Empty the Bench

By Andrew Thell

The signing of Allen Iverson appears to be imminent in Philadelphia. By now, you know we’ve not been the biggest AI fans of late here at ETB.

Last month Brian (rightfully) railed on the fading superstar for his inability to age gracefully and accept anything less than a featured role in the twilight of his career. I expressed frustration at the Grizzlies’ signing of No. 3. We labeled him one of the most depressing players of 2009 in October. And back in March I devoted a column to dissuading any future employers from acquiring his services, concluding:

Iverson will no doubt be looking for a big contract this off-season, the final big payday of his high-on-scoring, low-on-results career. He’s not going to find it, and it won’t be just because of a depressed economy. Prospective employers will no longer just be asking, “Is Allen Iverson worth the money?” but “Will Allen Iverson even make us a better team?”

So yeah, we’re not high on Mr. Iverson right now. And we’ve devoted some virtual ink to making that known. With word that Iverson will be signing with another talented, impressionable group of young players (one we think has all kinds of potential), you would expect us to start beating the anti-Iverson war drums once again. I’m not going to do that though.

I may not represent the ETB consensus, but I actually think this move has the potential to make all kinds of sense. Philly needs some scoring and guard play and they need to drum up interest in this team. For Iverson, at this point there is no better way for him to redeem his dignity and walk away from the game with his head held high than to step in and be a positive, professional influence in the city that loves him. So I’m not going to trash the move, not yet.

What I will give is a caveat emptor.

Nobody knows better than Philly what they’re getting in Iverson, even if the regime has changed as much since his last stint with the team as Allen’s game has. They know the good that can come with the vocal sparkplug who earned the respect and admiration of every 76er fan and teammate in 10+ years of service as both the face and heart of the franchise, and they know the bad. Despite his reluctance to do so, this is the final chance for Iverson to swallow his pride. He’s always been willing to put the team’s interests above his own physical well-being, but now it’s also time to finally put those interests above his egomania.

Iverson and his agent met for over 2 hours with 76ers brass earlier this week, and here’s hoping that was the focus of the conversation: you’re not the focus of this team. You never will be again, but we can still be good for one another. It’s obviously a point Grizzlies management inexplicably failed to drive home before inking him this summer.

I understand the need for Philadelphia to man the ship while Lou Williams is out for the next few weeks with a broken jaw. I understand that signing Allen Iverson is an excellent marketing move for the Philadelphia 76ers; there’s no question the man will put asses in seats and eyeballs on televisions. I also understand 76ers fans’ love for the player formally known as The Answer: the man gave the city and that team his all for over a decade and defined the franchise with his toughness, jaw-dropping moves and prolific scoring skills on teams that otherwise wouldn’t have mustered many points. Bringing him back makes sense.

What I wouldn’t understand is if Iverson significantly cuts into the shot attempts of Andre Iguodala or, more importantly, the minutes of young Louis Williams when the 23-year-old guard is set to return. The kid was playing some fantastic ball, and he’s the future. AI needs to recognize that.

Playing far and away the most minutes of his career at nearly 35 per thus far, Williams’ efficiency has seen an equally drastic spike this season. He’s thought of as a gunner who gets by on volume shooting and preternatural quickness, but this season Lou has been shooting nearly 50% from the field and 83% from the line on his way to 17.4 points, 3.5 boards, 1.7 steals and 5.1 assists against just 1.7 turnovers a night. That’s a stellar line, better than anybody could have expected. I don’t want to get into any messy debates comparing the two, but Lou has been more efficient (that’s not to say better) than Iverson has ever been. It’s impressive.

We knew the 6-2 self-proclaimed fastest man in the NBA could score and get to the rim, and we suggested two seasons ago Williams would be dropping 18 points a night in a few years. We praised the $25-million, five-year deal handed to Lou in 2008 as a “major bargain.” We didn’t see this coming though. We didn’t see Williams developing true point guard skills so soon. That 2.84 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks him 12th in the NBA to date and the .96 steal-to-turnover rate is 15th (second only to Rajon Rondo among NBA point guards). He’s come into his own faster than expected, and Lou deserves all the minutes Philly can give him to keep developing and progressing as a point.

Iverson loves Philadelphia, and Philadelphia loves Iverson. But make sure he’s coming to town to do right by the city, Ed Stefanski and Eddie Jordan. Make sure he’s ready to take a back seat to Louis Williams, Andre Iguodala, and Thadeus Young. He’ll be ready to step up when you need him, but more importantly make sure he’s ready to step aside when you don’t. Make sure he’s coming to town to guide the young kids, not to lead them. Make sure he’s coming to cement his legacy as an all-time great Philadelphia 76er, not to tarnish it. It’s what everybody deserves, AI included.