Category: Philadelphia 76ers Blog

In his five games since returning to the Philadelphia 76ers, guard Allen Iverson is averaging 15.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 34.4 minutes per game. He’s shooting 41.0% on the Sixers, a bit under his career 42.5% FG average.

But he’s getting up there in age and recently missed some games.

Tom Moore of Philly Burbs reports:

Allen Iverson is 34 years old.

While he doesn’t think that’s too old to still be a factor, he admits he really felt his age when an MRI last week showed that he has arthritis in his left knee. The injury forced him to miss the 7-20 Sixers’ last two games, including Friday’s victory in Boston, and will keep him out tonight in Washington and Saturday in Utah. He’s expected to return next Monday in Portland.

“That was the worst part about the whole thing,” he said with a laugh after Monday’s practice. “Y’all could’ve said anything but arthritis. That sounds so old, but it’s something I’ve got to deal with. At least the fans and everybody else concerned about me will know exactly what it is.”

Iverson said the reason he got arthritis in the knee, which had to be drained three times in a five-day span, was because he overcompensated for his sore right shin.

No word if Iverson will be walking with a cane and getting into playing bingo in his old age just yet.

The Philadelphia 76ers have played awful basketball. Then they signed free agent Allen Iverson. But they’re still getting rocked by opponents.

Kate Fagan of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports:

Last night, the continuation of the 76ers’ losing streak, or its termination, came down to one moment: the flick of Andre Iguodala’s wrist.

There were 3.9 seconds on the game clock and Iguodala rose for a potential winning three-pointer.

If he made it, the streak could end at 10. If he missed it, the slump would reach 11.

This morning, it stands at 11.

Inside a much quieter Wachovia Center, the Detroit Pistons beat the Sixers, 90-86.

The Pistons – without injured stars Tayshaun Prince, Rip Hamilton, and Ben Gordon – improved to 9-12. Detroit outrebounded the Sixers, 45-32.

The Sixers (5-17) last won on Nov. 18, beating the Charlotte Bobcats. Their winning hiatus has reached 21 days.

The Inquirer continues:

On Monday night in Iverson’s emotional return to the Sixers, 20,664 people packed the Wachovia Center. Last night, that number dropped to 12,136.

Along with the attendance, so too dropped Iverson’s effectiveness. He played 33 minutes, scoring 11 points on 3-for-10 shooting with three assists, six turnovers and no rebounds.

Things are rough in Philly. I watched some of yesterday’s game and did not find any aspect of the 76ers to be threatening as a basketball team. A few wins are bound to pop up but for the most part, unless a player or two suddenly raises the level of their game by several levels, expect the team to mostly keep losing.

Philadelphia 76ers President and General Manager Ed Stefanski announced today that the team has agreed to terms with free agent guard Allen Iverson. The deal is rumored to be nonguaranteed and for one season. We’ll post contract details this morning.

Iverson, the first overall pick by the Sixers in the 1996 NBA Draft, played 10-plus seasons in Philadelphia and ranks second in franchise history in scoring.

“In light of the recent injury to Lou Williams, which will sideline him for close to eight weeks, we felt that Allen was the best available free agent guard to help us at this time,” said Stefanski.

Iverson (6-0/165) signed as a free agent with Memphis this past September, but parted ways with the Grizzlies after appearing in just three games.  He was officially waived on November 16, 2009.

In 1996-97, Iverson took home Rookie of the Year honors with the Sixers. Iverson helped guide Philadelphia to the NBA Finals in 2001, earning the league’s Most Valuable Player award for that season in the process.

A 10-time All-Star and two-time All-Star Game MVP, Iverson has been named to a total of seven All-NBA teams (First Team in 1998-99, 2000-01 and 2004-05; Second Team in 1999-00, 2001-02 and 2002-03; Third Team in 2005-06).  He led the NBA in scoring four times as a Sixer, becoming one of only four players in league history to capture four-plus scoring titles.

Now in his 14th NBA season, playing in 889 career games with 877 starts, Iverson is averaging 27.0 points, 6.2 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 2.21 steals in 41.4 minutes per game while shooting 42.5% from the floor, 31.3% from 3-point range and 78.0% from the foul line.  He is currently tied for the fifth-highest scoring average in NBA history and ranks third among active players.

The 34-year-old has also appeared in 71 career playoff games and owns the second-highest postseason scoring average (29.7 ppg) in NBA history, trailing only Michael Jordan (33.4 ppg).

Iverson was traded by Philadelphia to Denver along with Ivan McFarlin in exchange for Andre Miller, Joe Smith and two future first round picks on December 19, 2006.  After just over a season and a half with the Nuggets, Iverson was traded to Detroit on November 3, 2008.

Following tonight’s game at Oklahoma City and Saturday’s game at Charlotte, the Sixers return to Philadelphia for a five-game home stand beginning on Monday, December 7 vs. Denver at 7 p.m.  Iverson is expected to make his season debut with the Sixers that night.

Read fan reaction and share your own opinion in this forum topic.

The Philadelphia 76ers are considering adding Allen Iverson back onto their roster and today they took the first step in making it happen.

Monday, the Sixers met with Iverson to talk about a possible reunion.

