# How is Allen Iverson at defense?



## Rashidi

The reason I ask is I am the author of the NBA2k6 Player Rating FAQ. I take the ratings in the game and try to make them reflect that NBA player as accurately as possible.

Iverson is always rated highly in year in and year out in "Defensive Awareness". Players with higher DefAwr rotate well on defense, and also cause the man they are guarding to miss more shots.

I don't watch the Sixers that much, but everytime I do, it doesn't seem like Iverson has a profound effect on the game in this aspect. Iverson seems to gamble for steals a lot and give up his defensive position. And with all stars that play heavy minutes, he probably takes a few possessions off.

Another reason I ask this question is Iverson has few defensive accolades. He's never been named to an all-defensive team. Usually when a star is GREAT at offense and above average at defense, voters will associate his greatness on the offensive end with the other end of the court (Kobe Bryant for example, is not as good as guys like Trenton Hassell, Greg Buckner, Bruce Bowen at defense, but he is certainly more well known by voters). Iverson has led the league in points three times, and has also led the league in steals three times, but still no defensive teams.

So if anyone could add any input on this, it'd be great.


----------



## BEEZ

small, not that great a man defender. Plays the passing lanes extremely well and gambles alot.


----------



## SixersFan

he's too small to be a good defender in the NBA.


----------



## Rashidi

Well, John Stockton made a few defensive teams...

How does AI compare to him aside from the passing lanes?


----------



## Your Answer

BEEZ said:


> small, not that great a man defender. Plays the passing lanes extremely well and gambles alot.


I agree with that hes not a great man defender but plays good Team defense and yes he has no defensive teams which is a shame bc he had led the league in steals and been in Top 5 even more he should of at least got an honorable mention a couple of years but I would agree with the Rating of Def Awareness but it seems like that also plays into man coverage his Awareness is great but like beez said he can tend to get beat in str8 man coverage


----------



## Kunlun

Iverson could be a great man to man defender if he put more effort into it. Most of his effort goes into offense, I actually think his defense is improving these past couple years.


----------



## SirCharles34

Who cares. His size puts him at a disadvantage against the bigger guards.
He's one of the few players whose defense I can overlook because he gives us so much on offense and in leadership, and all the other areas of his game. 

point blank, he brings it every game. just my :twocents:


----------



## Sliccat

This is one of the things I don't like about the 2K series. AI has great defensive awareness. He sees the court, can visualise the passing lanes, and rotates extremely well. But one on one... he's about average, although he has played great defense in short stretches, which is why the series needs a clutch factor(that's not invisible), like the old live games.


----------



## jpk

AI tends to roam while on defense looking for the steal. He is excellent at picking off passes and creating turnovers. The 76ers have lead the league in forced turnovers and that is a big part of creating their offense.

If you are designing a game, I'd say that his ability to steal and disrupt passes should be emphasized. His man-to-man coverage is weak and he can be beat 1:1.


----------



## Rashidi

While we're at it, any input on the defense of other Sixers players?

Chris Webber, John Salmons, and Kyle Korver?

I haven't noticed Webber defensively since his return from microfracture but I would assume it's not good. Salmons gets steals but how is he man to man? He seems like a guy that could range from below average to above average on defense, you can't really tell unless you see him (and from what I saw he's not Iggy but still possibly good). Korver is vastly underrated defensively I feel, and it's his defense that probably keeps him on the court, because most other teams would bring a player who was strictly a 3pt shooter off the bench. He's not very quick, but everytime I watch he makes an intelligent play on defense, so his IQ probably makes up for it.


----------



## jpk

Webber's man-to-man defense is terrible. He will get a couple of steals and blocked shots each night, but he will also get burned by guys blowing by him to the basket.


----------



## Sliccat

Korver is a really good team defender, and while your at it, his offensive awareness is really good.\

Salmons is a slightly above average defender, but he is built for 1on1 defense.

And Webber isn't terrible, just slightly below average. He's also much faster than he was last year.


----------



## Rashidi

Oh yeah, with Iverson his speed should account for most of his defense... it's easy for him to stay with his man, which is why his DA being a 90 is such a problem.

Korver is offensively aware but it's tough to say just how aware since most of his shots are threes.


----------



## Future76

Rashidi said:


> Another reason I ask this question is Iverson has few defensive accolades. He's never been named to an all-defensive team. Usually when a star is GREAT at offense and above average at defense, voters will associate his greatness on the offensive end with the other end of the court (Kobe Bryant for example, is not as good as guys like Trenton Hassell, Greg Buckner, Bruce Bowen at defense, but he is certainly more well known by voters). Iverson has led the league in points three times, and has also led the league in steals three times, but still no defensive teams.


Well the Kobe thing... Kobe got his name in defense when Shaq was around, and back then Kobe's thing was lot easier, as he could take some risks as Big Fella stood under the basket so nobody wanted to drive to the hole.. He didn't do so great job on defense last yea on my opinion.

To Allen, he puts pressure to PGs and steals the balls, of course it has it's risks, but doesn't f.e. Lebron do the same thing as he tries to steal the ball?


----------



## Max Payne

His defense is underrated simply because he's such a dominant offensive player, but the fact of the matter is that gambling on the passing lanes or not, it'll be a cold day in hell before AI gives a half-***ed effort on any side of the court. The epitome of giving it everything, every step of the way. There's never been a superstar like him in that regard.


----------



## Kunlun

Max Payne said:


> The epitome of giving it everything, every step of the way. There's never been a superstar like him in that regard.


Michael Jordan?


----------



## NYKBaller

he plays the passing lanes and gambles a lot...


----------



## Sliccat

Kunlun said:


> Michael Jordan?


I don't know if MJ gave quite as much on offense.


----------



## Max Payne

Kunlun said:


> Michael Jordan?


 No player, not event MJ, in the history of the game has played with as much reckless abandon for their own health as AI has.


----------



## Sliccat

Well, Mike James just scored 36 points against AI. Thread closed.


----------



## SirCharles34

And AI torched them for 42pts. That's a plus 6 differential. 6th in a row, we win. 

Now the thread's closed.


----------



## BEEZ

alleninsf said:


> And AI torched them for 42pts. That's a plus 6 differential. 6th in a row, we win.
> 
> Now the thread's closed.


 NO his defense was asked about, not how much more he can score opposed to the next guy


----------



## Rashidi

> And AI torched them for 42pts. That's a plus 6 differential


42 points is only 12-16 points above Iverson's usual average.

36 points is a lot more than 12-16 points above James' usual average.


----------

