Thursday, December 3, 2009

Weepy Iverson Finds A New, Old Home

Former Vancouver Memphis Grizzly, Detroit Piston, Denver Nugget, Philadelphia 76er Allen Iverson, found a new, old home back in Philadelphia.  The 76ers have signed Iverson to a 1 year, non-committal deal that will have him be the starting PG on a 5-14 team that is struggling in the Atlantic Division

Iverson will replace the injured (broken jaw) Louis Williams, hoping to bring a spark back to Philadelphia that hasn't been seen since...well Andre Iguodala pretty much rocks the Wachovia Center every home game.  Needless to say, the Sixers haven't won a playoff series since 2003, when Mr. Iverson was in town the first time!

As a result of missed opportunities, attendance in Philadelphia has been on the decrease, making the Iverson move just as much about finances as it is about putting together a quality team.  The city of Philadelphia embraced Iverson during his first stint with the club, and was never really ready to see him go.

AI claimed to dream about his return to "The City of Brotherly Love" in a teary, heartfelt press conference on Thursday, saying "I want to retire here."  Die hard fans are eating it up, as #3 Philadelphia 76er game jerseys are flying off the shelves throughout the city in anticipation of Iverson's Monday night debut against Denver.

In Fantasy Basketball World (FBW) the ramifications of this move will continue to unfold throughout the season.  As stated earlier, head coach Eddie Jordan has declared Iverson the starting PG for the team for the remainder of the season; meaning Louis Williams is out of his starting gig upon returning from the DL.  Williams' owners take a double whammy with his injury, as they will already be without his services for 8 weeks, and now the loss of starter's minutes upon his return.  You should possibly think about getting rid of Williams now, if you haven't already, although he did play a significant bench role last year as a substitute for Andre Miller.

Allen Iverson should be picked up in most leagues if you are in need of a PG.  He will be sure to give you big minutes, more than likely 20+ points, decent assists, steals and 3's.  Not to mention, there is a good chance he may light a spark in this team (Elton Brand we're looking at you) and make the players around him better, along with their fantasy value.  With a change in PG's, adding a seasoned veteran like Iverson should open up Philadelphia's offense and provide players like Brand more open looks at the basket. 

I can't see Andre Iguodala's value decreasing any, as his place on the team has been solidified since Iverson's first departure.  The Sixers are still going to need him to fill the stat sheet night in, night out if they are going to have any chance at making it to the playoffs. 

However, there is a possibility that Thadeus Young's productivity may see some negative impact upon the arrival of Iverson; look for fewer shot attempts from the 3rd year starter with AI heaving them up possession after possession.

Real life trades and acquisitions always provoke a flurry of activity in FBW, which makes for exciting times of anticipation and possible angst.  It looks as if Allen Iverson should be owned if he is available on your waiver wire, and chances are you may be too late already.  Now if you are able to get him, which player are you going to drop?  Don't make the wrong decision!

No comments:

Post a Comment