OT: Iverson bitching about coming off the bench

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Natebishop3

Natebishop3

Don't tread on me!
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And this is why I never want AI on my team...

http://my.nba.com/thread.jspa?threadID=5800022806

"No, I'm not happy at all. I would be lying if I said I was," Iverson said. "But I'm trying to do everything I can to be happy other than basketball. This is just one phase of my life not my whole life.

"Basketball is not my whole life. I have other part of my life, other people in my life that I'm surrounded with that make me happy. This is just a stepping stone in my life."

About halfway through the fourth quarter of the game, a friend IMed me about Iverson.

"Have you even noticed AI playing tonight?"

Noticed, yes ... especially when a former NBA MVP and nine-time All-Star gets a little more than a quarter-hour of playing time, his lowest total of the season.

But, what he meant was "impact." A.I. once was a guy teams planned for, schemed for, accounted for at all times. He could change the course of a game as quickly as he could crossover helpless defenders.

But at 33-years-old and with 33,000 falls, bumps and bruises on his slight frame since he entered the NBA in 1996, A.I. is not that guy any longer, especially if he's not on the floor.
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Tince said:
I didn't see that as bitching, but I guess he could have lied, and gave the politically correct answer even though it would have been a lie.

Having said that, I never wanted Iverson, and I still don't.
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Speaking to the press about being unhappy is bitching. If Iverson truly cared about his team, he would keep it to himself and sign elsewhere in the offseason. Giving interviews like this leads to drama in the locker room and distractions on the court.
 
Luckily for Detroit, they won't have to deal with him after this season. It'll be interesting to see what team will actually sign AI. Who would want an aging superstar who commands the ball and PT and is not good enough to lead a team anymore?
Same goes with Sheed a little bit, too, and what team he actually will sign with this offseason.

The Pistons are done. Especially when you've got Michael Curry as your coach. How the hell did he get that gig, after they gave up on Flip?
 
Natebishop3 said:
Speaking to the press about being unhappy is bitching. If Iverson truly cared about his team, he would keep it to himself and sign elsewhere in the offseason. Giving interviews like this leads to drama in the locker room and distractions on the court.
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Like I said, I suppose he could have lied when asked if he was happy. I personally get tired of the hot air that is said to the media, and I don't mind when players say the truth despite it being bad for the team (especially since its not one of our players).

I love when Don Nelson rips one of his players to the media, even though it isn't the PC thing to do.
 
Tince said:
Like I said, I suppose he could have lied when asked if he was happy. I personally get tired of the hot air that is said to the media, and I don't mind when players say the truth despite it being bad for the team (especially since its not one of our players).

I love when Don Nelson rips one of his players to the media, even though it isn't the PC thing to do.
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You mean like when Damon did it right before the WCF in 1998-1999? I sure loved that. Damon was pissy because of how much Greg Anthony was taking his minutes. He picked the perfect time to bring it up too.
 
alex42083 said:
Same goes with Sheed a little bit, too, and what team he actually will sign with this offseason.
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I think Sheed actually either goes to home to Philly, Charlotte, or Phoenix in the off-season.

Charlotte: LB loves him and he's the new backup 4/5 for Okafor/Diaw
Philly: Him, EB, and Dalembert is a fairly nice three headed monster at the 4/5, Evans kicked to the curb
Phoenix: Him, Amare, and Shaq is a great 4/5 combo and sheed brings some much needed defense to that team
 
alex42083 said:
Luckily for Detroit, they won't have to deal with him after this season. It'll be interesting to see what team will actually sign AI. Who would want an aging superstar who commands the ball and PT and is not good enough to lead a team anymore?
Same goes with Sheed a little bit, too, and what team he actually will sign with this offseason.

The Pistons are done. Especially when you've got Michael Curry as your coach. How the hell did he get that gig, after they gave up on Flip?
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I have a feeling that the Spurs will definately sign Rasheed and make one last go of it next season. Sheed would be pretty perfect playing next to Duncan, even at his age and with his decreased game. They would play a ton of defense, and San Antonio has always liked to play a "center" next to Duncan that can shoot from a bit further out, to help spread the floor for Timmy down low and for their guards to penetrate.

I think it is worth a shot, for both sides.
 
Tince said:
Like I said, I suppose he could have lied when asked if he was happy. I personally get tired of the hot air that is said to the media, and I don't mind when players say the truth despite it being bad for the team (especially since its not one of our players).

I love when Don Nelson rips one of his players to the media, even though it isn't the PC thing to do.
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Yeah, I guess that didn't bother me that much, because it's not like the whole world didn't already know Damon was upset. I prefer when the obvious is said instead of people lying and thinking we are all too foolish to know better.

