Celtics-76ers preview: How will Iverson react to not starting tonight?

I would say "Home, sweet home," but, well, the Celtics seem to be better away from the confines of the Boston Gah-den.  Philly will be without Allen Iverson tonight (who I wish would play), and his spot in the starting lineup will likely be taken by Willie Green.  The same Willie Green who somehow, miraculously and unexpectedly, torched the Celts in the two teams' last meeting.

Here are three things to look out for during tonight's game: 

1. Allen Iverson's reaction to not starting - I know he's hurt and all, and not even cleared to play but, well, it's Allen Iverson we're talking about.  We're not talking about practice, we're talking about a game... and Allen Iverson likes to start games on the floor, not on the bench.  Can't you just see a postgame explosion from Iverson, ripping into a bewildered Eddie Jordan for not starting him while Jordan thinks to himself, But you weren't even healthy enough to play...?
2. Celtics big men - Kevin Garnett, Kendrick Perkins and Rasheed Wallace will be going against a thin, injury-riddled front line lacking much punch.  The Celtics should look inside early and often tonight.
3. Philly's athleticism - Philly doesn't have much going for them so far this season, but one thing they do have is athleticism.  With wings like Andre Iguodala and Thaddeus Young, Philly can get up and down the court in a hurry, and could cause problems for Boston... that is, if Boston plays like they're in a coma.  If Boston exerts even minimal effort in this one, they'll win.  They're just far more talented than Philly.  Period. 

I wish Allen Iverson were playing tonight

I was looking forward to seeing Allen Iverson play. I was excited to see his return to Boston, his first time back as a Philadelphia 76er. I was pumped.

You see, once Iverson steps onto a basketball court, it no longer matters what he did in Memphis. It doesn't matter that he sat on the back of the team bus and screamed for coach Lionel Hollins to hear that he'd played for a dumbass last year (Michael Curry) and was doing it again this year. It doesn't matter that he quit on the Grizzlies after only three games, or that he did the same last season in Detroit. It doesn't matter that he hasn't been able to handle taking a backseat to his teammates, or to take the instructions of his coaches. Once he's on that court, Allen Iverson is simply one of the most breathtaking playmakers to ever grace the hardwood.

Don't get me wrong; Iverson has disgraced the game of basketball. He's taken a sport that is supposed to be based in team play and he's made it all about himself. He's shown disrespect to his coaches, to his teammates, and to the game he loves, the game he's played so well for so long. He's made people re-think his spot in history, to wonder whether he deserves to be mentioned in the same breath with all the game's other legends.

But I'll tell you one thing: He does deserve to be a part of those legends. In his prime, Iverson was the single biggest attraction in all of basketball. When AI was playing, you had to tune in… you just had to. He was as explosive a scorer as there was. He was as gritty a player, as exciting a player, as any in the Association. He was capable of carrying a team on his back, of leading them farther than they should have gone, and it seemed as if he was always on the verge of a scoring outburst… even when he wasn’t playing well.

And, more than anything else, that’s why Allen Iverson is still must-see T.V. You never know when he’s going to bring back vintage Allen Iverson, when he’ll start scoring in bunches, attacking the basket, and making you admire his heart with every dart into the lane, every collision with an opponent almost double his weight. No matter what you thought about Iverson – his aversion to practice, disregard for public image, ball-hogging style of play – you couldn’t help but admire the way he played with his emotions on his sleeve, the way he always bounced right back up ready to attack his opponent one more time. You had to admire the way he fought, battled, and never backed down from anybody.

As legends grow older, you keep watching them for that one game they remind you of the player they used to be, that one spurt where you can look at that aging legend and say, “Remember when he used to do that all the time? Man, he was unbelievable in his prime.” You keep watching, even through all the struggles, because you want one last glimpse into the player he used to be.

That’s why I was looking forward to seeing Iverson play. Not because he’s great now; he’s not. Not because he’s a role model or perfect teammate; he’s not.

