The misconception of A.I. in 2001

[riseagainst]

Just my thoughts:
The misconception about AI is that people actually think he carried a team to the Finals when, in reality, he had the best supporting cast for a player of his caliber and style, that cast was ELITE defensively and carried him on that end of the court while he carried the mediocre offense. 2001 76ers ranked 5th in defense, 13th in offense.

That talent amounted to the best in the East but I admit AI makes them the best. Not to mention one of my favorite coaches, and one of the best coaches of all time in Larry Brown.

DPOY, 6MOY, COY, MVP.

The team was far from mediocre, and A.I. did not carry the team. I'll just be more gentle and say that no one carried no one. The team worked wonders under the directions of Larry Brown.

[kNicKz]

basketball is a team game? holy ****, where did you get this information?!?!!?

[riseagainst]

basketball is a team game? holy ****, where did you get this information?!?!!?

relax. This is for all those people who always say, so and so "carried a bunch of scrubs to the finals."

[Sarcastic]

If you take him off that team, they would probably struggle to win 30. They had no other go to scorers.

[Legends66NBA7]

relax. This is for all those people who always say, so and so "carried a bunch of scrubs to the finals."

Yeah, it's not like they didn't play great when Iverson was having an off game or something.

[ShaqAttack3234]

He did have a cast that complemented his unique style very well. They were the best rebounding team and imo, the best overall defensive team, but they weren't the perfect team to put around him because of the complete lack of shooters. With that being said, they did a good job building around him, and he did a very good job of carrying the offense and doing exactly what that team expected and demanded of him.

But the scrub thing is ridiculous. Nobody carries scrubs to the finals, and scrubs don't rebound and defend at an elite level.

[Jolokia]

If you take him off that team, they would probably struggle to win 30. They had no other go to scorers.

What if you replaced him with a Michael Finley/Jerry Stackhouse type player?

Finley being a 20/5/5 player
And I think that was Stackhouse's 30/5/5 year
(stats from memory so it might be wrong)

[Kblaze8855]

The team was far from mediocre

By the standards of teams to do what they did...they are far below mediocre.

People keep trying to rewrite history on that team acting like guys in no way of note were somehow special because of what they were able to do. Posting sixth man of the year as if that makes Aaron Mckie some really good player. Hes at best the 3rd worst player to ever win it. If you look at who else has won it....im not sure he wouldnt make every single team worse if traded for the 6th man of the year...of that season. Maybe not the Suns when Rodney Rogers won it...but that would be close.

They were scrappy...and thats about it. They were on like a 59 win pace when they had Theo Ratliff before Mutombo. Thats how Brown was the all star coach Mutombo so impressed. AI was leading a team whos second best player was Theo Ratliff...to a near 60 win pace.

That they played D and rebounded does not mean he wasnt...by a mile...the main reason they were a good team. That they won some games without him(not many) doesnt either. Fact is....you hold a draft and can take every player to ever play a finals game....I bet you get a hell of a lot of rounds in before you see Eric Snow, Mckie, Lynch, Tyrone, and company go.

People often act like chemisty is talent. It isnt. They had a great run together. Played hard....and leaned on AI as much as any team ever leaned on one player.

They were Allen Iverson, Mutombo, and a gang of straight up role players playing hard. I wouldnt trade Joakim Noah for the entire non AI/Mutombo 2001 76ers lineup.

Brown deserves credit. All coaches do. But AI did his thing and flat out drug that team kicking and screaming into history. And nobody said anything different watching it happen. That wasnt some great team. It wasnt a very good team either. It was...ok. By the standards of teams to do what they did...they were awful.

They played together well to be more than the sum of their parts.

But the parts were nothing of note.

[MastaKilla]

By the standards of teams to do what they did...they are far below mediocre.

People keep trying to rewrite history on that team acting like guys in no way of note were somehow special because of what they were able to do. Posting sixth man of the year as if that makes Aaron Mckie some really good player. Hes at best the 3rd worst player to ever win it. If you look at who else has won it....im not sure he wouldnt make every single team worse if traded for the 6th man of the year...of that season. Maybe not the Suns when Rodney Rogers won it...but that would be close.

They were scrappy...and thats about it. They were on like a 59 win pace when they had Theo Ratliff before Mutombo. Thats how Brown was the all star coach Mutombo so impressed. AI was leading a team whos second best player was Theo Ratliff...to a near 60 win pace.

That they played D and rebounded does not mean he wasnt...by a mile...the main reason they were a good team. That they won some games without him(not many) doesnt either. Fact is....you hold a draft and can take every player to ever play a finals game....I bet you get a hell of a lot of rounds in before you see Eric Snow, Mckie, Lynch, Tyrone, and company go.

People often act like chemisty is talent. It isnt. They had a great run together. Played hard....and leaned on AI as much as any team ever leaned on one player.

They were Allen Iverson, Mutombo, and a gang of straight up role players playing hard. I wouldnt trade Joakim Noah for the entire non AI/Mutombo 2001 76ers lineup.

Brown deserves credit. All coaches do. But AI did his thing and flat out drug that team kicking and screaming into history. And nobody said anything different watching it happen. That wasnt some great team. It wasnt a very good team either. It was...ok. By the standards of teams to do what they did...they were awful.

They played together well to be more than the sum of their parts.

But the parts were nothing of note.

i don't always agree with you, although you present your arguments very well..

however you are spot on in this post right here

[baller562]

What if you replaced him with a Michael Finley/Jerry Stackhouse type player?

Finley being a 20/5/5 player
And I think that was Stackhouse's 30/5/5 year
(stats from memory so it might be wrong)

A.I was the heart and soul of that team... I'm gonna say straight up from memory too... Stackhouse NEVER averaged 30/5/5... you got to be kidding!

[willds09]

If you take him off that team, they would probably struggle to win 30. They had no other go to scorers.

I agreed end thread please

[willds09]

What if you replaced him with a Michael Finley/Jerry Stackhouse type player?

Finley being a 20/5/5 player
And I think that was Stackhouse's 30/5/5 year
(stats from memory so it might be wrong)

They wasnt about that life like a.i

[crisoner]

How about they played in the JV Eastern Conference at the time as well.

The Juggernauts where all out West.
Back then the real Finals was the WCF.

[bdreason]

Watching Eric Snow miss wide open midrange jumpers over and over.

[jlip]

A.I was the heart and soul of that team... I'm gonna say straight up from memory too... Stackhouse NEVER averaged 30/5/5... you got to be kidding!

You're technically correct about Stackhouse. His averages in '01 were ~30/4/5.