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Lets hope it comes true so the drama between Larry Brown and Iverson continues again.
Friday night, Dime’s Aron Phillips spoke to an unnamed source who works in the NBA and said that Allen Iverson has worked out the details of a contract with the Charlotte Bobcats, but the deal won’t be official until next week.
http://dimemag.com/2009/08/source-al...o-the-bobcats/
Lets hope it comes true so the drama between Larry Brown and Iverson continues again.
Yeah, their one upsmanship in the asshole category deserves renewal.
This is one of the few situations that might actually work. He's played for LB before and since the Bobcats aren't winning anything anytime soon it will put fans in the seats.
Poor Diaw and Bell...
At least Chandler has someone to throw the alley-oop to him.
...& practices won't be the same.
kill_bill_pana is jumping off a cliff somewhere.
Maybe this will be a break-through season for Charlotte. They've been underachieving in the east for a couple of years. They should be pretty decent defensively. Iverson will give them some offensive punch. Iverson, Chandler, Wallace, Diaw, Bell . . . not bad.
Report: Iverson to reunite with Larry Brown in Charlotte
By J.E. Skeets
Ball Don't Lie
It's a rumor we've heard all summer long, so take it with a celery salt-rimmed glass of vodka, clamato, Worcestershire and Tabasco sauce, but Dime Magazine's Aron Phillips reports that Allen Iverson has reached an agreement with the Charlotte Bobcats and the deal will become official next week.
Generally speaking, the marriage makes sense. Charlotte would add a scorer to a team that was last in the NBA in scoring, as well as popular personality still capable of selling tickets and merchandise for the cash-strapped franchise. Moreover, Iverson would be reunited with ex-Sixers coach Larry Brown. Both men have showered each other with praise since their much-publicized divorce in Philadelphia years ago. Live, learn and love, I guess.
However, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer says not so fast, pointing out that the team's payroll and roster both stand in the way of an easy deal.
On Wednesday, the 34-year-old guard tweeted, rather mysteriously, "that we," whoever that is, "are getting close to a deal." He added: "I have been blessed to make plenty of money in this league. Now it's not about the money, its about [...] getting back on the court [and] playing every game like its my last! Stay tuned."With the Bobcats inching toward the luxury-tax threshold, it's problematic to make Iverson a fair offer, even in a depressed economy. Minutes are another issue: With Raja Bell, D.J. Augustin and restricted free agent Raymond Felton on the roster, where would Brown find sufficient playing time for a nine-time All-Star who averaged nearly 42 minutes his first 12 NBA seasons?
Yes, stay tuned, indeed.
*********************
The Charlotte Observer piece.
No deal yet, but Iverson-to-Bobcats viable
Rick Bonnell
Dime Magazine's web site reports that Allen Iverson and the Bobcats already have agreed to terms on a contract that will be signed within a week.
I'm told by a great source that's not true. However, that doesn't mean Iverson won't be a Bobcat. It sounds like there's a good chance that will happen. My source says definitively that Iverson's first choice is to play for Larry Brown again in Charlotte, and that there have been serious discussions about making that happen.
However, there are complications. As Brown told me and ESPN.com's Chris Sheridan, the team's payroll and roster both stand in the way. With the Bobcats inching toward the luxury-tax threshold, it's problematic to make Iverson a fair offer, even in a depressed economy. Minutes are another issue: With Raja Bell, D.J. Augustin and restricted free agent Raymond Felton on the roster, where would Brown find sufficient playing time for a nine-time All-Star who averaged nearly 42 minutes his first 12 NBA seasons?
If any guard is traded, I'm guessing it would be Bell, whose contract expires following the coming season.
The attraction of Iverson is obvious: You'd be adding a great scorer to a team that was last in the NBA in scoring and you'd be adding a star to a team struggling to sell tickets and create a buzz.
But there are plenty of challenges, too. The net effect of replacing Bell with Iverson would be making the Bobcats smaller and weaker defensively. Let's say, just to play this out, that Felton and Iverson are this team's starting backcourt, backed up by Augustin and rookie Gerald Henderson. That means Felton would usually have to defend the opposing team's shooting guard. Is it workable to ask him to guard Dwyane Wade, Kobe Bryant and Joe Johnson on a nightly basis?
Also, there's the chemistry issue. I believe Brown when he says he'd enjoy coaching Iverson again, but obviously Iverson's history is high-maintenance. The Bobcats have great locker room chemistry; Felton and Gerald Wallace are fine leaders and there's a genuine understanding among the players that they're all vested in each other's success
.You'd be betting Iverson would respect and assimilate into all that.
Leave it to Larry Brown to dip his toes into a "poison vat" for the 2nd time. Dude must have amensia in that he's forgetting how AI adversely affected the on-court chemistry of the Nuggets, Pistons and his Sixers.
This is a testimony to Brown's enormous coaching ego, in that he believes he can still coach AI. Brown, above all coaches, knows how difficult AI is to coach. Everyone knows Brown hates rookies, so expect him to bury a fine, young, up-and-coming player, in Henderson, on the bench, in favor of this new team cancer.
AI was great player and is a sure-fire, HOF-one at that. However, he's unwilling to modify his game to fit what a team needs. He's -bent on hogging the rock, taking all the shots and minutes, and playing "matador" defense. He is the absolute antihisis of what Brown and the Hornets need at the SG position.
i was actualy hopin he would go to Charlotte.
Charlotte has a chance for a playoff run now.
this is a good move by the bobcats, for the last 2-3 seasons they been very compe ive in some games, just missing out of the eastern playoffs by a few games....
Drama? AI and Larry Brown have more respect for each other than most coach/player combinations. I was a big fan of AI back in the day...here's hoping he'll have a successful term in Charlotte, and shove it in the face of all the teams who didn't think he had it anymore. Just not good enough to beat SA.
They are not that close to the tax threshold. They only have a little over 61 million in salaries next season. If Iverson is willing to take 5-6 million a year then Charlotte should be fine.
PRACTICE? WE TALKIN' BOUT PRACTICE?
Why would Brown add a guy who needs to be emotionally jerked off every nite?
If any guard is traded, I'm guessing it would be Bell, whose contract expires following the coming season.
Hope this happens.
the bobcats will make the playoffs and the be the surprise team no named okc
Hmmmm....a 1st team line-up of Felton (assuming he stays), AI, Gerald Wallace, Diaw, and Tyson Chandler looks pretty good. With Augustin and Bell also coming off the bench.Not bad.
It's easy to imagine what a crap Chandler will be in offense without Chris Paul.Hmmmm....a 1st team line-up of Felton (assuming he stays), AI, Gerald Wallace, Diaw, and Tyson Chandler looks pretty good. With Augustin and Bell also coming off the bench.
If I were the Bobcats management, I would S&T the useless Felton elsewhere and start my man, D.J. Augustin.Hmmmm....a 1st team line-up of Felton (assuming he stays), AI, Gerald Wallace, Diaw, and Tyson Chandler looks pretty good. With Augustin and Bell also coming off the bench.
I think this is a good move, people at this point imo have started to underrate A.I. He's not great anymore but he's still pretty good and the Bobcats are a team who need scoring so I think this will work out just fine.
And the Spurs have won back-to-back NBA les.
To spite himself.
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