| King Corrects What Could Have Been A Disastrous Mistake Authored by Dennis L. Silva II - July 27, 2006 - 12:41 am
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“At this time, Allen is going to be a Sixer,” King said. “We can now move forward on getting ready for the upcoming season.”
The announcement was one that proved to be long overdue. There was no way the Sixers would have received equal trade value for one of the league’s most explosive guards. Denver offered Andre Miller and Kenyon Martin. Boston offered of Al Jefferson, Gerald Green and/or Delonte West. The Clippers reportedly offered Corey Maggette and Shaun Livingston.
But when it was all said and done, neither package would have made up for Iverson, whose best assets lie not in the stat sheet. Iverson is renown for his heart, passion, intensity and pride, and for the past 10 seasons has been the face and foundation of a Sixers club desperate for any identity. In that time, the Sixers have yet to find a consistent identity on the floor, starting as a team with no purpose on either end, then hitting a glory stretch of 2-3 years in which the Sixers were amongst the elite of the Eastern Conference and even made a Finals appearance in 2001.
Now, they are back to the world of mediocrity. There’s a nice depth of talent on the team but it appears that no one knows how—or if—the pieces can be molded into a competitive club that can rise amongst the pits of the East.
Iverson and forward Chris Webber have yet to show anyone that they are capable of complementing each other on the floor. Both players have to have the ball to be effective—Iverson with his shooting and Webber with his passing and ability to draw consistent double teams every now and then.
Andre Iguodala is on the cusp of stardom and has infinite athletic ability. He does, however, often tend to shy away from responsibility and seems more than willing to be the third or fourth option on the floor. Forward Kyle Korver is one of the league’s premier sharpshooter and has already shattered his share of Sixer records.
All of this, undoubtedly, would have been mute points had King dealt Iverson. The 6’) dynamo is coming off, arguably, the two best all-around seasons of his career, topped off by averaging 33 points per game last year on 44% shooting, the second-best mark of his illustrious career.
Iverson is the lone consistent offensive threat on the Sixers; a go-to player who thrives in the fourth quarter when games are close and almost always can be counted upon to deliver a big play when a big play is needed. Aside his scoring numbers, he also has put up 7.9 and 7.4 assists per contest, respectively, the past two seasons. The first number was the best output of his career, while the second was third-best.
Fortunately, as well as luckily, King got wise somewhere between now and late June and discovered that had Iverson been moved, all of the components of the Sixers would have been rendered useless, which would have meant an all-out plunge into rebuilding.
And rebuilding is something that Sixer loyalists do not have the patience for. Especially when King would have been departing with a player who has enamored himself with one of the more hostile markets of sports. Sixer fans are wise enough to have known that AI did not necessarily wish to be traded and that he was willing to stay through the torture and turmoil.
His removal from the roster would have indicated that King did not have the pieces—nor ability—to put together a team that could contend and make a commitment to winning.
"I want to be a Sixer, I've said that since day one," Iverson said at a press conference in late July. "Everybody knows that I want to be a Philadelphia 76er.”
And he will be. At least, that’s what King is hailing. So now the Sixers can move on to amending real needs and addressing real concerns. That would be defense and a lack of depth.
While Philadelphia ranked 9th in the NBA in scoring last season, it was ineffective since its defense was deplorable. The 76ers were the fifth worst defensive club, surrendering 101 points per contest and allowing foes to shoot 46% from the floor.
It is perimeter defense that bodes to be Philly’s Achilles heel. The team boasts able and athletic shotblockers and rebounders in Samuel Dalembert and Steven Hunter. But Iguodala is the lone Sixer who can lock up an explosive swingman. It did in fact address that particular need in this year’s draft, trading for Memphis’ Rodney Carney—a 6’7” jumping-jack who can defend and knock down shots—and Washington’s Bobby Jones, a 6’7” defensive specialist.
All the Sixers need are ingredients. They fooled themselves into thinking that trading Iverson would have somehow, someway rejuvenated this bunch and add some new blood. All it would have done was rid Philadelphia of its identity and rid the city of the one player they can relate to; the one player who grinded it out through misery and hope; the one player who bled for the Sixers.
Thankfully, they still have that guy. |
