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Going to Miami for a reduced rate to resist temptation and willingly play second-fiddle would scream commitment to reinvention in a way even reconnecting with Brown couldn't.
Landing with the Heat would also cause the type of stir that Iverson currently needs to boost his career, creating an event atmosphere that hasn't been seen in Miami since Shaquille O'Neal arrived to a parade. Sports fans down in South Florida are typically fickle and as late-arriving as those out in L.A., but they do respect star power. Iverson is still an attraction, and the pairing of him and Wade is only three years removed from teaming up in Houston as Eastern Conference All-Star starters.
The Heat's biggest problem last season was its over-reliance on Wade to generate offense, and although the organization has high hopes that Jermaine O'Neal can stay healthy and Michael Beasley can develop further, picking up Iverson would be an instant fix. Wade and Iverson need the ball in their hands to be successful, but a rotation could be reached where both could be catalysts every given night, with Wade surely getting the heavier load. To say it can't work would be dismissive. At the very least, it would be fun to watch.
The L.A. experiment wouldn't be boring, but barring injuries, there's less opportunities for Iverson to make a dent. Baron Davis and Eric Gordon are the present and future, while Chris Kaman, Blake Griffin and Al Thornton will command their chances up front.
That's just too many options to consider for Iverson to be consistently appeased. It's also more likely that Iverson, an East Coast guy through and through, would grow unhappy in L.A., thousands of miles from his comfort zone in a situation that's not going to be easy.
Considering the career transition Iverson is trying to make, staying focused and challenged is essential.
So is making the postseason, since he failed to make it to the big stage in Detroit and never had much success in Denver. The Clippers look good on paper, but don't they always at this time of year? Inevitably, they find a way to fall apart, which doesn't bode well with the Lakers, Spurs, Nuggets, Blazers, Jazz, Mavericks and Hornets looming in the conference. The Heat will have an easier road to the playoffs, coming off a season in which they ascended to the No. 5 seed with a rookie coach and just 43 wins.
Iverson is out to prove he's capable of change, but can't stack the deck against himself to make it impossible.
A.I. in L.A. is simply not the way. The move is too drastic. Even at less pay, joining the Heat is far more practical and condusive to success.
While it's true that most Northerners head down to South Florida to retire, in Iverson's case, it might be the only way to salvage his career.
After all, another way to look at it is that many move to Miami to stay useful and make the most of what they have left.
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