The only consideration with Iverson for a long-time was not whether he was good enough, but that he did not have the right role players, and for his days in Philly, by just mentioning the fact that Aaron McKie was his #2, you would have some ground to argue that point; and then Webber came to town, and the whole theory fell to pieces as it became crystal-clear, that in fact, Iverson really was a ball-hog, who could not work with any player that represented a threat to his uni-focus on his stats, and was willing to implode a team rather than share the ball...in essence, the exact opposite type of guys that Joe Dumars molds...haha, Iverson as a Piston, that is funny...
I just want all those haters out there who picked up where racists did against Country Day, where Duke supporters did against the Fab 5, where David Stern and ESPN did against the run-and-gun style invented with his arrival in the league, where national media did when he became a threat to their basic argument against style of play, where Tri-state reporters did when he represented a threat to their core argument against character, and frankly where Billups did when he lost leadership control of the Pistons, that you owe Chris Webber a mea culpa for how hard he tried to integrate in to how the Pistons operate, because now you have Iverson, where absolutely zero effort will be made...you deserve Iverson, all you haters, punks...
I am 100% on board with the trade for Iverson, simply because i know i won't have to listen to Billups and McDyess stroking based on criteria that means nothing to the outcome of a basketball game, and there are a myriad of reasons why it is a shrewd move, but all you have to do is replay the Iverson press conference when he was introduced by Joe and compare it with the same scenario when Webber came to town: just look at the body language, the words that Dumars says about each player, and the general way that the players accept the challenge: it is a study in contrasts, and i know Webber is sitting somewhere preparing for another hilarious NBA TV segment with Payton and just exhaling knowing he doesn't have to deal with all these pseudo-superstars being propped up for upholding conventional wisdom, while he got lambasted for creating a new system, entirely...
It takes time, no doubt...to change something that has been embedded, like the Jordan system has, in the way the game is played definitely takes time, but it is inevitable...just look at the followers of the Jordan rules and compare them with those that are trying to change it back to team basketball:
Jordan supporters: Kobe, Wade, Iverson, McGrady (part of the time)...
New Way Supporters: Carmelo, almost all young players coming in the league...
the big question-mark is the obvious heir apparent to Jordan, who has been schizophrenic about his intentions of whether to play Jordan rules or play by the new (or rather the even older than Jordan) rules of team basketball, and that is of course LeBron James...a lot rides on his decisions, and if he were in the WC, i would be pulling for him every night, but he is matched against the Pistons, and has not been able to make a decision of whether he wants to beat the Pistons at the new-old rules they have mastered, or whether he wants to go the easy route, and get superstar calls, and do David Stern's bidding...it will be an interesting test case, but i think we are going to win LBJ over in the long-run, as it becomes more obvious every day that it just is not worth it to sell your soul for your PPG average...
I know i am going to grow weary talking Pistons fans off the cliff with Iverson, so i'll do it once right now, and then you guys are on your own, so listen up: Iverson will not change...he is the same player and person he always has been, at least post-Georgetown (money corrupts, absolutely), and he will not change himself for something so meaningless to him as Pistons Basketball, and will not bow to a former player who he really doesn't respect in Joe Dumars...so, as i said a few days ago: buckle-in, we are winning this ground war of changing the way the NBA operates, but stalwarts like Iverson must be confronted and defeated along the way, and it takes effort to fight the fight...David Stern is no push-over, you don't completely rule an organization as important as the NBA without a little help and planning...
But, we have this thing under control...i don't expect all of you haters to come on here and give me an apology for listening to ESPN more than supporting Webber, and it really is not necessary for all of you haters to believe in the new way, but i do expect a lot of you to begin to support the right way of playing that he introduced as a counter-balance to the Jordan Rules...it is time...there is no choice but to ride out this year, share a few laughs at how ridiculous Iverson takes himself, and pray to the gods that Rasheed somehow stays in the background, because for as bad as a loss to an absolutely atrocious Nets team is, this thing can get much, much worse...
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