The following is a statement from President and General Manager Ed Stefanski:

This afternoon, we met with free agent Allen Iverson in Dallas for the first formal discussion regarding a possible return to the Philadelphia 76ers. The meeting lasted approximately two hours and covered a variety of topics, all of which we would prefer to keep between the team and Allen.

The meeting was attended by Allen, his agent Leon Rose and his personal manager Gary Moore, along with 76ers Senior Vice President/Assistant General Manager Tony DiLeo, Head Coach Eddie Jordan, Assistant Coach Aaron McKie and me.

At this time, both parties remain non-committal regarding a final decision and we will continue to discuss internally whether or not to pursue this course.

We want to thank Allen, Leon and Gary for taking the time to meet with us today.

The Sixers will have no further comment at this time and further updates will be provided as they become available.

Barely any fans attend home Sixers games. Adding Iverson would likely help the team win a few extra games but it would also create at least temporary added interest to the team.

It is assumed that Iverson still insists on only joining a team that will start him and provide full-game minutes.

If Iverson joined the 76ers, it would be interesting to see what would happen later in the season when young point guard Lou Williams returned from injury. If things were working out with Iverson, I would assume Williams would go back to the bench role he used to play when Andre Miller was around.

Read fan reaction and discuss your own opinion in this forum topic.

The Philadelphia Daily News reports:

Eddie Jordan is making it sound as if the 76ers’ consideration of free agent guard Allen Iverson isn’t as serious as it has been portrayed.

Speaking before this morning’s shootaround in San Antonio, Jordan said he has not spoken with Iverson and that the Sixers are not seriously looking at any free agents.

”It’s something that’s probably more in the media than it actually is,” the Sixers’ coach told reporters. ”We’re just going about our daily operation of practicing and trying to win a game. But certainly I have not talked to anybody about Allen Iverson.”

Philadelphia 76ers guard Lou Williams was examined this morning by team physician Dr. Jack McPhilemy of Main Line Health and oral surgeon Alfred Wolanin. Williams underwent surgery this morning, during which time he had his upper and lower jaws wired together. Williams will meet with a nutritionist in the coming days to review a liquid diet designed to assist him in maintaining his weight.

Williams will be out for eight weeks.

Further updates on Williams’ status will be provided as they become available.

This thought is in jest, but, I hear Allen Iverson is in need of a job.

Read fan reaction and share your own opinion in this forum topic.

The AP reports:

With no apparent interest from NBA teams, Allen Iverson is set to retire, according to an online report.

Commentator Stephen A. Smith published a statement on his Web site Wednesday attributed to Iverson. It said Iverson plans to retire but also that “I feel strongly that I can still compete at the highest level.”

The statement also said Iverson has tremendous love for the game and the desire to play, adding there is “a whole lot left in my tank.”

“His legacy would be huge,” Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star LeBron James said. “He’s one of the best when you talk about guys 6-foot and under in the game of basketball. He played injured and he played hard every single night. I don’t think it should end this way, but if it does, he’s left a lot of great things behind.”

The 10-time All-Star played three games this season with Memphis before taking a leave of absence to attend to personal matters. He was waived after the two sides agreed to part ways.

Iverson is a free agent and therefore can say he’s retiring, but there is nothing to stop him from changing his mind and remaining available, should a job offer come his way.

It would be a real shame if Iverson’s career went out on such a sour note, though considering it’s mainly his own doing, perhaps it’s fitting.

Iverson has made it clear that he only wants to join a team that will make him their star. He should instead focus on how to help a team win, hoping that the two goals are one and the same. But he’s always been primarily a scorer and one who doesn’t necessarily make teammates better.

Taking his advanced age and very specific skill set into consideration, he’s better suited as scoring punch, not a team’s primary star.

But apparently it’s all or nothing in Iverson’s eyes, and for now, he’ll stick with nothing and focus on enjoying life off the court.

However, don’t be shocked if he does wind up latching on with a team sometime in the coming weeks or months. This thing may not be over.

If this is the last we’ve seen of Iverson, he’ll be missed. He was a joy to watch.

Tom Moore of The Intelligencer reports:

Welcome back, Elton Brand.

With head coach Eddie Jordan thinking long and hard before deciding against a lineup change that would’ve put Brand on the bench and Rodney Carney in the starting five, Brand responded with his best game of the season in Wednesday’s 86-84 victory over the Bobcats at the Wachovia Center.

Brand was a factor at both ends from the outset en route to season-highs in points (19), rebounds (10), blocks (six), steals (three) and minutes (42) for his first double-double since Dec. 12, 2008.

“Pride was definitely a motivating factor,” Brand said. “I thought I was playing OK enough to play in the fourth quarter. I had good starts before, but still didn’t play in the fourth.”

Brand has been a disappointment so far this short NBA season, averaging just 10.6 points and 5.8 rebounds in 28.5 minutes per game. But he’s coming off injury, so perhaps the adjustment was simply taking longer than expected.

Ideally for the Sixers, Brand continues to recover and look like the All-Star type of talent he truly is.

Have Sixers opinion? Share them on the InsideHoops Philadelphia 76ers forum.