Tracy McGrady and Allen Iverson are 2010 All-star starters?
In the last update of NBA all-star balloting before the starters are announced on January 21, 2010, one can easily see two travesties within the voting leaders. I have checked my calendar a billion times since the new year to make sure it actually is 2010 and not 2000. Allen Iverson, after playing only 13 games this year, leads Vince Carter by more than 185,000 votes for the right to start in the Eastern Conference backcourt alongside Dwyane Wade. The Answer being the answer to so many fans’ question of who should start in the all-star game this year is an equation that has all sorts of holes in it, but with an insurmountable lead, us sane NBA fans will just have to find a way to accept it.
However, there is still enough time to right the other wrong.
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The Fall of Allen Iverson
Posted by Phil Partington Categories: Athletes, Editorial, NBA,
Allen Iverson may have had the biggest drop-off of any player in recent years. Just a season and a half ago, Iverson was having a superstar season by statistical standards, averaging 26.4 ppg, 7.2 apg, while shooting nearly 46% from the field and nabbing 2.0 spg. The following year, he looked more than human. The season after that nobody wanted him at all. The question on many fans’ minds is what happened to Allen Iverson?
There are a couple of theories that might give indication to Iverson’s recent struggles.
The Ball Hog Theory
Consider that Iverson is a volume shooter. This means that in order to be effective, AI needs to have the offense flow through him and he needs to be able to take a lot of shots. Some players are able to be effective even if they don’t get a lot of touches by moving without the ball, setting up teammates, setting off screen picks, going for offensive rebounds. Allen Iverson is not one of these players. On the Denver Nuggets, he was paired with another player like this in Carmelo Anthony. While the two were able to boost their personal stats, this didn’t really help the team win, as few other players got involved in the offense. When Iverson was traded to the Detroit Pistons, a team that was accustomed to playing “team” basketball, Iverson naturally didn’t fit in with his style of dominating the ball. Therefore, he lost about five minutes of playing time per game and he was never able to adjust to a team that didn’t want to rely solely on his quickness to get baskets. Consider that in Philadelphia, where Iverson had several years of success, the system was basically tailored to him. While the team was built to be a defensive team, the objective was to let him control the offense. That meant, surrounding Iverson with big men who could collect offensive rebounds and sharpshooting wing men who could hit the open shot when the defense collapsed on a penetrating AI. It may not be coincidence that the Denver Nuggets suddenly surged after trading Iverson for Chauncey Billups.
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NBA Fantasy Alphabet: Western Conference, Week 2
I appreciate musical mash-ups. Fantasy Alphabet will be my mash-up combining articles that look at hot waiver wire pick-ups, players of the week, and notable injuries. The format will consist of quick hits focusing on one player per team, and arranged in alphabetical order to help make quick scanning easier.
Dallas Mavericks: Erick Dampier. It looks like one crazy season ahead if Dampier can generate significant fantasy buzz. Since arriving in Dallas, he has never averaged double digits in points or rebounding, but so far he is doing just that. He has also pumped up his shot-blocking. Consider him as a sneaky play for the short-term as he could net you wins in the big ball categories (he has also been shooting 66%!), but the long-term outlook remains capped on the low side.
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One Man Mock Draft, Fantasy NBA 2009: Round 1, Pick 5
Oh, Portland. Will destiny link the names of Sam Bowie and Greg Oden together for all time? As the old saying goes, you cannot teach height. You also cannot teach sheer awesome scoring prowess. Heading into his third year in the league, this guy has lapped Oden in career achievement thus far several times over. As a hoops fan, hopefully Oden can overcome his injuries and show the world what he can do. In the meantime, though? Tell mommy to throw the food guide out the window because this season it will be KD for breakfast, lunch and dinner!
Round 1, Pick 5: Kevin Durant, SG/SF, Oklahoma City Thunder
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