Knicks Stop Short of Ruling Out Iverson
Have the Knicks found their “Answer” for the 2009-10 season?
With their up-tempo offense not generating the points expected from a Mike D’Antoni-coached team, and their defense in shambles, Knicks management have begun looking at ways to improve the team this year, with the free agent summer of 2010 just around the corner. The Knicks are now weighing the possibility of welcoming Allen Iverson to New York for a season.
Knicks team president Donnie Walsh alluded to the possibility after practice on Monday, but he wouldn’t elaborate (as Iverson hadn’t even been officially waived by the time the Knicks wrapped up practice).
“I’ve always had a lot of admiration for him because I had to play against him every year when I was in Indiana and I have a lot of respect for his career,” Walsh said. “He’s a small man who did everything he could to win games and took a lot of hard knocks and always got up.”
The Knicks threw around the idea of acquiring A.I. in the offseason, but ultimately opted to go in a different, younger direction, assuming that A.I. was not part of the long-term future in NY.
“We had our little group from last year we wanted to keep together and that was the decision in the summertime, not to disrupt what we had,” coach D’Antoni said Tuesday. “Now, basketball’s fluid and things change every second.”
Now, with the Knicks to a 1-9 start (the worst 10-game start in franchise history), it sounds like the Knicks might go back to the drawing board… and A.I.’s name could be there.
“He’s been a force in this league for God knows how long, so I’m not taking anything from him,” D’Antoni said. “But at the same time, there’s a lot of organizational stuff we’ll talk about and see if it makes sense.”
