I knew this was going to happen.  Allen Iverson in Memphis is not a good fit.  Allen Iverson on most teams at this point in his career is not a good fit.  If you haven't heard, Iverson came back from injury and played his first game for the Grizzlies last night.  The problem is, the team had the audacity to bring him off the bench and only play him 18 minutes.  Can you believe that?!?  Don't think know who they are dealing with here?!?

Of course, this didn't sit well with AI.  So he came out and complained about coming off the bench and about the amount of minutes he played.  After only one game.  After missing all of the preseason due to injury.  But this should come as no surprise to any of us, especially not the Grizzlies.  Iverson pulled the same stunt last season in Detroit, complaining so much about minutes and coming off the bench that the team finally sent him away, under the guise of a bad back.

Obviously The Answer just doesn't get it, so we'll help clarify things for him.  During his latest tirade he mentioned that he has always been a starter and talked about his past exploits.  Well, AI, the past doesn't matter anymore - only NOW matters.  You are not the superstar player you were back in your Philadelphia days.  And the truth of the matter is, the Grizzlies are better served starting a true point guard in Mike Conley alongside O.J. Mayo in the backcourt and bring Iverson off the bench.  At some point in their careers all athletes have to look in the mirror and realize that they aren't capable of doing the things they used to do.  The ones willing to admit that they aren't superstars anymore and are willing to take a lesser role with a team will always be in demand, especially from title contending teams.  The ones that aren't willing to do this find themselves out of work real quick.  And Iverson is getting to that point.  After almost 900 games in the NBA, playing with reckless abandon, Iverson's brittle body has taken a beating.  He is a liability, due to his size, on defense.  He can be a black hole on offense, causing a team's offensive flow to halt abruptly when the ball is swung to him (Memphis already has the ultimate black hole on their team, Zach Randolph - they don't need a second one).  Coming off the bench would be perfect for Iverson, as he would give the team a big boost of energy with his scoring and speed.  A Ben Gordon/Microwave Johnson type of player.  But in Iverson's world it is starter or bust.  Superstar or bust.  With visions of grandeur dancing in his head. 

If A.I. played his cards right in Memphis by being a good team player and role model he would set himself up for future employment with a title contender, alowing him one last chance at that coveted championship ring.  But that is not going to happen now.  Because A.I. is A.G. - aging gracelessly.

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