No, I wanted to see Iverson play to be taken back to a time when he was carrying a team full of Eric Snow’s and Aaron McKie’s to the NBA Finals, a time when Iverson was the most exciting player in the NBA, possibly the most exhilarating athlete in all of sports. I wanted to see him take over a game one more time and make me remember his 50-point scoring binges, his emphatic step over Tyronn Lue, and his killer crossover.

As stars grow older, all you get are glimpses of the players they once were. But when those glimpses come, as unexpected as they may be, they take you back to a time when that star ruled the NBA, when you would be afraid to miss that star’s game because you never knew when he’d do something truly special.

That’s why I wanted to watch Allen Iverson scrap and claw against my Boston Celtics tonight. I know he’s not what he once was, but all I wanted was a reminder – one scoring spurt, one crossover, one scamper into the paint and devastating finish. Even at just six feet tall, Iverson used to be the most-feared player in the NBA, and I wanted him to force me to remember that time.

Alas, he won’t play tonight; arthritis in his left knee won’t allow it. In his place will be Jrue Holiday and Willie Green. They may be better role models than Iverson, they may be better teammates, but neither of those players will ever be legends.

They’ll never remind me of a time when a six-feet tall scorer ruled the NBA.

Iverson to sign with Philly

According to Stephen A. Smith's Twitter account:

By now, everyone should know the 76ers officially offered Iverson a 1-year, non-guaranteed deal. It's for approx. $1-mil. Barring any snags,

he'll accept the deal on Wednesday. The non-guarantee doesn't matter, because the contract becomes guaranteed the 2nd week in January.

Also, via CBSSports:

Based on the mood in Monday's meeting between Iverson and the Sixers' brass in Dallas, there were no indications that Iverson would turn down a non-guaranteed deal -- only that he badly wanted to return to Philly and show his critics that he can still perform at a high level. Regardless of Iverson's view of the past, future, and his own value, a non-guaranteed contract is the only way the Sixers can protect themselves against the strong possibility that Iverson once again would exert his outsized influence.

So there ya have it, folks. Allen Iverson back in Philly, swallowing his pride in order to prove to everyone he's still got it.  Once upon a time, Allen Iverson with a chip on his shoulder was a devastating force of quickness, creativity, scrappiness, and heart.  Now, Iverson with a chip on his shoulder is two things: old, and played out.

Still, he will certainly help Philly as they try to survive the Lou Williams injury.  I don't know about you guys, but any time an NBA team is starting Jrue Holiday and has a chance to sign a former MVP, 10-time All-Star and unquestionably one of the NBA's 50 greatest players ever to a non-guaranteed contract for the veteran minimum, I say they have no choice but to do it.  I don't care if he's lost a step, or that he's a locker room liability, or even that, at this point, he seems to be completely nuts.  From a purely basketball standpoint, Iverson will help the Sixers immensely.

Plus, he won't exactly hurt ticket sales, will he?

Philly offers Iverson one-year deal

According to SI, Philadelphia has offered Allen Iverson a  non-guaranteed, one-year contract.  With nowhere else to go, and no other team that wants him, I'd expect A.I. will accept the deal. 

And if he does, watch out for Lou Williams' starting position -- when he returns from his broken jaw.  A.I. isn't exactly cool with coming off the bench.

For Iverson, this might be seen as a slap in the face. After all he did for Philly, all the years he singlehandedly led the Sixers into the playoffs and beyond, he is now offered a NON-GUARANTEED contract?  Philly hasn't shown much loyalty to him, but Iverson likely has no other option.  It's probably retire or play for the Sixers.

One guy in this situation I don't admire?  Eddie Jordan.  First of all, his team's been awful, losing seven straight.  Second of all, he now has to coach one of the league's bigger headaches, a player who still seems to think he's one of the best players in the world despite numerous evidence he isn't. 

The one positive for Jordan, should Iverson accept the contract?  He won't have to start Jrue Holiday anymore.

Marquis Daniels: The difference between Daniels and Allen Iverson

When Allen Iverson took a personal leave from the Memphis Grizzlies, the Grizz wondered if the angered Iverson would ever return.

