Add Iverson to "overrated whiny es list"

[implacable44]

funny how he doesnt complain when he gets pounded by other players, but when bowen bowneds him he complains. sorry AI you overrated player ive ever seen to statpad in scrub minutes...

AI gets his points in scrub minutes? - dude he lights up people for the whole game - that guy has the biggest heart of anyone in the league. he had 37 on 15 for 32 shooting and you say he got bowned ? he only shot 8 free throws. bowen got AIed

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

I'm disappointed AI felt the need to complain, he's usually a warrior.

When basically everyone Bruce guards says he uses dirty tactics, you got to wonder a little bit, don't you?

No, not unless you're a whiny fan of another team. Look, you can call Bowen dirty all you want. The fact is you know the league has looked at his play in depth and decided there's nothing wrong with how he plays defense.

Or are you going to go the whiny ass Laker way and insinuate that all the refs in the league are in a conspiracy with the small market Spurs?

[ShoogarBear]

"playing hard" = had AI for 35+ points in vBookie

"stat padding" = had AI for 21-25 points in vBookie

F'ing stat padder.

[ShoogarBear]

BTW, I'm on record for a long, long time as saying Bruce does some questionable stuff.

Also on record that he's my favorite Spur.

[ambchang]

AI gets his points in scrub minutes? - dude he lights up people for the whole game - that guy has the biggest heart of anyone in the league. he had 37 on 15 for 32 shooting and you say he got bowned ? he only shot 8 free throws. bowen got AIed

did you watch the game?
and yes, the 3rd quarter is also part of "the whole game".

[spurster]

The 76ers got 34 FTs compared to 17 for the Spurs. The refs sure screwed them.

[implacable44]

did you watch the game?
and yes, the 3rd quarter is also part of "the whole game".

yes and i saw bowen on him in the 2nd quarter too

[ambchang]

yes and i saw bowen on him in the 2nd quarter too

Just pulling out random things that was obviously wrong.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=251203024

[milkyway21]

a lot of players tried hard to stop IA. He's got most abused body in the NBA bec he is a warrior, bangs his body a lot, likes toying against big men. His shot can be limted but, i think there's really nobody who can stop Iverson.

and i think one article suggesting some points on how to stop him seems ridiculous....and SCARY.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/5130504

Is there an answer for "The Answer"?

Can Allen Iverson be stopped, contained or, at the very least, be made uncomfortable?
Is the only way to stop him to knock him out?

In truth, Iverson is so quick, tough and multi-talented that no single strategy will minimize his effectiveness. Different teams try various tactics depending upon the proclivities of coaches and their available personnel.

Let us count the ways. …

1. The best way to neutralize Iverson (and every other big-time scorer) is to keep the ball out of his hands. Small guards equipped with genetic jet-speed can try to overplay and deny him the ball, as the Lakers' Tyronn Lue did so well in the 2001 NBA Finals. Yet, because of the relative scarcity of hot-footed backcourt men (T. J. Ford and Tony Parker are the exceptions that prove the rule), Iverson usually receives the ball when and where he wishes.



2. Double-teaming Iverson will almost certainly force him to give up the ball. The trouble here is that he frequently receives it a step above the 3-point line and in the middle of the court. This means that Iverson's sightlines to both his left and right are so good that a relatively short pass generally finds an unguarded teammate.

A sideline double-team, however, allows the defense to cover the short passes, zone the weak side and force Iverson to throw long crosscourt passes. The longer a pass is in the air, the easier it is to be intercepted. In any event, teams that choose to two-time Iverson are advised to send a big guard or small forward after him to reduce his field of vision.

3. Play the percentages; soften the defensive pressure, and let him shoot from the outskirts. Subtract Iverson's layups, and his shooting accuracy dwindles to close to 30 percent. The bonus here is that the more he fires from afar, the less he penetrates, dishes and involves his teammates in the offense.

When players become spectators on offense, they tend to become passive on defense, too. The inherent danger in employing this particular option, though, is the real possibility that Iverson will shoot the lights out. But it's a risk well worth taking.

4. Force him sideline and jump him with a big man. But that's risky business because it can leave a large (if temporary) gap in the bosom of the defense.

