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Crossing the line Decision to be a leader rests solely with Iverson
Posted: Friday March 24, 2000 12:13 AM
A couple of teams took action last week against two players who have found it difficult to toe company lines. Allen Iverson has always had trouble following team rules, but he has the support of his teammates and he plays hard to win every night. And I think that is a plus for him. But if he continues to break the rules of the team, he'll wear down the team and the chemistry of the club, and eventually he will lose the support of his teammates. You can't have two sets of rules, because sooner or later the other 11 players will get tired of that situation. So that has to stop. I think the Sixers have made it known to him that enough is enough, and now he has to make the adjustment if he's going to be the leader of that team. If you're going to be the leader of your team and the star of your team, you've got to show it not only in your performance but also in the way you handle yourself off the floor. It's a personal decision. It's totally, 100 percent up to Iverson. The situation in Atlanta was completely different. Isaiah Rider didn't seem to have the support of his teammates, and when you don't have the support of management or your teammates, it's an impossible situation. But he was a malcontent in Minnesota and Portland before coming to Atlanta. It doesn't look like he wants to abide by team rules, and he didn't give the full effort in some games. I've never seen that with Iverson. Iverson may not play very well every night, but he gives you effort every night. Rider's problems started almost from day one with the Hawks, from training camp on. But once your "best player" loses the support of his teammates, then you really have problems. The team was struggling and management let go of their leading scorer, so you know the problems were enormous. The management of the Hawks had felt that with this being Rider's option year, if he were ever going to play hard and abide by the rules, then this was it. But it was a disaster. And in the long run, it's going to cost Rider a lot of money. I don't think he'll get more than the $2 million exemption next year, which isn't bad. But I don't see anybody giving him a long-term guaranteed contract.
Help wantedJohn Starks could be a candidate to be picked up by some team that needs a two guard or some help off the bench to come in and help them make the playoffs -- a team that's on the bubble. If they did sign Starks, he would have to come off the bench. If you had to start him, it would really be a problem, because if you do make the playoffs, he can't go with you. It's a tough call.But I don't see why any team that has a solid position in the playoffs would need Starks, because they wouldn't be able to use him for the playoffs. And I don't see Isaiah or Dennis Rodman being signed at all. Rodman only won two games with Dallas, and they've done better without him. And, with Isaiah's postgame statements about the marijuana charges and all that, I don't think anybody will pick him up, either. Coach's breakdownHaving Doug Christie and Tracy McGrady in the backcourt is a huge advantage for Toronto, because McGrady is really rebounding the basketball. Having size in the backcourt rebounding the ball is so important. It's so important defensively, and it gives you so many advantages. They trap a lot now -- they'll half-court trap, they'll full-court trap. So they take advantage of that size.They initially made the move because they wanted to appease McGrady, so that he will re-sign with them. But in the process, they found a tremendous lineup. This big-guard lineup didn't work for the Knicks because neither of their guards -- Latrell Sprewell or Allan Houston -- are really comfortable bringing the ball up the floor. But McGrady likes to bring it up, and Christie's not reluctant to do it. And they have a tremendous advantage in that they can just put Vince Carter in the backcourt if they have to, so he can relieve them if the pressure is on.
Kevin Loughery is a former NBA player and head coach. He appears each Sunday on CNN/Sports Illustrated's "This Week in the NBA."
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