by Andrew on Tue Jul 18, 2006 2:52 pm
Philadelphia. I don't see why the Sixers absolutely must deal Allen Iverson away at this time. I can see the advantages, moving towards another rebuilding stage, getting big contracts off the books, starting fresh etc etc...and I still don't see it as being the right move to make. Not yet, anyway.
Yes, Allen Iverson is getting older. Yes, he turned 31 just over a month ago. And yes, he can't keep up the same pace for the rest of his career. But at the same time, he's only 31 in a league where great players can be effective up until their late 30s. He's coming off a season where he averaged 33 ppg, 7.4 apg and shot the ball at 44.7%, the second highest mark of his career, in 43 mpg. He only missed ten games and a couple of those he sat out after the Sixers missed the Playoffs. If he's in decline and I'm the Sixers' brass, that's decline I can live with. He should have at least two or three more seasons around this level and then perhaps a few more highly effective years after that.
That would give Philly between five and seven more years of AI playing at an ALl-Star level during which time they could continue to build the team around him and try to take a stab at the championship year in and year out. True, they can't really afford to tank many seasons and snare the top talent coming out of the Draft but they still have time to make changes and re-load for a chance to contend again. It's easier said than done but they're hardly in the same position as the Knicks either. They were a late season collapse and Chicago run away from being a Playoff team this past season, after all. It's not too late.