Do I think a former MVP and scoring champ who has played more minutes in the NBA than anyone in the last ten years, is happy about coming off the bench for a crappy team? No, I'm not that stupid, and I doubt this is earth shattering news to the Piston players or their organization.
 
handclap problematic said:
I have a feeling that the Spurs will definately sign Rasheed and make one last go of it next season. Sheed would be pretty perfect playing next to Duncan, even at his age and with his decreased game. They would play a ton of defense, and San Antonio has always liked to play a "center" next to Duncan that can shoot from a bit further out, to help spread the floor for Timmy down low and for their guards to penetrate.

I think it is worth a shot, for both sides.
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I wonder who will tone it down, Sheed or Pop? If both of them hold true to their personalities, Sheed will get yelled at or benched for not playing hard all the time.
 
Iverson was just keeping it real, Nate. He was asked very specific questions. He told the truth. It was either that or "Both teams played hard."
 
KingSpeed said:
Iverson was just keeping it real, Nate. He was asked very specific questions. He told the truth. It was either that or "Both teams played hard."
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And if Channing Frye "kept it real" and started bitching about playing time? Or Bayless? Jerryd Bayless was the summer league MVP. He was a lottery pick. He can't even sniff the playing rotation. What if Jerryd came out and said he was unhappy? What if he said he wanted to play somewhere else next year? I think the timing and the content are inappropriate. Iverson doesn't have to give an answer at all. He could give him an answer off the record. I just think it's bad for morale and he should have kept his mouth shut.
 
I get your point. His ego couldn't help it though. And I understand that. The guy won MVP and the Pistons are losing. I think he'd be happier with coming off the bench if the Pistons were rolling and playing like a contender.
 
By the way, I think Frye DOES keep it real. I find him to be very genuine when he speaks to press about his playing time, how he has no complaints and just works hard to make sure he's ready. I think that's Channing. Oh, and both Channing and Bayless are in a winning situation and their careers are young. It's totally different than Iverson's situation.
 
Natebishop3 said:
And if Channing Frye "kept it real" and started bitching about playing time? Or Bayless? Jerryd Bayless was the summer league MVP. He was a lottery pick. He can't even sniff the playing rotation. What if Jerryd came out and said he was unhappy? What if he said he wanted to play somewhere else next year? I think the timing and the content are inappropriate. Iverson doesn't have to give an answer at all. He could give him an answer off the record. I just think it's bad for morale and he should have kept his mouth shut.
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I don't think your comparison is a good one. Bayless hasn't proven anything. Bayless hasn't gone from 10 time all-star and MVP to bench player. Bayless doesn't look miserable every game, nor does Frye for that matter. Frye has made comments in his blog hinting to the fact that maybe he isn't the best fit here because the minutes are available. I don't think there is anything wrong with that, because it's true.

A better comparison would be Reaf than Bayless. Detroit traded for Iverson because they thought he could produce for a year, but basically because he was an expiring contract.

Do you this his teammates were not already fully aware how unahppy he was in his current role? This isn't news, this was stating the obvious.
 
Tince said:
I don't think your comparison is a good one. Bayless hasn't proven anything. Bayless hasn't gone from 10 time all-star and MVP to bench player. Bayless doesn't look miserable every game, nor does Frye for that matter. Frye has made comments in his blog hinting to the fact that maybe he isn't the best fit here because the minutes are available. I don't think there is anything wrong with that, because it's true.

A better comparison would be Reaf than Bayless. Detroit traded for Iverson because they thought he could produce for a year, but basically because he was an expiring contract.

Do you this his teammates were not already fully aware how unahppy he was in his current role? This isn't news, this was stating the obvious.
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What you are not equating is the effect negative publicity can have on a team. Iverson gives an interview where he bitches about not playing. Next, the media asks his teammates what they think about the interview? Whether they think he should be playing? How they feel about Iverson? All kinds of shit. I've seen it first hand. I've been around it. When you give the media a whiff of controversy, they run with it. Why would the Pistons want to be dealing with this when they should be focusing on making the playoffs? Winning games? Playing well? It's a distraction no matter how you slice it, and it was badly timed.
 
Nate- why are we still up? I'm glad you and other are here to talk to. I should go to bed, I suppose.
 
I'm a firm believer this sort of thing should stay in the locker-room.

That said, you can't really compare the AI situation to someone like Bayless. While I'm not fond of his game, AI is a vet winding down on a very good career. Reading between the lines, it is pretty obvious he feels his current coach doesn't respect or appreciate him. That has to sting!
 
oldmangrouch said:
I'm a firm believer this sort of thing should stay in the locker-room.

