As the NBA season rolls on and the playoff picture begins to take shape, so too does the competition for the NBA's Most Valuable Player Award. While the award is most likely going to be given to Steve Nash, Tim Duncan, or Shaquille O'Neal, another player that can't be ignored in the discussion is Allen Iverson of the Philadelpha 76ers. Iverson is having arguably the best all-around season of his nine-year career, despite his team's struggles.
Iverson has always been known as one of the league's top scoring threats, and he is only reinforcing that label this season. His league-best 30.3 points per game is 1.8 points per game ahead of Kobe Bryant. He is getting to the foul line more times than ever before, and his 83 percent shooting from the charity stripe is also a career best. His field goal and three-point percentage are at their best levels since the 2000-2001 season, when he was named the NBA MVP after leading the Sixers to the NBA Finals, where they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers.
But Iverson's career season transcends just scoring. He is averaging 7.6 assists per game, setting a new career best and placing him fifth in the league in the category. Iverson's offensive explosion has not taken away from his defensive prowess, and he ranks second in the NBA in steals, averaging 2.29 per game, a relatively low number for his career, but impressive nonetheless.
If there is any blemish on AI's season, it would be his high turnover rate, which at 4.35 per game leads the league. However, for a point guard who averages the most minutes per game of any NBA player, he is bound to give up the ball from time to time.
Nearly all of Iverson's impressive season, just like the majority of his career, has been built without the help of another star player to support him. Before the 2002-2003 season, the team added Keith Van Horn in its first serious move to find help for Iverson, but the team struggled and Van Horn was dealt to the New York Knicks after only one season in Philly.
In that three-team deal, the Sixers picked up Glenn Robinson, who they were hoping could form a better partnership with Iverson. They were again let down as Robinson was plagued by injuries and had the worst season of his career. Injuries have kept him out all of this season, and on the last day before the trade deadline, he was dealt to the New Orleans Hornets for forwards Rodney Rogers and Jamal Mashburn, the latter of whom may never play again due to an injury.
In the other deal the Sixers made that day, they brought Chris Webber in from the Sacramento Kings to give them frontcourt help and, hopefully, the 1-2 punch that they have always lacked. Webber has gotten off to a shaky start with the team, but will need time to adjust to his new teammates and coach. Whether or not he and Iverson can form a formidable duo depends greatly on the chronic knee problems that have limited him throughout his career.
With Webber in town, Iverson and the Sixers should be able to push for a playoff spot. They currently have a 30-33 record, which is four games behind the Boston Celtics in the Atlantic Division, but only 1.5 games behind the Indiana Pacers for the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
The ultimate barometer for the success of Iverson's season depends on his ability to lead the Sixers into the postseason and mesh with Webber better then with his previous two counterparts. On talent alone, Iverson and Webber should be able to lead the Sixers into the playoffs in the weak Eastern Conference and especially weak Atlantic Division. While Webber's arrival this season may end up being too little, too late for Iverson, the duo will have no excuse for missing the playoffs next year, with a full season together.
AI can't ultimately be a leading candidate for MVP if Philly fails to make the playoffs this season. However, it is clear that he is still at the top of the game, and with Webber, the Sixers may be able to return to their impressive form of the 2000-01 season.
