Allen Iverson Live

As the Detroit Pistons hovers over .500 with latest string of losses, there has been rumours that GM Joe Dumar is thinking of trading Allen Iverson. 

Whether Dumars makes another trade or not, only he knows for sure. If the Pistons continue to play as erratic as they have, with the same style and pace, it’s going to be a long season for the Pistons, coach Curry, Joe Dumars and Piston fans.

This author defends Allen Iverson. 

There are many things that have gone wrong, but least among them is Allen Iverson, who has changed his game a lot since coming here, something not a lot of 33-year-old future Hall of Famers would readily do.

More Trading Rumours.  New York?  Back to Philly?

Allen Iverson has been voted to start in the All-Star Game for the 10th time in his 12 NBA seasons.

nd 2005 All-Star games, will be joined in the Eastern Conference starting lineup by Miami guard Dwyane Wade, Orlando center Dwight Howard and forwards LeBron James of Cleveland and Kevin Garnett of Boston. The game is Feb. 15 in Phoenix.

Iverson also made the All-Star team as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers and Denver Nuggets. He joins Wilt Chamberlain, Moses Malone, Shaquille O’Neal and Jason Kidd as the only players to be named an All-Star starter as a member of three or more different teams.

The big news was supposed to be Rip’s first game coming off the bench, but Prince stole the show by putting up 25 points in a 95-76 win over the Toronto Raptors.  The “quiet assassin” benefited by returning to his natural position of small forward.  Iverson had a quiet 11 points and 6 assists.

Hamilton struggled to find his groove in his first game off the bench with the Pistons after starting 611 games for them, including six straight trips to the Eastern Conference finals and an NBA title in 2004.

“It’s a new challenge,” he said.

News around the world:

MLive.com – Pistons want Allen Iverson to score more in the paint – and finish instead of passing to his teammates.

Detroit Free Press – AI: Chemistry is not there – yet.

Detroit Free Press – Iverson says skid is character test for Pistons.

“Character is going to come into play,” said Allen Iverson, who said he’s beyond frustrated after Saturday’s 91-85 loss to New Orleans. “It should have already. We are going to see what guys are made of. What type of players we are, what type of professionals we are, what type of teammates we are toward each other. This is the time we find out what type of team we are. Guys in this situation could start to point fingers and play the blame game.”

But Iverson said there’s plenty of blame to go around.

“It’s nobody’s fault but all of ours. All of us are to blame,” Iverson said. “It’s everybody’s fault from the coaching staff to the players. Everybody needs to take responsibility. Once we step up and do it as a unit, we can turn this thing around.”

The Sporting Blog: Iverson May Be a Lame Duck in Detroit, But He Still Knows How to Rally His Teammates.

Iverson wore the new Reebok Answer 12 in Dark Blue colorway during the road game against the Memphis Grizzlies.  The colorway matches the Detroit Pistons away jerseys – with a shiny navy blue on the sides, and white with red lining on the back heel.

These hot kicks hit the shelves on All-Star Weekend – Feb. 15th – mark it on  your calendars.

More on the Reebok Answer 12 here.

Iverson scored 27 points and helped Detroit limit Memphis to just four shots in the final quarter on the way to an 87-79 victory over the Grizzlies on Monday, ending the Pistons’ longest losing streak in five seasons.

“I think that’s what made our offense easy,” Iverson said. “We were able to shut them down … by helping each other on the defensive end. We just didn’t leave a guy out there on an island. We helped each other a lot and we did a lot of talking on defense.”

Detroit Free Press. Michael Curry finally decides that Rip Hamilton will come off the bench.

Big dilemma in Detroit is whether to start Allen Iverson or Richard Hamilton.  It’s a very tough decision for Coach Curry.  Iverson has been playing well with Stuckey while Rip was injured for that last couple weeks.  It’s clear that their both the top scorers of the team.  The problem is that there is only one SG position.

