The New York Knicks informed their fans today to save their money on buying tickets, because Allen Iverson is not coming to town. While the Knicks compete with the Nets for the title of worst basketball franchise in the New York metropolitan area, the man formerly known as "The Answer" is now trying to latch with any team that will take him (and start him, unlike Memphis). So who's it going to be? Well, there's a few teams out there that could probably use the help...
Charlotte Bobcats: There's a little bit of reservation with this destination because of the recent acquisition of Stephen Jackson. A.I. is probably has a personality for Charlotte to handle by himself; with Jackson's ego included, it could be an absolute disaster. That said, the only person who has ever been able to get Iverson under control and really bring out the best in him was Larry Brown, the Bobcats current head coach. It's possible he could run the point and start over Raymond Felton, but it might be a challenge for him to get the number of shots he would want due to the sheer number of good scorers they already possess. An unlikely scenario, but it would be interesting to see A.I. try and use Gerald Wallace, Tyson Chandler, or Stephen Jackson to rack up assists and open up scoring opportunities for himself.
Toronto Raptors: A less than ideal destination, but a decent situation for both parties involved. The Raptors have some very talented pieces (Bosh, Turkoglu) but are a bit lacking in the SG department. Rookie DeMar DeRozan is starting at shooting guard, and is backed up by 3rd year player Marco Belinelli; not exactly world beaters. In fact, Belinelli is averaging more points (9.8) than the DeRozan (5.8) so far this season. Even if he has lost a step, Iverson can still average well over 10 points per game. With the shooting threat of Turkoglu and the monster in the paint that is Chris Bosh, A.I. would get some decent looks and persumably could use Bosh to clear the lane for him to drive. Again, this will probably never happen, but it might be the best option available.
Los Angeles Lakers: Why? The better question is "why not"? If people were actually discussing LeBron James joining the Lakers, why not a guy who would show up for about 1/15th the asking price? He would more than likely be earning less than Derek Fisher (which is where he would play because their SG is pretty much entrenched there) and could easily put up bigger numbers than the suddenly offensively challenged Fisher. This is completely unrealistic, but if Ron Artest can behave playing along side Kobe, why not throw Iverson in the mix? Plus, it would probably lead to a really good book about managing giant egos by Phil Jackson.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Michael Wilbon endorsed this move right around the time A.I. took his leave from Memphis, and I tend to agree with him that the Cavs would be a great place for him. It has already become abundantly clear that the Shaquille O'Neal move was mostly a lateral move in terms of a post presence, and if the Cavs are going anywhere it's going to be because of LeBron. Anthony Parker and his 9 ppg isn't a exactly a great complementary piece, and Delonte West is always going to be a question mark. This would a huge pick your poison situation for opposing teams. Do you put all eyes on LeBron and take your chances with A.I., or do you try to watch them both at the same time and risk getting highlight reeled by a LeBron alley-oop? Probably won't be too much driving for A.I. as Shaq's statuesque presence (not in a good way) in the lane pretty much limits that, but he's always a threat from the outside. Missing piece of the puzzle for the Cavs? Maybe, but every other time we think that, it ends with LeBron leaving the court without shaking hands with the other team.
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