Looming disaster

Written by Jason Brubaker | 10 September 2009

I give up. I can't do it. I have been trying and trying, but I just can't do it. I have been neglecting work, family, friends and personal hygiene. I haven't slept. I haven't eaten. I've become a shut-in, spending hour after hour after hour pondering this. But still I have yet to reach a conclusion.

Why in the world did the Grizzlies sign Allen Iverson???

The Grizzlies went 24-58 last year. They gave up nearly six more points per game than they scored. They were dead-last in the league in rebounds per game. They were 21st in both field goal percentage and three-point percentage.  They were 25th in field goal percentage defense, even lower than the Clippers. Only six teams turned the ball over more last year. They finished 30 games out of first place, and suffered losing three separate losing streaks of at least seven games, including a nice 12-game winless stretch in January.

To combat all of this, the Grizzlies went the most logical and efficient route to improvement....namely signing a surly power forward who cares little about winning, drafting a dangerously raw college center who has had his toughness repeatedly questioned, and finally, signing an undersized shooting guard who has never met a shot he doesn't like and who has a reputation for being...ahem...less than an ideal team player.

Alright!! Can you feel that excitement Grizzlies fans? Ready to snatch up those season ticket packages? Because if the thought of Allen Iverson tutoring OJ Mayo and Mike Conley doesn't give you chills, you may need a new team to follow.

Good grief. There hasn't been a situation more assured of disaster since the Titanic's captain decided to ignore iceberg warnings. 

Simply put, there is no conceivable way in which this ends well for anyone. The Grizzlies boast some quality young talent in Rudy Gay and OJ Mayo, yet now those two will be sharing the locker room with Iverson and Zach Randolph, who to put it mildy, aren't the greatest of influences. The Grizzlies also now employ four shoot-first players who don't play defense, which is never a recipe for success. They have a young point guard in Mike Conley who will likely lose a ton of minutes to Iverson, which doesn't bode well for his confidence down the line. True, Iverson may sell some jerseys and generate some interest...at least until the team starts losing (which they will). But to bring him in at the expense of hindering the develpment of your young core is...well....ridiculous. I just don't get it.

Look.  I've been a huge Iverson fan his entire career. The guy is a warrior and an amazing talent unlike any the NBA has ever seen. But he also is a gunner, and has shown little interest in sacrificing his stats for the good of the team. For a Memphis team with such a young group of players who have shown promise, bringing in a veteran like Iverson spells trouble.

Who is going to take the final shot in a close game - the fading Iverson or the developing Mayo? Who brings the ball up the floor and sets up the offense? Who makes sure Gay gets his shots? Who will be the voice of reason when Randolph inevitably acts up? For goodness sake - who on this team is going to pass the freakin' ball??

No one knows how exactly this will play out, but I can't imagine any reasonable person thinking this ends well. The Grizzlies were likely doomed to struggle again this year before signing Iverson. Now they run the risk of not only being bad, but being bad and unlikable. And Iverson, who is desperate for a ring as his career is quickly coming to a close, stands virtually no chance at getting one this year, short of a mid-season trade to a contender.

Nope, this has disaster written all over it. I admit, I'll probably be watching the Grizzlies more than I normally do, but I'm prepared to cover my eyes at any moment. This could get ugly.