Allen Iverson will sign with the Memphis Grizzlies

Today, Allen Iverson utilized his Twitter page to notify the world of his intentions to sign with the Memphis Grizzlies. In his update he stated "God Chose Memphis as the place that I will continue my career. I met with Mr. Heinsley, Chris Wallace and my next head coach Lionel Hollins." While the 34-year-old Iverson collected $21 million last season, his new one-year contract with the Grizzlies is only expected to be worth $3.5 million. Even for a player past his prime, Memphis is getting a fantastic financial deal for a 10-time All-Star and former league MVP. The Grizzlies' ticket sales reps are likely rejoicing tonight, as Iverson's impending signing could mean much easier sales pitches for a team that was second to last in the league for average attendance. My biggest question is how Iverson will be integrated. The Grizzlies are a team whose whole identity for the past few years has been youth and potential. They have great pieces in O.J. Mayo, Rudy Gay and Michael Conley, so the veteran addition of Iverson may change the Memphis mindset a bit. While I know the Grizzlies think highly of Conley, I would imagine that Iverson will eventually be starting in the backcourt alongside Mayo. Given that Iverson had previously stated that he would rather retire than come off the bench with Detroit, I can't imagine that coming off the bench for the lowly Grizzlies would fly well for Iverson. If Iverson is given the chance to be a primary ball-handler for Memphis, he will likely remain happy. Given that this is a one-year deal, look for Iverson to do whatever he can to boost his stock before signing with a contender next season for his final swan song. Through his Twitter page Iverson also stated, "I feel that they are committed to developing a winner and I know that I can help them to accomplish that. I feel that I can trust them." Isn't every team "committed to developing (or maintaining) a winner"? I really don't think "winning" played into Iverson's decision at all. If it did, I think we can all agree that isn't much of a rational thought. The Grizzlies have stockpiled talent, but let's not fool ourselves - this is a shot-happy squad full of one-on-one players. Both Iverson and Mayo are volume shooters, Rudy Gay averaged nearly 16 shots a game last season, and the newly acquired Zach Randolph is an effective scorer but a black-hole on offense. Simply put, there won't be enough shots to keep everyone on this Memphis team happy. That being said, the addition of Iverson will make the Grizzlies a fun team to watch, but A.I. is not "the answer" for Memphis and they will not be competing for a playoff spot in the competitive Western conference.