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Joe Dumars and Allen Iverson Moving to the Backseat By Sami Asad from WeaksideRejection
02.28.2009 - Updated on 02.28.2009
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Joe Dumars, look at the truth. Truth, look at Joe Dumars.
The truth is the Detroit Pistons’ current situation. If fans of “D-Troit Basketball” have been upset with the playoff failures of the last four years, then they are certainly not happy with what’s transpired this season. You wouldn’t sound dramatic if you were to predict the Pistons missing out on the postseason.
Maybe the rest of you think I should have some mercy, because of the Iverson-Billups trade?
I’ll have mercy if A.I. was brought in purely for a expiring contract. I will refuse to have mercy if Joe Dumars actually thought Iverson would blend in with ’Sheed Wallace, Tayshaun Prince, Rip Hamilton and Stuckey.
But did Joe Dumars make the trade just to make a point? This is the man who threatened to make the big shake-up of the roster, and now after benching Rip Hamilton, it’s been announced that Allen Iverson will become a bench player once he returns from a minor injury.
It’s a reminder of Steve Kerr in a sense, in terms of indecision.
Should it be that tough to bench Iverson? Lets scrap the ego for a moment…
Let me think. Iverson, on the downside of his career, his contract expiring at the end of the season, what’s the problem? Nobody said you have to insult him, but if the season gets away, then I’d rather see Stuckey and Hamilton playing together for the remainder of the year.
The central cause for the benching of Iverson is Rodney Stuckey. In my opinion, Stuckey can be a force. Not a pure point guard, but a gifted scorer who needs schooling in decision making. But what’s shown lately is who Stuckey plays better with on the floor. Richard Hamilton’s game of using screens to get open not only helps his own scoring average, but he can make plays for his teammates.
Unlike Iverson, who no offense, doesn’t pass until all scoring options have been exhausted.
The Pistons are 4-12 in their last 16 games. Call me ignorant, but that’s not cutting it. You’re insulting a great fan base if you keep trotting out the same rotation.
Further evidence to support benching Iverson is the way the Pistons have started games. Often, Detroit can’t get on track, goes down by double digits, and spends the rest of the game trying to dig themselves out of a hole.
However, when Hamilton is on the floor, the ball moves, the ball swings from side to side, making the Pistons a much more efficient offensive team. Not to mention, Hamilton has better size, and is a overall better defensive player than Iverson. A.I. can make noise in the passing lanes, but in general is not the greatest defender. I’m not saying Hamilton is LeBron James or Dwayne Wade, but he’s certainly a winning player deserving of a starting spot.
Another solid reason for putting Hamilton in the starting lineup is bringing Allen Iverson’s scoring ability off the bench. A.I.’s scoring punch could be more effective if he were to enter games against an opponent’s second unit, or a tired first unit. I know Allen’s ego tells him he should be a starting player, but his punch off the bench could be what the team needs.
Look, I’m not sitting here writing to gang up on Allen Iverson. When it comes to blame, I tend to direct my questions towards the general manager who doesn’t know what he’s doing with the talent acquired.
Joey D, it’s obvious. You’re trying to avoid insulting Allen Iverson. Sure, you have respect for A.I.’s name in the world of basketball. Yes, he is probably the best little man to ever play the game. But everybody gets to a point where they are not as productive as they used to be.
This is the NBA, it’s a business, and if you’re letting Mr. Iverson walk at the end of the year, then I don’t see why you can’t play the guys who will be suiting up for you next year.
Should the Pistons put Hamilton back into the starting line up? Are they better off starting A.I. for the rest of the year? Let us know down below.
