NBA: Allen Iverson is Going to Memphis
So Allen Iverson officially became a member of the Memphis Grizzlies today signing a one year $3.5 million deal with the the NBA franchise. There is a saying that quips there is a fine line between genius and insanity and the moves the Memphis Grizzlies have made this summer are certainly walking that tightrope between genius and insanity.
The Grizzlies descent into madness began last summer when the team made O. J. Mayo its top pick. Now, on the surface, that has not turned out to be such a bad pick. Mayo had a strong rookie season averaging 18.5 points per game and being on relatively good behavior. However, there were some reports during the season that Grizzlies management was not thrilled with some of the company he was keeping off the court. Mayo in and of him self is likely not going to bring a team down from within, but he will have some help if he decides to go that route.
What really tipped me off that the Griz were trying not to win was when they dealt for perpetual loser Zach Randolph. In the days leading up to the draft the Grizzlies agreed to deal the newly acquired Quentin Richardson for the perpetual locker room cancer. It is truly odd that they would go out and add a guy of questionable character with a history of poor decision making off the court to a young team devoid of any real veteran leadership. The Grizzlies are loaded with a bevy of young talent in players like Marc Gasol, Rudy Gay, Mayo, and Mike Conley. Why on Earth would anyone want to throw the combustible Randolph into that mix?
As if Randolph’s antics are not enough the Grizz decide to outdo themselves and sign Iverson so now the circus is truly coming to town. The chemistry between Mayo and Iverson should be interesting to watch. Iverson says he is treating this season as a re-birth of sorts and how he is going to play like it is his rookie year again. This roughly translates to “I am out to prove I can still drop 30 on anyone and I am going to get mine”. AI wants that one last big pay day before he retires and he knows he is not going to get it unless he shows everyone he is still the dynamic scorer he was all those years in Philadelphia and Denver.
One wonders how guys like Mayo and Gay will react to AI when he goes on one of his patented 4 for 20 shooting sprees where he keeps chucking up shots thinking something has to fall sooner or later. Halftime entertainment during Memphis home games could end up being a rumble between Mayo and AI’s entourages at mid-court with the winner getting to take all the shots in the second half. I am almost half-expecting Randolph to haul off and jack AI up for throwing up bad shot after bad shot and making him to actually have to work to get the ball. Maybe Randolph’s entourage will join in the halftime rumble at mid-court.
I feel bad for coach Lionel Hollins who has to manage the egos of Mayo, Randolph, and AI and that is not even to mention having to deal with the marshmallow that is Hasheem Thabeet. Thabeet is a pretty soft-spoken guy and it could be interesting to see how he deals with a couple of rogues like Iverson and Randolph. I am not convinced that Thabeet has the mental toughness to be a quality NBA player. He definitely needed to go to a team with a strong coach, strong veteran leadership, and a strong locker room. The Grizzlies have none of these and the precocious Thabeet could be strolling right into the proverbial lion’s den in Memphis.
But, who knows, maybe the Grizzlies’ moves are ingenious and not madness. Maybe the combustible trio of Mayo, Iverson, and Randolph is a ringing success and they all work together and get Memphis back into the playoffs. Maybe the light goes on for Iverson and Randolph and they decide now is the time to act like mature adults and be the leaders players with their tenure in the league are supposed to be. Is it possible that Iverson and Randolph are capable of putting their team’s success ahead of their own? You know it has to be pretty bad when the dregs of the league, the Knicks and Clippers, no longer want a player as talented as Randolph around.
In the end the Grizzlies are just doing this because they think they can sell some tickets with Iverson on the team. Heck the team’s website already has a promotion up for a replica Iverson jersey for anyone who buys a season ticket. One has to doubt their true sincerity to put a quality product on the court when they spend the off season bringing in low character players whose teams tend to disappoint as opposed to quality complimentary players who will not make waves in the locker room or the community. The best off season move by the Grizzlies may very well be the addition of Damon Stoudamire to the coaching staff. At least he will know where to score the good weed around town to keep some of the new guys happy.