When Marquis Daniels left the Boston Celtics for personal matters, they just hoped he’d come back soon.

While Iverson has become the poster boy for what not to do as a teammate, Daniels has proven to be the epitome of a selfless player. He made $6.86 million last year and set career highs in points and rebounds; nobody could have blamed Daniels if he took the biggest deal he could get and played for whatever team offered him the most money and a starting job. After all, Daniels is entering the prime of his career. He’s already made big money, but Daniels’ age is when a lot of guys aim for that one last big contract.

Instead, Daniels signed with the Celtics -- to come off the bench behind two All-Stars -- for less money than he would have gotten elsewhere. He signed a one-year deal, so Daniels has every incentive to play for next year’s contract. Despite being in a contract year, he’s content doing whatever the Celtics need him to, anything to help the C’s win games.

His stats (5.7 points, 2.9 assists, 2.1 rebounds) certainly don’t jump off the page. In fact, they scream out “Worthless bum!” But the way he affects the entire Boston second unit is easily noticeable for anybody who watches the Celtics play. For a Celtics fandom that spent so much time last season harping on Tony Allen’s shortcomings, Daniels is, well, the anti-Tony Allen. Allen is known for his boneheaded mistakes, stupid drives to the basket, and ill-advised shots. He fouls the opposing team at the worst possible times, often on jumpshots.

Daniels, on the other hand, does whatever it takes for the Celtics to win. His stats aren’t going to put him on the All-Star team (hell, they aren’t even better than Allen’s stats from last year), but Daniels does all the “little things” that make a big difference. He moves the ball, takes good shots, and penetrates into the teeth of the opposing team’s defense. He handles the ball, leaving Eddie House to roam the three-point arc rather than being harassed by the opposing PG. Daniels plays good defense on his man and great position defense when his man doesn’t have the ball. Doc Rivers raves about Daniels’ basketball IQ, and talks about how much better the second unit operates with Daniels on the floor.

After a year of Tony Allen, Daniels is a human sigh of relief. He won’t light up the scoreboard, he’s not going to drain threes, and he probably won’t play many crunch-time minutes at all. But when he’s in there, you can feel confident that 1) he won’t do anything destructive to the team, 2) he will do positive things, even when he isn’t scoring, and 3) he’s not Tony Allen.

Especially with Iverson’s tired act of refusing to come off the bench, everything Daniels has done for the Celtics, everything he’s sacrificed to help the team, makes him look like a great teammate. Iverson put up nice stats in his first three games with Memphis (maybe his ONLY three games in Memphis), but watching the way he put up those stats you realize he’s a selfish gunner who, at this stage of his career, doesn’t make his teammates better.

Iverson controlled the ball, isolating early and often, completely foregoing his teammates and never involving them in plays. He took contested pullup jumpers off one pass. He dribbled the ball excessively. He turned the ball over by trying to do too much. For those three games, Iverson averaged 12.3 points, 3.7 assists and 1.3 rebounds while shooting 57.7% from the floor. On the surface, those numbers look great, but dig a little deeper and you’ll find out that Iverson had a negative +/- in every game he played for the Grizzlies. By monopolizing the ball and turning it over frequently, Iverson completely limited any contributions his teammates would have made. He scored a lot, but Iverson did none of the little things to help the Grizzlies emerge victorious.

Contrasting Daniels and Iverson, you find one player who makes sacrifices to help his team win, who is fine with coming off the bench as long as he can contribute to “W’s”. The other player? Well, let’s just say he’s a malcontent who has never gotten the concept of team basketball.

Just in case it wasn’t painfully obvious, Marquis Daniels (not Iverson??) is the unselfish player who has foregone more money and a starting role for the chance to win a ring, then adapted his game to fit the Celtics’ needs.

Iverson is now said to be contemplating retirement, frustrated by his role as a sixth man.

And Daniels? He'll be back for the Celtics on Wednesday, willing to fulfill whatever role Doc requests.