LAS VEGAS - Why would the Los Angeles Clippers want to thrust Allen Iverson
into the life of gifted young guard Eric Gordon ? The answer is as simple as
it's flawed: box office over basketball. The worst owner in sports, Donald
T. Sterling, believes A.I. can do what No. 1 pick Blake Griffin has been
thus far unable - sell tickets.
Perhaps the Clippers could give winning a chance, but Sterling is hell-bent
on dysfunction. Everyone walked out of the Thomas & Mack Center late Monday
so impressed with the Clippers' young cornerstones, Griffin and Gordon. Yet,
Sterling, sitting courtside, couldn't see the truth unfolding before his
eyes. Iverson is a bad investment for the Clippers. Iverson is a shell of
himself now, and worst of all, he's the last to know.
Nevertheless, the Clippers are far behind in tickets sales over this time a
year ago, according to internal NBA data obtained by Yahoo! Sports. As of
July 6, the Clippers were significantly down in season ticket-renewals and
new plans. The NBA's analysis projected a 29.3 percent drop in ticket
revenue for Clippers for the 2009-10 season.
"That's the only reason [the Clippers] are even thinking of doing this," one
rival GM said. "Why else do this to Gordon?"
The most money available to Iverson would be a one-year deal at the
mid-level exception of $5.8 million. He still thinks he can restore his
starry reputation with a high-scoring season. Iverson still believes his
chance to get one more big contract will be born out of a lot of shots and a
lot of scoring. Those days are done for Iverson, who proved himself
unwilling, and maybe incapable, of playing a complementary role with the
Detroit Pistons last season.
When he couldn't be a starter, he gladly accepted banishment with a "back
injury." Alongside Baron Davis , the prospect of Iverson infringing on
Gordon's development is toxic. Gordon is 20 years old. He tried to play the
earnest kid when asked about the possibility of Iverson joining the
Clippers, but deep down, he has to understand this is the worst scenario for
his sophomore season in the pros.
Miami is offering less than $3 million a season to play with Dwyane Wade , a
circumstance that makes more basketball sense for the Heat. They need
another scorer, and young Miami guard Mario Chalmers isn't nearly the
prospect that Gordon is with the Clippers. The Memphis Grizzlies are
offering the mid-level, too, but they're just another desperate, wayward
franchise that thinks Iverson can still sell some seats.
It's no accident that two of the worst owners in the NBA, Sterling and
Michael Heisley, are pushing their basketball executives to chase one of
summer shopping's worst ideas: Allen Iverson. There's a reason these teams
are in the lottery every year, and here's another why they'll be back again.
Denver Nuggets guard J.R. Smith is serving a 30-day sentence in a New
Jersey prison for his role in an automobile accident that took the life of a
close friend, Andre Bell, in 2007. Several Denver coaches, including Adrian
Dantley, have flown to New Jersey for the 15-minute visitation periods
allowed Smith.
Nate Robinson has significant interest from Olympiakos of Greece, but a
source close to him says it's unlikely to seriously interest the New York
Knicks guard. Robinson wants to play for the Knicks, and a source says the
solution for the restricted free agent could be a one-year offer deal with
New York that leaves the team the flexibility it wants for the summer of
2010.
Detroit is still exploring ways to make a deal for Utah Jazz forward Carlos
Boozer , but the most likely scenario centers around the free-agent signing
of Drew Gooden , and distantly, Boston's Glen "Big Baby" Davis.
From the you-can't-make-it-up department: The NBA's commissioner and owners
gathered on Tuesday for an important board of governors' meeting. The
location? The Fantasy Tower at the Palms Hotel and Casino. No word whether
the Sacramento Kings' owners, Gavin and Joe Maloof, who own the Palms, are
providing for refreshments.
The Minnesota Timberwolves' coaching search continues to be endless in its
number of introductory interviews and meetings, a total that new
Timberwolves general manager David Kahn had promised could reach 15. Mark
Jackson is still the favorite, but an endless line of assistant coaches have
met with Kahn.
Spartak St. Petersburg of Russia was offering big money for an American
coach, and multiple sources say it unsuccessfully courted former USC coach
Tim Floyd. His condition for considering the job, one source said, was
getting 100 percent of his money in advance of the season. Several Russian
teams had financial problems a year ago that resulted in coaches and players
failing to get paid. Spartak declined, and Floyd passed on the job.
Maurice Cheeks has been offered a job on Scott Brooks' staff with the
Oklahoma City Thunder. He's still deciding.
New Jersey assistant Brian Hill leads new Detroit coach John Kuester's short
wish list for a top aide. The Nets have mandated slashes in assistant
coaching salaries, and Hill's departure could be welcome by the franchise's
ownership. Nevertheless, Nets coach Lawrence Frank values Hill, one of his
mentors, and would likely fight hard to retain him.
The D-League's expansion team starting play in Portland, Maine, is leaning
toward hiring Boston Celtics scout Austin Ainge as its next head coach,
sources said. He is the son of Celtics GM, Danny Ainge. .Idaho Stampede
coach Bryan Gates, considered the D-League's best coach, met with
Sacramento's Paul Westphal about a job on his new staff.
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