[外電] Don't give up on Pistons' Iverson just yet

[Paraguay (巴拉圭)]

Source: http://0rz.tw/y8Km4

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Don't give up on Pistons' Iverson just yet

Bob Wojnowski / Friday, March 6, 2009 

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He can still help the Pistons if he accepts his role coming off the bench and
tries to fit into offense.


Allen Iverson is Ailing Iverson right now. His sore back doesn't feel good,
his opportunity to start doesn't look good, his future with the Pistons
doesn't look good.

But sorry, I'm not ready to toss aside a future Hall of Famer. No way. Or,
not yet.

Iverson might need two more weeks to rest his back, which means when (not
if?) he returns, there'll be less than a month left in the regular season,
not a lot of time to adjust to a new role coming off the bench.

I'm sure the Pistons and their fans are feeling pretty good without Iverson,
having won three straight. But come on, let's not pretend Iverson's
quick-burst scoring can't be useful, and let's not turn him into some
gigantic scapegoat, either. He's played hard, he just hasn't fit, and it's
not entirely his fault.

Iverson said in a statement Thursday he's willing to accept the reserve role,
and coach Michael Curry said they're eager to get him back. All appropriate
words, awaiting the appropriate actions. I'm guessing Iverson isn't ecstatic
about it, but frankly, if he'd shot better (41.7 percent), it wouldn't be an
issue.

Here's the key point, the one that will determine how much time Iverson, 33,
still has in this league: If he really has matured and just wants to win,
this is his chance to prove it. If he's just a chemistry-killer because of
his need to control the basketball, this will cement that reputation, or
diminish it.

The Pistons and Iverson should do everything possible to make this work
because the unique skills that gave him the third-highest scoring average in
NBA history (27.7) remain intriguing. He can provide elements the Pistons
have lacked, a change-of-pace dimension in tight playoff games. Besides, they
only have him for the rest of this season, so why not drain every drop of
energy out of him?


It's not personal

The Pistons have given Iverson plenty of chances, and now it's up to him to
find a role. Richard Hamilton has earned the right to start. I give him
credit for weathering his stint off the bench, and maybe it helped him.

Handed the starting role the past three games, Hamilton has played very well.
But remember, when he was out with a groin injury earlier, the Pistons went
6-2. Iverson played well for stretches as a starter too, so let's not get
goofy and overreact.

Hamilton wasn't buried then -- and didn't allow himself to be buried -- and
Iverson shouldn't be buried now. Curry is in a tough spot as a rookie head
coach, and has been since Joe Dumars traded Chauncey Billups a week into the
season. I can't endorse the job Curry has done, but now comes his biggest
challenge: He must coax productive minutes out of Iverson without disrupting
Hamilton and young Rodney Stuckey.

Hamilton and teammates don't have a personal problem with Iverson, not at
all. On-court compatibility is the issue, and Iverson's style makes it
difficult. But he surely can fill a valuable sixth-man role that shouldn't be
viewed as an insult.


Not dead yet

It's pretty obvious the Pistons aren't making a seventh straight trip to the
Eastern Conference finals, but they're way too talented to miss the playoffs
or expire meekly. They don't get to take the rest of the season off just
because it appears they can't win more than one playoff series. The past few
games have been encouraging, an indication they have some fight left.

It'd be very interesting to see the Pistons enter the postseason as a sixth
seed, no pressure and no expectations, taking on one of the East's big three
-- Cleveland, Boston, Orlando. Could they pull the huge upset? I doubt it. If
Hamilton is playing well and Iverson is contributing, could they scare
someone? Yep.

Iverson needs to find his way back, with a healthy back, and there's no
guarantee he will. But it's worth the effort, whether he realizes it or not.
Even in the waning weeks of a long, strange season, there's an opportunity
for him to prove something.

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※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc)
◆ From: 58.114.81.191
推 goinwindmax:Can you speak chinese??  XD
→ Paraguay:would you like to translate? XDDD
推 goinwindmax:Oh,no.My english is very poor....XD
→ Paraguay:really? i see you do speak good english you know
推 aianswer03:Oh~~~~is it good to drink?
→ Paraguay:huh? i dont know what mean XDD
推 abianbitch:ok alright! Fine thank you,and you?
推 smilesbee:Why his back was so serious? So sad for this news..
推 laokoko:你們還是講中文吧＝.＝
→ freijaking:Why so serious, son?
→ Paraguay:someone is going nuts already.....
→ unicotexalex:Paraguay, your english is soooooooooo goooood~~~
→ momofishj:show me the chinese
推 freijaking:Yours is mine, mine is mine.
推 unico002:Your magic is mine.
→ xshowfan:Show me the chinese.
→ Paraguay:807
推 xshowfan:406
※ 編輯: Paraguay        來自: 58.114.81.64         (03/11 14:32)