5. Sometimes Iverson plays like a two-guard and runs a variety of off-the-ball patterns designed to create enough space for him to receive a pass and go to work.

Typically, these patterns include moves called baseline "snakes," where he utilizes a pair of screens (set on or near the opposite boxes) in whatever sequences he desires. Some teams will "top" these screens, then try to jump into the passing lane — another risky tactic that usually results in a wide-open look for AI.

Should Iverson's defender closely follow him through the screens (a maneuver called "tailgating"), the defensive "bigs" must step out to discourage him from curling into an open space. This step-out must be forceful, even antagonistic. If the big man must commit a foul, the contact should inflict as much pain as possible.


Occasionally, Iverson's path around these baseline screens will be blocked (or "bucked") by his defender in hopes of disrupting the play's timing. This is the most dangerous strategy of all because it is particularly vulnerable to Iverson's ability to reverse and go back-door.

The common ground here is in the attempt to make him work as hard as possible to get where he wants to go.

6. When Iverson is presented with a screen-role situation, the defense has several options. It can go under the screen and let him shoot (see No. 1). It can have a big man show hard on the other side of the screen to delay Iverson until his man catches up, but then the other defenders must rotate in a hurry to keep the screener from easily rolling toward the hoop. Or the defense can simply double Iverson with the big man and then form a zone in the direction AI is moving, thereby forcing him to make a quick about-face reversal pass.

One disastrous option, however, is to switch and have a big man try to defend Iverson far from the basket.

7. Play a zone, preferably a 2-3 alignment pointed at Iverson to prevent him from darting between (or "splitting") the two backcourt defenders.

8. Be extremely physical. Bang him to the floor whenever possible and hope the refs won't whistle every single foul. The trouble here is that Iverson is as shifty as a running back — and just as hard to nail straight-on. And no matter how hard he's hit (usually one solid shot per game), he will always jump back up and hit the same hole as fearlessly as before.

9. Whenever Iverson releases a long jumper, his defender immediately takes off down the court — called "running out." In theory, this puts added pressure on Iverson to make the shot, possibly compromising his natural stroke because a miss followed by a defensive rebound and a long pass will produce an unguarded layup at the other end. Even though this maneuver is rarely used, it can be highly effective.


Tall, long-armed defenders like Kobe Bryant can buy A.I.'s fakes and still recover in time to challenge his shots. (Jesse D. Garrabrant / Getty Images)

10. Push him left toward a prearranged help spot. As always, the helper should be big and long.

11. One historically successful ploy is to defend Iverson with a bigger, longer player such as Kobe Bryant, Luol Deng, Eddie Jones or Corey Maggette. The idea is to counter Iverson's jab step, a quick and convincing step toward the basket that invariably causes the defender to retreat and allows AI to step back and unleash jumpers.

Tall, long-armed defenders can also buy Iverson's fakes and still recover to challenge his shots. This is the most effective way to discomfort Iverson, but it also results in a negative side-effect: The defender assigned this task won't have much leftover energy to fulfill whatever responsibilities he might have on offense.

12. Iverson is strictly a rhythm shooter, oftentimes likely to go off for 40 points or more. The trick here is not to let him get a good look right out of the box. The best way to accomplish this is to foul him hard the first few times that he touches the ball. Later, should he make a few shots in a row, bang him to the floor again and again.

Like Nos. 1, 9 and 11, this is heartily recommended.

13. Make Iverson work to the max on defense to sap his energy and possibly get him into foul trouble. Iso him and take him into the low-post.

14. Mix and match every defensive possibility to keep Iverson (and the Sixers) guessing. Don't stay with one technique long enough for Iverson to get comfortable, and save the most effective tactic for the end of the game.

Iverson's former teammates, Aaron McKie, swears that none of the above will inhibit AI's ability to control a ball game, saying, "The only way to neutralize Iverson is to triple-team him."

So perhaps the only real answer to "The Answer" is to pose another question, one as mystical and elusive as a Zen Koan. This: If the question is un-askable and unanswerable, does either the question or the answer truly exist?


Charley Rosen, Foxsports

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btw, he doesn't belong in the list. He's not Carter or Allen.