Writing the Pine

AP Photo/Lori Shepler

Let me be real clear before I go any further.  Quite frankly, it’s getting harder and harder to vouch for Allen Iverson.  I’ve defended him throughout his career.  He rejuvenated basketball in Philadelphia but throughout his time in the “City of Brotherly Love” the fans didn’t show him enough of it.  They ragged on him for “practice” despite the Rookie of the Year, the MVP, the numerous times he carried the Sixers to the playoffs and even the NBA Finals.  I defended him in Denver and Detroit. But then came Memphis and I just couldn’t find a defense anymore.  He let me down.  He was in a position to really prove a lot of critics wrong, but instead of silencing them, he gave them an even stronger voice.

Despite that, it is imperative the New York Knicks sign Allen Iverson.  I’m not saying that because I’m an A.I. fan or a Knick fans (recently I can’t say I’m much of either), but because it makes the most sense for both parties right now and for 2010.

There’s no doubt the entire Knicks organization finds itself in quite a pickle: how does it make this season appear to matter, when the entire damn universe knows that it all comes down to 2010?  And with the team’s putrid 1-9 start, it isn’t doing a very good job at masking the obvious.  The Knicks may as well raise the white flag and officially just wait for 2010 but let’s be honest, if fans won’t step foot in MSG, what makes you think the King will?  So how do you look ahead to 2010 while contending (or salvaging, depending on how you view your glass) in 2009?  How do you make the Garden appear to be the “Mecca” of Basketball instead of a ghost town to LeBron?

The answer?  Well, it’s just that…..The Answer.  Allen Iverson.

Forget what you’ve heard of how to lure LeBron James to New York, how Braylon Edwards’ spat in Ohio with LeBron’s friend may deter him from coming to the Big Apple.  (Are you serious?) How Jay-Z might sway LeBron to NY or maybe even Brooklyn.  (Ridiculous.) How Danillo Gallinari is the pivotal piece in the LeBron James Sweepstakes.  (Nice try, New York. But in the discussion of LeBron’s plans for 2010, the name Danillo Gallinari should never come up.  It’s like the time I went to buy a car and the Acura dealer tried to sell me on the TL by saying, “I’ll put a full tank of gas in it for you.”  THANK YOU MR. ACURA SALESMAN because my decision to spend $30,000 rested solely on a $40 tank of gas.  I shook his hand and walked right out. Then I wiped my hand clean.)

Could Iverson be the key in bringing LeBron to Gotham?

The LeBron James Sweepstakes has always come down to one thing and one thing only – basketball.  And right now, you would think that Penn Station was located on top of the Garden the way people walk all over the Knicks.  Or maybe that trains stopped inside MSG the amount of the times the Knicks get “railed” by other teams.

So how is Allen Iverson the answer to the mess in Midtown?

1. The Knicks desperately need a star (an affordable one at that).  A star who can score.  Someone who,on any given night, can give Spike Lee a reason to get off his seat and cheer.  Someone who has the ability to take over a game and win it.  So who better than the 6th all time leader in scoring average?  I mean, is it just me who sees the perfect situation for Allen Iverson?  The Knicks desperately need help but cannot break the bank as they penny-pinch for 2010.  They can give him an incentive laden, one-yr deal similar to what the Grizzlies gave him and can do what they need to do to make this season matter: gain a star while not paying the star price.

2. Although Iverson has stated he wants to play for a contender, he’s learning the hard way that you can’t have your cake and eat it too.  Most contenders already have starting point guards and aren’t looking take the risk of bringing in Allen Iverson.  He wants to, and still believes he can start for a team.  This, perhaps, is the dealbreaker for Iverson.  He has increasingly made his desire to start more public.  It’s a valid stance though and I respect his firm resolve (to an extent).  He’s been a starter his whole career and never played to a degree that would warrant a reserve role.  And forget all the talk about his age.  Jason Kidd, Steve Nash, and Derek Fisher are all 30-something  year old guards who can still run a contending team.  Memphis didn’t want to deviate from developing Mike Conley (at least not this early in the season) and thus, there was an obvious difference in opinion.  The Knicks have Chris Duhon starting and you have to wonder, if they were shopping for a guard during the offseason, then why would they NOT shop for one now considering their 1-9 start?

And before I go any further, let me squash any argument about character issues.  Stephon Marbury and Allen Iverson are completely different people (Marbury is crazy) and are in different situations.  The Knicks signed Duhon to REPLACE the Knicks’ go-to guy. It’ll be different if the Knicks sign Iverson since he’ll BE the go-to guy.  Allen’s major gripe in Detroit and Memphis was starting and getting enough playing time and the Knicks would be foolish to bring him onboard to come off the bench, knowing what we all know now.  So let’s stop the comparisons right now. Their characters are apples and oranges.

3. From a business standpoint, this is a no-brainer. Allen Iverson is still very popular both stateside and overseas.  His coming to New York, a huge market, would be an immediate boost in team revenue and considering the price the Knicks would pay, they would make it back tenfold.  The Knicks need the marquee name and there’s no one available to fit that role better than A.I.  Iverson would cash in as well with all the marketing and ad deals he would get while donning the blue and orange.

4. From a basketball standpoint, the move also helps both parties.  Given the opportunity to start, Allen Iverson could revitalize his career in D’Antoni’s system.  If Nash won two MVPs in the uptempo system, there’s no question that Iverson would excel in a running, fast-break offense.  Even at 34, there are very few guards I can say that are faster end-to-end than he is. Also, consider the supporting cast.  The Knicks current supporting cast is comparable to the Sixers teams which Iverson carried.  Larry Brown knew how to utilize Iverson’s full potential — surround him with role players who did not need the ball.  The equation was simple, yet effective.   Brown let Iverson take as many shots as he wanted and put good offensive rebounders on the floor along with perimeter players who could knock down the three.  David Lee, with his strong offensive rebounding skills provides, provides a reliable battering mate to Iverson, while Al Harrington, Gallinari, and Wilson Chandler all have their strengths on the outside.  If you still don’t think the formula in Philly helped everyone on the team, consider Eric Snow and Aaron McKie before and after Iverson.

5. What is the biggest upside to the Knicks signing Iverson is the effect it has on 2010.  Even if Iverson is only a one-year lease, the Knicks undoubtedly will be a better team and a more attractive team as a result, thus sweetening the pot for LeBron James.  How much longer can the Knicks wait for their young core to mature and develop by themselves before actually bringing in a piece to accelerate that process?  The Garden would be electric again, the buzz immediate upon such a signing, and to get rid of some contracts, the Knicks desperately need to make Eddy Curry and Jared Jeffries look appealing to other teams.  If the Knicks sign A.I. and string together a few wins in a row and the Cavs remain static, you can bet the crib that the LeBron James/Knicks storylines willbe front and center more so than ever before. Although A.I. won’t bring a championship to New York, he will make them relevant again in the basketball world and in the process, make himself relevant again opening up possible opportunities in 2010 with the Knicks or other teams. More important than what happens in 2010, is what needs to happen in 2009 and the Answer could be the integral piece the Knicks have been lacking.

Some say that when it comes to Allen Iverson, it’s all about him and for once, they might be right, at least for the Knicks. The league has always deemed Iverson as uncoachable and that he doesn’t listen. Iverson has said repeatedly that he’s a starter, capable of winning and putting up numbers, even at the age of 34.  It’s about time the NBA, and especially the Knicks, listen.