From Dave Krieger of The Rocky Mountain News:
“This is going on my 13th year and I’ve been to the Finals once,” Iverson said. “I would have thought I would have been there five or six times by now and won a championship. So, obviously, the commitment is there from me to sacrifice my game and do whatever the team needs me to do. If that means doing something different offensively, I’m willing to do that.”
And yet, asked about making a goal of double-digit assists every night, a circumstance in which the Nuggets win 90 percent of the time, Iverson insisted his assist totals aren’t up to him. Assists depend on teammates making shots.
This is literally true, of course, but it ignores the central complication of his career – that for all his truly spectacular ability, he is a shooting guard in a point guard’s body.”
Iverson’s 2007-2008 campaign was one of his most efficient seasons. AI averaged 26.4 points per game, 3.0 rebounds, 7.1 assists, 2.0 steals, and shot 46% from the field.
Krieger was exaggerating when he stated the Nuggets have won 90% of their games when AI records 10 or more assists. But not by much. Iverson has played a total of 141 regular season and playoff games with Denver. And he has registered 10 or more assists 27 times. The Nuggets are 23-4 (85%) when Iverson drops ten or more dimes on the opposition.
Iverson is right when he says that his assist totals are dependent upon his teammates converting his passes into made buckets. But the numbers don’t lie. The Nuggets are more successful when Iverson makes a concerted effort to get the ball to his teammates in scoring position. With Carmelo Anthony as the focal point, up-and-coming players JR Smith and Linus Kleiza on the wings, and Nene down low, the Nuggets have players that can put the ball in the hole. They need someone to facilitate their offense.
Based upon Denver’s success when Iverson records 10 or more assists, Iverson appears to be the most logical solution to facilitate George Karl’s offense.
But it’s not that simple. The Nuggets need Iverson to be Steve Nash and Allen Iverson.
The Nuggets were 11-1 in 2006-2007 when Iverson recorded 10 or more assists. But Iverson still averaged 26.3 points per game over those twelve games — 1.2 points more than his season average with the Nuggets. Iverson eclipsed the 30-point mark in four of those contests and scored more than 40 points twice.
Denver was 12-3 in 2007-2008 when Iverson handed out 10 or more assists. But Iverson averaged 25 points over that stretch — only 1.4 points less than his season average — and scored over 30 points four times.
Iverson has scored less than 20 points in only 5 of the 27 games in which he tallied 10 or more assists.
So it’s not just a matter of Iverson sacrificing his scoring ability for the greater good of the team. It’s about AI taking high percentage shots — scoring 20 + points per game — and finding his teammates for good looks. Iverson has been spent most of his time in Denver as a shoot-first scorer. The Nuggets need Iverson to score and facilitate with greater frequency for them to remain in playoff contention this season.
A tall order to be sure, but one that the Hall of Fame bound Iverson is physically capable of.
Sources: 2006-07 10 + Assists Game Log | 2007-08 10 + Assists Game Log
