12 Jan 11 Is Allen Iverson Scared?

The Allen Iverson we see today is not the Allen Iverson we saw just two seasons ago in Denver. It is an Allen Iverson we have never seen and an Allen Iverson nobody would have imagined watching. It is a humbled, boring and scared Allen Iverson. Yes scared!Allen Iverson was arguably the most fearless player in NBA history. He was also the most feared player in the NBA for so long. This guy was not afraid to go at anyone and every player was afraid to guard him. Iverson would shoot as many shots as he wanted and would score at will. He made amazing plays and broke Reebok Minnesota Vikings #4 Brett Favre Realtree camo Jersey
down defences like no other. He took games over any time he wanted. He was the most fearless competitor in sports. Iverson through his body around like no other player ever has. He drove to the whole without fear and would dive into 7 foot 300 lb bodies on every other possesion. Iverson was the best player in the league and no body ever imagined the day he would be shooting 11 shots a game, playing 35 mpg and being asked to come off the bench. He was fearless.But now in 2010 just two years after having one of the best statistical seasons of his career in Denver Iverson is a different player. The things he has gone through in the past two years have obviously changed him. It all started in Detroit when Iverson was made the scapegoat and was blamed for all the Pistons problems. The media destroyed this man. They got to him. Iverson was always bashed by the media even when he was the best player in the league he was hated on. People that hated his cornrows and tattoos bashed his basketball ability by saying he was a selfish ball hog. Iverson would come back and piss those media people off by dropping 50 the next night. He had the never back down and never give in attitude like his hero Tupac Shakur.But than it stopped. Iverson stopped shooting 18 shots a night and thought it was time to change his game for the team. He stopped doing what he did best which was score the ball. Detroit treated him badly and sent him home. The league thought he was a cancer and only the Memphis Grizzlies wanted him. Iverson played 3 games for the Grizzlies and was sent home after complaining about coming off the bench. Iverson went from dropping 26.4 ppg and 7.2 apg for a 50 win Denver Nuggets team in 2008 to not being wanted by any NBA teams.On December 3 he signed a 1 year deal for the Philadelphia Sixers and returned to the city where he became a legend. The Sixers improved big time since Iverson came in. But they are still missing that extra 5 points that could have them at a 6th spot in the Eastern Conference. Their leader is still Allen Iverson. Not the same Allen Iverson that would break your favorite players ankles and drop 30 every night. It is a SCARED! Allen Iverson. Scared to shoot, scared to go by his man and dive into defenders like he once did, scared to take the game winning shot, SCARED to fail.Scared that teams won't sign him if he takes to many shots and scared that teams will think he is a cancer if he does his own thing on the court.When people say that the 2010 Allen Iverson is not the Allen Iverson ofReebok Minnesota Vikings #69 Jared Allen Realtree camo Jersey
old they are right. Iverson is different because he is scared.Don't get me wrong Allen Iverson has not lost much basketball ability at all. He still is very quick, fast and explosive. His jumper is looking better now than it ever has. Iverson has the same ability he had 4 years ago. If he wanted and was given the green light to drop 30 a night he would do it with his eyes closed. Ability-wise Iverson is the same Iverson he was 4 years ago.But mentally Iverson is a different player. He let the Pistons ruin him and he let the media get to his head.So now Iverson thinks twice before taking a shot and he decides to give the ball to Andre Igoudala in game winning situations. Iverson doesn't tell the team to clear the way so he could go one on one like he used to. Iverson decides to run the slow Princeton offence and take out of rythm shots and drive to the hoop every once and a while. He is too brain-washed. He came out to prove people wrong this season after last seasons disasterous campaign in Detroit but he is preventing him self from doing it. Yeah he was labelled a even bigger distraction in Memphis but that was because he was complaining out loud. When people said Iverson needs to stop being a distraction if he wants to continue playing they never said shoot 11 shots and take 1 shot every 5 possesions.Iverson is too scared of what people will think about him and how teams will view him in the off season. He needs to go back to his old mind set and play without thinking about it and play without fear. Iverson should play the way he plays best and that is when shoots when he wants. He did it in Denver and they won 50 games. Why not do it in Philly again? Iverson needs to be much more aggressive if he wants to prove anyone wrong.14.2 ppg and 4 apg? This is Allen Iverson we are talking about. Who would have thought Iverson's stats would be that low some day? Nobody. Iverson is taking a career low 11 shots per game and when you watch the Sixers games you know he is trying way to hard to fit in. It is all about proving people wrong this year. Iverson needs to show the world that he is still one of the games elite players.When will Iverson realize that this is not him? Iverson was born to score and take games over. He can still do it and he can still dominate games if he attempts to. But if there is one person who knows how to play without fear it is Iverson and if he decides to take control of the Sixers like he did for 10 years in his first stint than this team is going straight to the playoffs and is capable of upsetting the number 1 seed no matter Reebok New England Patriots #12 Tom Brady Realtree camo Jersey
who it may be. Allen Iverson, Elton Brand, Sam Dalembert, Andre Igoudala and Louis Williams is one scary starting lineup.But the 2010 Philadelphia 76ers can be one of the best teams in the east. Allen Iverson can prove that he is still an elite player. Iverson has always been the "Answer" and now it is time he answers the critiques and takes control of the Sixers like he was meant to. He just has to forget about the last year and a half and remember the 12 years prior to 2009. Iverson needs to get his swagger and old attitude back. The same attitude that has made him a lock for the Hall of Fame. The "Answer" to the Sixers and Iverson's problem is simple-when Iverson stops playing scared(still feels weird to say that) that is when this season will turn around for the Sixers and that is when Iverson's career will be rejuvinated.