The Iverson Trade

There has been a lot of buzz about a Sixers-Celtics trade regarding Allen Iverson. I don't really have a position on the matter as I start to type this post, but hopefully by weighing out the pros and the cons I will come to a conclusion by the end.

PROS
1) Iverson is a top-tier player that sells tickets as well as anyone, jerseys as well as almost anyone, and would bring a lot of attention to the Celtics. My guess would be that putting Iverson in a Celtics jersey would give the Celtics a financial boost that they probably could use.

2) Iverson is the toughest player in the league and he always plays to win- at least the games he doesn't walk into the locker room with ten seconds left. He would give the Celtics a tougher identity that would be great for players like Perkins.

3) Maybe having Iverson on the team would prevent Theo Ratliff from exploding into a million pieces this year, because he has been injury-prone ever since leaving the Sixers.

4) Pierce needs someone to help with the scoring.

5) Having Iverson on the team would immediately give the Celtics more wins in a season.

6) Iverson would probably get along with Doc Rivers. Doc is a players' coach, much like Mo Cheeks. Having Iverson on his side would give Doc a lot more credibility with his own team and in the Boston press.

7) Getting Iverson would send a message to the world, "We're ready to win." Unfortunately, the world is probably screening their calls and don't pick up when the Celtics call.

CONS
1) Iverson is incapable of sharing a team. He averages a good number of assists, but he has never learned how to play within a team offense. He just runs around and drives to the basket. While that style has made Iverson one of the more exciting players to watch, he hasn't had that much team success with it. Personally, I don't think that he would be a good fit for the offensive scheme that the Celtics are trying to run. He demands at least five dribbles a possession, and wants to play in an offense where one guy goes one-on-one and the other four guys watch. There has never been a championship team that plays that way. While the Celtics' offense isn't potent, their desire to spread the ball around is how to build a winning franchise back up.

2) Iverson will not be coached, and he will not change his style. He has to be one of the least versatile players in the league.

3) The chances of Pierce and Iverson playing well together are slim. Pierce demands a lot of the ball, and so does Iverson. Not many other players for the Celtics would get the ball in position to score with any regularity.

4) Trading for Iverson would cost the Celtics too much. The front office has spent a lot to get the roster that we have now, both money-wise and time-wise, and it would be silly to break it up if they have believed in it so far. Do we really want to part with Wally and some of our precious young talent for a guy that would completely change the team chemistry? If it's worth it for the Celtics, what the hell have we been doing for the past four years?

MY FINAL ANALYSIS

I don't think the trade is worth it. If the Celtics have anything, it's tons of guards. Iverson may be a once-in-a-lifetime player, but he demands too much of a team for this group to be successful. I would hold out and try to make a move for a younger player, like Jermaine O'Neal, that will be more complementary to the Celtics' roster as it stands today. We don't need more people shooting jumpers, we need toughness down low. If the trade goes through, I will be optimistic, but I'm hoping for something better.