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Posted by
on 03.4.2009 | start rip hamilton instead of ai he is a ballhog they beat boston orlando denver without ai . | Posted by
Sami A
on 03.2.2009 | @joe Detroit beat Orlando and Boston on the road with AI being out of the lineup. No offense, but AI is on the downside, Rip Hamilton is definitely not. . | Posted by
on 03.2.2009 | first they is going to the playoffs second theres no doubt they are the east is easy to make and eieth place is mostly 35-40 wins . | Posted by
joe
on 03.1.2009 | please What crap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Rip is also on the downsize of his career, AI is a bonafide superstar pure and simple. The coach is lousy and Stuckey is ok he aint no star yet. . | Posted by
Sami A
on 03.1.2009 | I’m not trying to disrespect his ability at all. I have lots of respect for his "never give up" attitude. However, the game is a business, and Stuckey is the future. Rip probably plays better as a starter, and Allen’s speed and energy could change a game off the bench. . | Posted by
Diego T-Time
on 03.1.2009 | I believe that the Pistons don’t have a team’s play like the last years cause Billups was a glue for the team. Now i see lot’s of individual plays and few team’s play... I believe that the Pistons now don’t have an identity and for this they must find a go to guy, a leader. Allen is a great player, but if could be the go to guy the Pistons must create the team around him. The 76ers try to do this and the best result that they keep was the Finals. i think that now is’nt possible cause Allen can’t play like the 2001. The answer is an other. I belive that Rip must start and Allen come off to the bench to use his scoring ability against the second enemy lines. But the solution, for me is that when Allen is on the court he must have the ball to be dangerous for the enemies. When he’s on the court he must be the first offensive option. This is the right solution. Good Luck Pistons... . | Posted by
on 02.28.2009 | fantastic comments by Eyitayo and marz! if ai’s ego was so big he wouldn’t have been ’trying’ to fit in with this pistons team. now people are trying to make this a rip (the good guy) vs. ai (the bad guy) without recognizing the problems this team has had that is beyond ai’s control. as much as i love having ai here in detroit for the sole reason that i can actually watch him play, i think the move here has been the greatest insult to his fantastic career. i’m ashamed how he has become the scapegoat and how much he has been disrespected when all he wanted was to get a ring for not only himself BUT for detroit! and then when he was voted into the all star game, people said he didn’t deserve it. well it’s a testament to how many fans he has throughout the world who truly appreciate his love for the game! i will always have the utmost respect for how he plays the game..with his heart and his drive to ’never give up.’ blaming iverson for what’s happened in detroit is really really sad. . | Posted by
on 02.28.2009 | look back at all the old articles u wrote about detroit and the iverson trade when it happened. i called that iverson shoyld come off the bench and had a long reason why so go read it there. anyways, it is FINALLY happening, maybe falling below .500 (i just puked in my mouth) is what brought this on. but i am going to predict this: iverson as a bench player is going to make detroit look like a championship team. in fact, although NO ONE is going to agree (i dont care so fu ck you) that DETROIT PISTONS WILL WIN THE 2009 NBA CHAMPIONSHIP. like i said, go see how i predicted this in the old posts during the iverson tra.de . | Posted by
Eyitayo
on 02.28.2009 | I find it odd that nobody is commenting on the lack of effort players like Sheed and Rip have made and general bad attitude since AI arrived in Detroit. That explains why the team went on a seven game win streak without them in the lineup. They are playing with little energy and quite simply were dogging it with AI in the line-up. When your teammates quit on you, how is that being a good teammate? I think AI could have worked in Detroit but it’s pretty obvious that several of the Piston players were bent on seeing the team fail if he was featured as its leader. Im very disappointed in their lack of professionalism and poor sportsmanship. . | Posted by
marz
on 02.28.2009 | 1st off im a fan of basketball 2nd yes every 1 now is putting all blame on A.I. its like curry is no longer 2 blame. people talk about size rip has better D than A.I. 1 A.I. should be playing PG not SG 4 a number of reason AVG nba SG are between 6’4 to 6’6 in a half. A.I. is a passing lane defender rip is a help defender or needs help an his D is no better than A.l. i have watch just about every piston game an stucky is a great scorer but has no D half of the time he cant hold PG stucky gets in foul trouble alot sumtimes he slows the game down 2 much. A.I. at point speeds it up an he opens up more shots than stucky. know they say A.I should come off the bench its not goin 2 make pistons better or A.I. curry shouldn’t have been coach an JOE D might as well be coaching or shut up really curry is a assisting coach JOE D is pistons coach from afar. line up should b PG A.I SG RIP SF PRINCE PF DICE C WALLACE BENCH they should use greedy stucky pg-sg maxiel pf-c afolo sg-sf kbrown c-pf at times of foul trouble wit dice an wallace bynum at times really pistons need 2 sign a free agent 2 an last 3 things dice should have started from jump 2 A.I isnt the problem an last 1 have u seen the movie THE FAN wit wesley snipes its 2 late 4 a number change its like MJ 45 played ok with it but MJ is 23 like A.I is 3 . | Posted by
on 02.28.2009 | start rip-bench ai . |
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