Le Basketbawl

We have reached the finger pointing portion of the competition in Memphis where the game that is sweeping the city is “Who is more at fault in the situation between the Memphis Grizzlies and veteran Allen Iverson?” Is the team at fault considering that the All-Star guard signed a one year deal at a relative pittance of $3.5 million; that they should be so grateful to have him they allow him to run the team? Or should it be the veteran who should be the grateful one considering this was the only offer he got from any NBA team?

The marriage that Your Old Pal New York Vinnie told you was doomed to failure even before the papers were signed has already hit its first pothole. 

Tuesday the “Memphis Commercial-Appeal” reported that Memphis Grizzlies guard Allen Iverson has already started to complain to the media. Iverson who signed a one year deal just before NBA Training Camp with Memphis  told media members he is very unhappy so far with his role on the team. Iverson made his debut Monday night with the Grizzlies as his club lost to the Sacramento Kings in overtime 127-116. Iverson did not play in any preseason games or the first three regular season games after suffering a partial tear of his left hamstring at the beginning of the Grizzlies training camp.

Iverson came into the contest off of the bench with 4:39 left in the first quarter. After the Grizzlies lost the contest reporters asked the veteran how his leg felt after playing in his first game since last season. The guard responded “I had no problems (with his hamstring). I had a problem with my butt sitting on that bench for so long. No. I’m not a bench player. I’m not a sixth man. Look at my resume and that’ll show I’m not a sixth man. I don’t think it has anything to do with me being selfish. It’s just who I am. I don’t want to change what gave me all the success that I’ve had since I’ve been in this league. I’m not a sixth man. And that’s that.”

Are you surprised? New York Vinnie is not; I told you from the jump that this was going to be a lose/lose situation for all sides. Now folks have started choosing sides; a columnist for the “Memphis Flyer” wrote Wednesday that unless Grizzlies Team Owner Micahel Heisley, General Manager Chris Wallace and head coach Lionel Hollins made it clear to Iverson they wanted him to come off the bench they were negligent. That is kind of the opposite of the rules that New York Vinnie has lived by all my life. New York Vinnie always thought that if you are paying somebody to do a job that YOU set the rules not THEM.

The most likely scenario is that Iverson’s role with the team was never discussed during contract negotiations. Both sides most likely felt that things would sort themselves out during the preseason and they could work out a situation that all parties could live with. However because Iverson was injured for the entire preseason that never happened.

Bottom Frickin line is this; this was a stupid Frickin idea for Iverson to play for the Memphis Grizzlies and all sides did it for all the wrong reasons. The Grizzlies did it because it was a chance for them to increase attendance; Allen Iverson does not fit into this team’s long term plans. And Iverson signed because he had no other choice and wanted to use this year to try to resurrect his NBA career. He has no loyalty to the Grizzlies or the Memphis fans.

So who is to blame for this ten car pileup in the city of Memphis? Both sides share equal blame; they got what they deserved. Each other.