| Is A.I. The Answer In Boston? Authored by Patrick J. Austin - July 25, 2006 - 2:21 pm
The most persistent rumor of the off-season has to be Allen Iverson packing his bags and heading to Boston. It was the talk of the town leading up to and after the draft. Some even speculated that Boston was drafting for Philly or making trades in order to satisfy their demands. None of the rumors have come to fruition, but people still believe Boston is the frontrunner to land the services of A.I.
If the Celtics ever do in fact land Iverson, his presence would be franchise altering…for the positive or negative. Iverson wouldn’t necessarily guarantee success for Boston, especially considering his playing style and past history. But before we get into that, we must discuss what the C’s would have to give up in return for his services.
The most popular scenario bandied about the rumor mill has the Celtics trading Wally Szczerbiak, Sebastian Telfair, and Gerald Green to the Sixers in exchange for Iverson. This trade makes a lot of sense for the Celtics. They don’t take on that much additional salary since they’re shipping out Wally World’s enormous contract. Dealing away Telfair and Green wouldn’t be a major loss considering Boston is loaded with young talent on the perimeter (e.g. West, Rondo, Allen, Gomes, etc.).
However, numerous reports indicate that Philly simply refuses to take on Szczerbiak’s contract. The only way this trade could be consummated is if Boston finds a taker for Wally while sending a more cap-friendly contract to the Sixers. That’s going to be a formidable task since most teams are looking to avoid the luxury tax and don’t want to absorb bloated deals unless they send out one of their own as well. The only team I could see being able (and willing) to take on Wally’s contract while returning an expiring or shorter-term contract to Philly would be the New York Knicks. It might take some finagling, but Isiah Thomas is just crazy (or dumb) enough to take on Wally’s deal in exchange for say, Jalen Rose, or possibly Maurice Taylor and Quentin Richardson. Hey, the Knicks need a small forward and have shown interest in Szczerbiak in seasons past; it could happen.
If Boston cannot find a taker for Wally, they could wait until mid-August and try to entice Philly with a package of Theo Ratliff, Brian Grant, and the aforementioned Telfair/Green. This trade scenario would provide the Sixers with some young pieces in Telfair and Green along with short-term contracts in Ratliff and Grant. Of course, if Boston did this deal it would make their frontline extremely thin. They’d have to sign some frontcourt talent immediately or risk having to play Brian Scalabrine significant minutes (yikes!).
So let’s say Iverson finally becomes a Celtic. Boston would be a sure-fire lock for the playoffs, right? Well, not necessarily. Don’t get me wrong, adding Iverson would definitely put Boston back into playoff contention, but he wouldn’t guarantee success. I know some people salivate at the thought of Paul Pierce and Allen Iverson on the same team, but I’m more reticent about that pairing. Both Pierce and Iverson are most effective when the ball is in their hands. Each thrives when the offense is centered around their individual talents and the other guys on the team play off them. Putting Pierce and Iverson together might be disastrous with one becoming unhappy due to a lack of shots or playing time. Let’s not forget, Iverson doesn’t have the best record when it comes to playing with another star perimeter player (e.g. Jerry Stackhouse, Larry Hughes, Glenn Robinson, etc.).
Of course, my fears could be totally overblown. Iverson averaged over seven assists per game last season and appeared to make a successful transition to point guard. This could be a sign that he’s more open to changing his game for the betterment of the team. In addition, a change of scenery could reinvigorate Iverson and give him even more motivation to help a team to the promised land (even if only to spite the Sixers for trading him).
Only time will tell if the Celtics do indeed land Iverson. Even if they fail in their attempt, it’s good to see Boston trying to land a proven veteran star to help Pierce (lord knows he needs it) and return the franchise to respectability. |
