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Bench Warmer
The Memphis Grizzlies' chemistry experiment with Allen Iverson is under way.
The biggest star ever to put on a Grizzlies' uniform joined his new teammates Monday for a media session in Memphis. Then they boarded a bus for a trip to Birmingham, Ala., where coach Lionel Hollins has a week's worth of two-a-day practices, meals and quality time together planned for the first week of training camp.
A franchise that had been building through the draft since trading for Rudy Gay in 2006 jump-started the process this offseason by signing Iverson, the 10-time All-Star and former league MVP, to sell tickets. The Grizzlies also traded for Zach Randolph and drafted three players in June.
Even Iverson said he knows people are expecting this combination not to work.
"If we win ... and I've scored a lot, they're going to say I've scored too much. If we don't win and I don't score that much, they're going to say I don't score enough. It's a lose-lose situation. The only thing I can do to shut everybody up is to win," Iverson said.
Of the eight newcomers, it's Iverson who is being watched to see how he fits in at his fifth NBA stop at the age of 34. He finds himself on a team that went 24-58 last season with nobody still around from the Grizzlies' last playoff appearance in 2006.
Iverson knows it's a change for someone who still remembers being the young guy.
"That's the fun part about being a veteran is that you get a chance to lead guys to places they've never been before and give them some things they've never had in the league," Iverson said.
Sharing the ball will be the first challenge.
There's Iverson, Randolph, Gay and O.J. Mayo, who finished second in the rookie voting last season. Iverson is coming off the worst scoring season of his career, averaging 17.5 points a game. Gay led Memphis with 18.9 points a game, while Mayo ranked second with 18.5 points a game.
"We've got a lot of scorers," Randolph said. "I think if we can just get that chemistry right we can surprise a lot of people."
Tired of losing in the NBA, both Gay and Mayo have welcomed Iverson and Randolph.
"I thought that we were missing maybe a little more attitude," Mayo said. "Having Zach and [Iverson] is great. As for our team and experience, attitude may be a plus."
Gay is looking forward to camp and the preseason work to start melding this team together. But he has watched how the 6-foot Iverson's physical approach to basketball.
"Obviously, there's something in him I want to know about. Just being around him and learning things from him can really help my game I believe and O.J.'s as well," Gay said.
This is the first training camp for Hollins, who replaced Marc Iavaroni last January. Hollins went 13-26, and he is only under contract for this season. His Grizzlies expect lots of running at Birmingham Southern College, and that's because Hollins plans to keep focusing on basics like passing, defense and shooting along with being in good shape.
It may help that Hollins is a former player himself, and he recalls having to learn to play with Julius Erving when he was traded to Philadelphia. He has talked with Iverson but wants the veteran to lead by example. The coach insists he has not drawn up tentative lineups, preferring to see who earns starting jobs and minutes.
That is when the Grizzlies will face their biggest challenge. They set out this offseason looking for scoring off the bench and a backup point guard. Iverson can provide the points, but will he start and push aside point guard Mike Conley or Mayo? Or will he be their sixth man?
Iverson said he never thought of being a reserve after being a starter through his first 13 seasons. But he sounds as if he might be open to the idea playing with a contract filled with team-based incentives.
"On a basketball court, I can basically accomplish anything," he said.
The biggest star ever to put on a Grizzlies' uniform joined his new teammates Monday for a media session in Memphis. Then they boarded a bus for a trip to Birmingham, Ala., where coach Lionel Hollins has a week's worth of two-a-day practices, meals and quality time together planned for the first week of training camp.
A franchise that had been building through the draft since trading for Rudy Gay in 2006 jump-started the process this offseason by signing Iverson, the 10-time All-Star and former league MVP, to sell tickets. The Grizzlies also traded for Zach Randolph and drafted three players in June.
Even Iverson said he knows people are expecting this combination not to work.
"If we win ... and I've scored a lot, they're going to say I've scored too much. If we don't win and I don't score that much, they're going to say I don't score enough. It's a lose-lose situation. The only thing I can do to shut everybody up is to win," Iverson said.
Of the eight newcomers, it's Iverson who is being watched to see how he fits in at his fifth NBA stop at the age of 34. He finds himself on a team that went 24-58 last season with nobody still around from the Grizzlies' last playoff appearance in 2006.
Iverson knows it's a change for someone who still remembers being the young guy.
"That's the fun part about being a veteran is that you get a chance to lead guys to places they've never been before and give them some things they've never had in the league," Iverson said.
Sharing the ball will be the first challenge.
There's Iverson, Randolph, Gay and O.J. Mayo, who finished second in the rookie voting last season. Iverson is coming off the worst scoring season of his career, averaging 17.5 points a game. Gay led Memphis with 18.9 points a game, while Mayo ranked second with 18.5 points a game.
"We've got a lot of scorers," Randolph said. "I think if we can just get that chemistry right we can surprise a lot of people."
Tired of losing in the NBA, both Gay and Mayo have welcomed Iverson and Randolph.
"I thought that we were missing maybe a little more attitude," Mayo said. "Having Zach and [Iverson] is great. As for our team and experience, attitude may be a plus."
Gay is looking forward to camp and the preseason work to start melding this team together. But he has watched how the 6-foot Iverson's physical approach to basketball.
"Obviously, there's something in him I want to know about. Just being around him and learning things from him can really help my game I believe and O.J.'s as well," Gay said.
This is the first training camp for Hollins, who replaced Marc Iavaroni last January. Hollins went 13-26, and he is only under contract for this season. His Grizzlies expect lots of running at Birmingham Southern College, and that's because Hollins plans to keep focusing on basics like passing, defense and shooting along with being in good shape.
It may help that Hollins is a former player himself, and he recalls having to learn to play with Julius Erving when he was traded to Philadelphia. He has talked with Iverson but wants the veteran to lead by example. The coach insists he has not drawn up tentative lineups, preferring to see who earns starting jobs and minutes.
That is when the Grizzlies will face their biggest challenge. They set out this offseason looking for scoring off the bench and a backup point guard. Iverson can provide the points, but will he start and push aside point guard Mike Conley or Mayo? Or will he be their sixth man?
Iverson said he never thought of being a reserve after being a starter through his first 13 seasons. But he sounds as if he might be open to the idea playing with a contract filled with team-based incentives.
"On a basketball court, I can basically accomplish anything," he said.
