Source: http://0rz.tw/FL9dF ********************************************************************* A.I. adapts to coming off the bench Monday, March 30, 2009 / Chris McCosky / The Detroit News ********************************************************************* AUBURN HILLS -- He doesn't love it -- that much is clear. But if what he said Sunday is truly how he feels, then Allen Iverson is going to do everything in his power to make this coming-off-the-bench thing work. "You know, a person with my resume and all the things I've done in this league, to be coming off the bench, I just thought that would be tough for me mentally," he said, after returning to the Pistons for the first time since Feb. 25 and scoring eight points in the Pistons 101-97 victory over the 76ers. "I know I can get through the whole thing physically, but mentally it was tough for me. "But I just thought about the big picture and that's helping my teammates get wins. The more I thought about that, the more I relished the challenge of coming off the bench." Iverson's first hurdle will be chipping away the rust from his game. It's not only that he missed 16 games, but with the sore back, he couldn't do any basketball related activity for three weeks. "On a scale of one to 10, I would put my conditioning at one," he said with a laugh, after scoring eight points, missing six of nine shots and toughing out 21 minutes. "It's rough. My wind isn't where I want it to be and my rhythm isn't where I want it to be. It's definitely a work in progress." Still, he was a presence. He had a key steal and layup and scored four of his eight points in the fourth quarter. His play allowed Richard Hamilton to get ample rest so he could finish the game strong -- which he did hitting two clutch jumpers. "I thought he was huge," coach Michael Curry said. "The rust was there, but he helped us get into the bonus and did a lot of good things." Curry was actually quite masterful in coaxing Iverson back onto the court -- resorting to some subtle psychological tactics. He made Iverson travel with the team, dress and sit on the bench Saturday night in Washington -- even though he wasn't going to play. "It was just great having him around the guys," Curry said. "I knew that would get him excited." He took it a step further on Sunday. "I put him in uniform, and I am only going to ask him at the end of (pre-game) warm-ups if he can go," Curry said. "Maybe being in uniform, going through warm-ups, the palms get to sweating and the heart starts beating faster, maybe that will entice him to get out there a little faster. "Maybe there's a little strategy to the madness." It worked. "I just wanted to get out there," Iverson said. "Obviously, I am playing a new role and what better way to do it than with my home fans behind me. I just had to dig in more. I felt like I could do positive things to help my team." Iverson was still in pain. When he outraced Louis Williams to the basket for a layup he felt it. "I tried to kick it into a gear that I don't have just yet," he said. He will probably be in more pain today. But he said that wasn't going to stop him. "It's going to be hard to keep me off the court once I get on it," he said. Rasheed Wallace is the last injured Pistons still out. He missed his 11th straight game with a sore left calf. He could return Tuesday in Cleveland. PLAYOFF CHASE: The Pistons jumped ahead of the Bulls and moved into the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference. The Bulls have been hot since acquiring John Salmons and Brad Miller and the Pistons are slowly getting back to full strength. The question presented to Curry before the game was, is there a better chance for a first round upset than usual this season? "I think the teams that finish five through eight are going to be good," he said. "Chicago is a different team because of the trade they made. Had they had those guys all year they probably wouldn't be in the bottom of the bracket. If we had stayed healthy or if we blended better after our trade, maybe wouldn't be at the bottom either. "One of those teams could have a chance for a first-round upset. I hope so because we are going to be one of those teams." ********************************************************************* -- Only the strong survive- Iverson ⊕ ═█┘ ⊕ ●╱ 　　　 Ｗ ● ●︵ ● ●)) ３╯ <３\ /３⊕ ／３﹚ ３ \\ />⊕ >/ ⊕ ╲> >> ========= http://www.wretch.cc/blog/AWEI3 ========= --

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