Any basketball fan would love to see these two iconic guards face off (GameFace Studios)
The eerie similarities between derrick rose and allen iverson
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Derrick Rose and Allen Iverson's personalities couldn't have been more different. So how does Joshua see any similarities?
8/25/13 |
On Thursday, August 22, point guard Allen Iverson officially announced his retirement. Iverson, who had been out of the league 3 years, felt that now was the time to call it quits and move on with his life. “The Answer” played for the Memphis Grizzlies, Detroit Pistons, Denver Nuggets and most notably Philadelphia 76ers. During his 14 year career, Iverson only participated in the NBA Finals once. Many blame the lack of championship appearances and rings to Iverson’s unwillingness to share the ball and make his teammates better. Nonetheless, Allen Iverson will be appearing in the Basketball Hall of Fame at some point. However from a fan’s perspective, especially a Bulls fan, it’s not hard to notice the similarities between Iverson and Bulls point guard, Derrick Rose. Let’s take a look, shall we?
From a physical perspective, Rose is the improved version of Iverson, standing 3 inches taller and outweighing A.I. by 30 pounds. If it were the NFL, Iverson would be Michael Vick to Rose’s Colin Kaepernick. Therefore, Rose’s body is better equipped to absorb the punishment doled out when driving to the lane. Rose is not only bigger and stronger than Iverson, but is faster than Iverson in the open-court, which is saying a lot. Iverson has the upper hand in ball-handling, but not by much. Rose and Iverson are about equal when scoring at the rim, with Rose having the option to dunk as well as hit trickier shots. Rose already is a better jump shooter, while Iverson is a slightly better 3-point shooter. Rose is a much better teammate already, averaging .6 assists more than A.I. and not carrying the “ball-hog” label with him like “The Answer” has his entire career. Off the court, the two couldn’t be more different. Whereas Iverson was loud, brash and loving himself gold chains, Rose is humble and is grounded by his upbringing. So where exactly does the eerie comparison come in?
I’m glad you asked. The most eerie similarity between the two is the teams that they are on, not the players themselves. While A.I. was known as a ball-hog, he was never given a second option to help shed the dreaded label. Now while the Bulls current cast is undoubtedly better than any team Iverson was a part of, the Bulls still lack a consistent second scoring option to take pressure off of Rose, specifically in crunch time. “The Answer” left a team and community that he was so beloved in because he was so frustrated with the support around him. Don’t think that’ll ever happen with Rose? Don’t be so sure. While Rose loves the city of Chicago, I’m sure he loves winning championships more than staying on a complacent team.
The tale of Allen Iverson should be one of admiration and caution. Iverson was one of the most fearless players in the league despite his small stature and literally put his team on his back on the way to an NBA Finals appearance. For this, Iverson must be looked upon as one of the most offensively gifted players to ever grace an NBA court. However, the frustration that Iverson felt towards the end of his 76ers career is a cautionary tale not only to the Chicago Bulls, but to other teams that are or will build their teams around their franchise player, especially a point guard. In order to be successful, you must surround your franchise player with other option that can score on their own. The Cleveland Cavaliers learned the hard way with LeBron James. Hopefully, the Chicago Bulls don’t follow the same path with Derrick Rose.
And for your enjoyment, the infamous practice rant!
From a physical perspective, Rose is the improved version of Iverson, standing 3 inches taller and outweighing A.I. by 30 pounds. If it were the NFL, Iverson would be Michael Vick to Rose’s Colin Kaepernick. Therefore, Rose’s body is better equipped to absorb the punishment doled out when driving to the lane. Rose is not only bigger and stronger than Iverson, but is faster than Iverson in the open-court, which is saying a lot. Iverson has the upper hand in ball-handling, but not by much. Rose and Iverson are about equal when scoring at the rim, with Rose having the option to dunk as well as hit trickier shots. Rose already is a better jump shooter, while Iverson is a slightly better 3-point shooter. Rose is a much better teammate already, averaging .6 assists more than A.I. and not carrying the “ball-hog” label with him like “The Answer” has his entire career. Off the court, the two couldn’t be more different. Whereas Iverson was loud, brash and loving himself gold chains, Rose is humble and is grounded by his upbringing. So where exactly does the eerie comparison come in?
I’m glad you asked. The most eerie similarity between the two is the teams that they are on, not the players themselves. While A.I. was known as a ball-hog, he was never given a second option to help shed the dreaded label. Now while the Bulls current cast is undoubtedly better than any team Iverson was a part of, the Bulls still lack a consistent second scoring option to take pressure off of Rose, specifically in crunch time. “The Answer” left a team and community that he was so beloved in because he was so frustrated with the support around him. Don’t think that’ll ever happen with Rose? Don’t be so sure. While Rose loves the city of Chicago, I’m sure he loves winning championships more than staying on a complacent team.
The tale of Allen Iverson should be one of admiration and caution. Iverson was one of the most fearless players in the league despite his small stature and literally put his team on his back on the way to an NBA Finals appearance. For this, Iverson must be looked upon as one of the most offensively gifted players to ever grace an NBA court. However, the frustration that Iverson felt towards the end of his 76ers career is a cautionary tale not only to the Chicago Bulls, but to other teams that are or will build their teams around their franchise player, especially a point guard. In order to be successful, you must surround your franchise player with other option that can score on their own. The Cleveland Cavaliers learned the hard way with LeBron James. Hopefully, the Chicago Bulls don’t follow the same path with Derrick Rose.
And for your enjoyment, the infamous practice rant!