Of all the superstars in the NBA, I don’t remember one struggling with his declining game as much as Allen Iverson is right now. He has made it clear that he is unwilling to accept a role off the bench, and his game is such (i.e. ball-dominant, volume-shooter) that’s it’s very difficult for a franchise to insert him into the starting lineup without completely rocking the team’s chemistry. Forget about any contenders wanting to roll the dice; he’s just too much of a wild card for that.
So Philly — with Louis Williams’ injury — looks like the best place for him. The franchise knows he’ll put butts back in the seats and he knows that he’ll get heavy minutes.
It’s a win-win, but will the Sixers win any games?
Normally, the return of a healthy Kevin Garnett would be enough to thrust the Celtics back to contender status, but with the way the rich got richer this summer in terms of talent, GM Danny Ainge knew he had to improve his team, so he went out and signed Rasheed Wallace to give the C’s another big body up front. If everyone is healthy, minutes are going to be a problem, as Glen Davis and Kendrick Perkins deserve to play, but one might get squeezed out by Garnett and Wallace. In the backcourt, the big question seems to be the overall attitude of Rajon Rondo, who is running out of time to sign an extension. It is unlikely that he and the Celtics will come to terms by the end of the month as the two sides are reportedly far apart in perceived value. Marquis Daniels was brought in to shore up the backcourt, so the Celtics will once again head into the season with a deep and talented roster. But can everyone stay healthy? If Garnett, Rondo, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen are all feeling good come playoff time, the Celtics will be a serious threat to make the Finals.