That said, you can't really compare the AI situation to someone like Bayless. While I'm not fond of his game, AI is a vet winding down on a very good career. Reading between the lines, it is pretty obvious he feels his current coach doesn't respect or appreciate him. That has to sting!
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I really only used Bayless because he's talented and he's sitting on the bench. I'm not really comparing the players, but more the situation. If one of our players started bitching, the local media would freak out, and it would become a distraction. Unfortunately for Detroit, Iverson is a huge name in basketball and it's not just a local story, but a national story.
 
Iverson needs to STFU. When Curry started him, Detroit fell into a slump and they didnt get back to .500 ball until Hamilton came back. Maybe he would have gotten more minutes if he didnt go 1/8 from the field.
 
What I find amazing about this is that Iverson, if he wants another contract, needs to show that he can "buy in". But he doesn't. He is dumb as a fucking post. He was great when he was young, but now that he can't carry a team, he is nothing but a cancer. The only role I see for the guy on any team now, is that 6th guy scorer role, where he can take all the shots he wants. But if all he is going to do is bitch, it is worthless. It reminds me of some of the dipshits we had here during the jailblazer years, that would bitch about playing time even when they were playing like ass.
 
hasoos said:
What I find amazing about this is that Iverson, if he wants another contract, needs to show that he can "buy in". But he doesn't. He is dumb as a fucking post. He was great when he was young, but now that he can't carry a team, he is nothing but a cancer. The only role I see for the guy on any team now, is that 6th guy scorer role, where he can take all the shots he wants. But if all he is going to do is bitch, it is worthless. It reminds me of some of the dipshits we had here during the jailblazer years, that would bitch about playing time even when they were playing like ass.
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Derek Anderson syndrome. He thinks he's better than he actually is.
 
You know whats even funnier, is with the salary crunch coming this off season, I wouldn't be surprised if nobody signed him. Welcome to the unemployment line AI.
 
hasoos said:
You know whats even funnier, is with the salary crunch coming this off season, I wouldn't be surprised if nobody signed him. Welcome to the unemployment line AI.
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If he has an inflated self value, that's probably going to happen. Nobody is going to max him out, and there's a possibility he might have to come off the bench again. Dude needs a reality check.
 
all you need to know about iverson..... see how well denver has played this year

with AI... they prob dont make the playoffs.
 
MIXUM said:
all you need to know about iverson..... see how well denver has played this year

with AI... they prob dont make the playoffs.
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With AI, I guarantee they don't make the playoffs.
 
hasoos said:
You know whats even funnier, is with the salary crunch coming this off season, I wouldn't be surprised if nobody signed him. Welcome to the unemployment line AI.
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I wouldn't be surprised if he isn't signed by the beginning of the season. He's too used to cashing massive paychecks to want to sign up for a bench role and a table scrap contract in September.

But at some point a decent team is going to offer him $3-$5 mil for a year, and his agent will whisper in his ear, "Just take it to get a shot at a ring. Then next year we'll get you signed for a better deal."

Iverson is a fierce competitor, and it'll eat him up not to be out there on the court. So he'll take the deal midseason, and he'll realize it ain't so bad and do it again and again, always for less money, until he's too broken down to play.

The tough thing for Iverson is that his game is predicated entirely on speed. He never developed a consistent perimeter shot, so he'll have even less going for him than Damon Stoudamire did toward the end.
 
Doesn't sound like bitching to me. He's saying he's not used to it and is having difficulty and at the same time taking responsibility for his poor performance.

AI from ESPN said:
"I'd rather retire before I do this again," Iverson said. "I can't be effective playing this way. I'm not used to it. It's tough for me both mentally and physically. If I'm able to go out there, I should be able to get it done and I can't right now. It's my fault. I have to be able to overcome the adversity and do what I have to do. I just have to find a way to get it done. Not being 100 percent makes it harder and you can see that I'm not 100 percent."
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http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4035415

I've always loved how competitive he is. He's right though, he's not being effective. Unfortunately, I think ti's because his game is dropping rather than the bench role.
 
LameR said:
Doesn't sound like bitching to me. He's saying he's not used to it and is having difficulty and at the same time taking responsibility for his poor performance.



http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4035415

I've always loved how competitive he is. He's right though, he's not being effective. Unfortunately, I think ti's because his game is dropping rather than the bench role.
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Then you have a very different definition of bitching then I do. I saw the interview. He was bitching.
 
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