Is A.I. The Answer?

There are many ways to look into whether or not Allen Iverson is a guy who is worth signing. As it appears right now, the likely suitor for the 34 year old, future Hall of Famer, is my New York Knicks. Now I am not a big Knicks fan because they are just too awful to root for, but the Iverson situation has me thinking in two different ways.

Option One: Why Not Sign Him?

The fact is clear that the Knicks are not going to be relevant until July, 1st, 2010 when Lebron James becomes a free agent. Signing A.I. could get some hype in the Garden and sell tickets. The only time the Garden is exciting now is when super stars from visiting teams face the Knicks. Although A.I. is an aging player who is at the end of his career, I believe he still can provide some excitement. The Knicks are currently 2-9 so why not go after Allen Iverson? How much worse can it get - and for one year - who knows - is an 8th seed out of the question?

Option Two: What's the Point?

The Knicks are going no where and are an embarrassment to all of New York. Anyone with half a brain could understand that the Knicks are in a rebuilding year. They aren't just fixing up a window either, they are rebuilding an entire house. The Knicks need to see what they have in their younger guards such as rookie Tony Douglas, and second year man Danilo Gallinari. Allen Iverson would just take up playing time from these younger guys. Also, not to say A.I. is a bad guy, but he could have a bad impact on an already shaky locker room. We saw what happend with an aging star in New York when Stephon Marbury came here. Another situation like that and all of a sudden the Knicks might be looked at as a team that can't handle its superstars. Could that be looked at as a deterrent to Lebron? That is the last thing the Knicks would want. At best A.I. sells a few tickets, at worse he ruins their young players, destroys their "practices," (yes, practice), and embarrasses the entire organization.

My Take:

I love Allen Iverson. I think he may be one of the top five players of my lifetime, but for the Knicks, the benefits don't out way the negatives. Knicks: Don't sign him, get Lebron. Reports today say that the Knicks agree with my thinking and will not go after A.I. That being said I would love to see him play somewhere this year, hopefully for a contender. What do you think? (Comments please!)