Links:

Pistons mulling whether to start Hamilton or Iverson, This author thinks its better to sit Rip.

Updates

Coach Curry caves in, as he decides that both of them will start tonight against Charlotte.  Interesting post on Slam: Rip says “That ain’t happening”

Iverson returned to Denver with success.  Iverson had 23 points and the Detroit Pistons overcame 30 points by Chauncey Billups to beat the Nuggets 93-90 on Friday night.

“It was emotional being that I had so many memories here. I felt like this was going to be the place that I would finish my career,” he said. “I felt good about my chances of winning my championship here.

“I felt like I was at home. It didn’t feel like it was a road game.”

Iverson, who spent 1 1/2 seasons with Denver after the Nuggets acquired him from Philadelphia on Dec. 19, 2006, got a standing ovation from a sold-out Pepsi Center crowd during pregame introductions.

Yep – Allen Iverson is on the cover for the first SLAM magazine of the year, and he needs a ring, now.   Great story from SLAM about this cover.  He’s graced the covers of SLAM every since he’s been in the league.    The sales show that he’s either the most popular, or second most popular (to MJ) in the history of Slam Mag.

Link: Trendsetter Iverson does it his way and proves image isn’t always everything

Iverson had a bad shooting night, but managed to come up with a game-winner on a goal-tending call, to beat the Clippers 88-87.

“You know you’re having a bad-shooting game when you get the game-winner— and that don’t even go in,” Iverson said after going 7-for-22 from the field and finishing with 18 points and 10 assists.

Rodney Stuckey scored 24 points and Tayshaun Prince added 20, helping extend Detroit’s winning streak to seven games.  Stuckey has been stellar lately, even winning the Player of the Week.  It seems playing Stuckey with Iverson works for the Pistons.

Stuckey scored 13 of his 38 points in the fourth quarter, and the undermanned Detroit Pistons won their sixth straight game with a 98-92 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Friday night.

Iverson had 23 points, including a baseline jumper with 15 seconds left that iced the game.  He then skipped off the floor holding his hand up to his ear.

“We knew this one was going to be rough, because we were missing three guys that are so important every night,” he said. “I knew last year what Rodney could do, just from the times I saw him. He just needed an opportunity to show everyone.” – Iverson

The Pistons are on a roll even though they are undermanned with Rip, Sheed, and Dice out.  Hopefully they will be back soon as they head out on a four-game road trip to the West Coast.  Iverson donned the White-and-Blue Colorway of Reebok Answer 12 (see pictures).

Links: A Brewing Dilemma in Motown with Allen Iverson’s Arrival – This author thinks Coach Curry has a difficult job.

The latest collection of Allen Iverson’s signature shoe, Reebok Answer 12, is scheduled to release during the NBA All-Start Weekend in February.  We have exclusive pics of the soon-to-be-release kicks that the man himself has been wearing since being traded to the Detroit Pistons.

Notice the three different color-ways.  The first colorway, black-red-white, is inspired by the Philadelphia 76ers.  The second colorway, baby-blue-white-yellow, is inspired by his days as a Denver Nugget. The third colorway is obviously the colors of his current team, the Detroit Pistons.

There is an elegant TPU heel graphic plate that features a poem by British poet William Ernest Henley, called Invictus.  The prose describes Allen Iverson’s dedicated on-court attitude and relentless will to win.

Expect to see the Reebok Answer 12 on shelves during NBA All-Star Weekend for $100.00

Iverson scored 19 points, and Prince added 16 to help the Pistons win their fifth straight game, 83-75 over the New Jersey Nets on Wednesday.

“No one was going to come in and be Sheed, Rip or Dice, but we have guys who will come off the bench and help us in their own way,” Iverson said. “We just had to utilize that, even when it meant playing a totally different style.”

Pistons are banged up at the moment, but they’re still finding their stride.  It’s their fifth straight win and they’re getting more and more consistent.

Links:

Allen Iverson Hungry For A Champsionship Ring