Source: http://0rz.tw/y8Km4 ********************************************************************* Don't give up on Pistons' Iverson just yet Bob Wojnowski / Friday, March 6, 2009 ********************************************************************* He can still help the Pistons if he accepts his role coming off the bench and tries to fit into offense. Allen Iverson is Ailing Iverson right now. His sore back doesn't feel good, his opportunity to start doesn't look good, his future with the Pistons doesn't look good. But sorry, I'm not ready to toss aside a future Hall of Famer. No way. Or, not yet. Iverson might need two more weeks to rest his back, which means when (not if?) he returns, there'll be less than a month left in the regular season, not a lot of time to adjust to a new role coming off the bench. I'm sure the Pistons and their fans are feeling pretty good without Iverson, having won three straight. But come on, let's not pretend Iverson's quick-burst scoring can't be useful, and let's not turn him into some gigantic scapegoat, either. He's played hard, he just hasn't fit, and it's not entirely his fault. Iverson said in a statement Thursday he's willing to accept the reserve role, and coach Michael Curry said they're eager to get him back. All appropriate words, awaiting the appropriate actions. I'm guessing Iverson isn't ecstatic about it, but frankly, if he'd shot better (41.7 percent), it wouldn't be an issue. Here's the key point, the one that will determine how much time Iverson, 33, still has in this league: If he really has matured and just wants to win, this is his chance to prove it. If he's just a chemistry-killer because of his need to control the basketball, this will cement that reputation, or diminish it. The Pistons and Iverson should do everything possible to make this work because the unique skills that gave him the third-highest scoring average in NBA history (27.7) remain intriguing. He can provide elements the Pistons have lacked, a change-of-pace dimension in tight playoff games. Besides, they only have him for the rest of this season, so why not drain every drop of energy out of him? It's not personal The Pistons have given Iverson plenty of chances, and now it's up to him to find a role. Richard Hamilton has earned the right to start. I give him credit for weathering his stint off the bench, and maybe it helped him. Handed the starting role the past three games, Hamilton has played very well. But remember, when he was out with a groin injury earlier, the Pistons went 6-2. Iverson played well for stretches as a starter too, so let's not get goofy and overreact. Hamilton wasn't buried then -- and didn't allow himself to be buried -- and Iverson shouldn't be buried now. Curry is in a tough spot as a rookie head coach, and has been since Joe Dumars traded Chauncey Billups a week into the season. I can't endorse the job Curry has done, but now comes his biggest challenge: He must coax productive minutes out of Iverson without disrupting Hamilton and young Rodney Stuckey. Hamilton and teammates don't have a personal problem with Iverson, not at all. On-court compatibility is the issue, and Iverson's style makes it difficult. But he surely can fill a valuable sixth-man role that shouldn't be viewed as an insult. Not dead yet It's pretty obvious the Pistons aren't making a seventh straight trip to the Eastern Conference finals, but they're way too talented to miss the playoffs or expire meekly. They don't get to take the rest of the season off just because it appears they can't win more than one playoff series. The past few games have been encouraging, an indication they have some fight left. It'd be very interesting to see the Pistons enter the postseason as a sixth seed, no pressure and no expectations, taking on one of the East's big three -- Cleveland, Boston, Orlando. Could they pull the huge upset? I doubt it. If Hamilton is playing well and Iverson is contributing, could they scare someone? Yep. Iverson needs to find his way back, with a healthy back, and there's no guarantee he will. But it's worth the effort, whether he realizes it or not. Even in the waning weeks of a long, strange season, there's an opportunity for him to prove something. ********************************************************************* -- Only the strong survive- Iverson ⊕ ═█┘ ⊕ ●╱ 　　　 Ｗ ● ●︵ ● ●)) ３╯ <３\ /３⊕ ／３﹚ ３ \\ />⊕ >/ ⊕ ╲> >> ========= http://www.wretch.cc/blog/AWEI3 ========= --

※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc) ◆ From: 58.114.81.191 ※ 編輯: Paraguay 來自: 58.114.81.64 (03/11 14:32)