourt, both can pass a bit, Allen can drive, Steve can shoot jumpers. Knicks keep talking allegedly about adding a little guard. Iverson is little. Why the don`t need wing guards instead, in their minds, I don`t know. But that`s the Knicks, I guess.

8-09-2009 @ 3:52PM

mama bwoy said...

kobe is the best,the nba make a dumb trade to put ron artest on the lakers they do not know that they do not like each other other words shaq with lebron thats a chamoipion right so lebron could finally get a ring

8-09-2009 @ 11:52PM

allblackhood said...

@krmagley. you said that A.I don't deserve to be remembered after his disasterous season with the Pistons. Well no one said that when Kobe had back to back disasterous seasons with L.A after their dynasty broke up. What about Dirk when they lost in the 1st round to a #8 seed Golden State? Or what about Steve Nash who failed to make the playoffs? Pistons failure is not on Iverson alone. Why can't the 1st year and 1st time head coach take a lot of the blame for his inexperience? Or what about a ball hog name Stuckey who totally disrupts the team, because he can't shoot. So when Iverson drives and dishes out to Stuckey, it's brick city. On top of that, Stuckey doesn't passes the ball. When he runs point, he bull dozes his way into a crowd and throws crap up, and don't dish it out. On top of that, Rip leads the team in field goals. He has such an ego, that he thought more about scoring than winning the game. He shot the ball 9 out of 10 possessions. Rasheed acted like he didn't want to play all season long. I felt so bad for Prince because he's a modest guy and a heck of a player who had an aweful season because he was neglected due to the team's ego. A.I and Prince were the only two who cared to win every night by playing hard instead of worrying about their stats. Matter of fact A.I field goal pct dropped a lot this season as well as his scoring avg. It's not because he lost a step, it's because he was trying to get his team-mates involved. So when A.I is scoring a lot he's a ball hog, but when he's scoring less because he's distributing the ball, everyone says that he's not good anymore. Y'all are just some haters. He will bounce back like Kobe and all the other greats, and don't jump on the bandwagon then