Allen Iverson and Larry Brown had a playercoach relationship that pulled you in. It was contentious at times, endearing other days, but it was as addictive a twosome to watch and follow as Erica Kane and her husband du jour on All My Children.
Brown made Iverson a better player despite Iverson doing little on his own to do the same.
They did not always see eye to eye and there were he saidhe said days on more than one occasion. But Iverson was a superstar and Brown was a no brainer bound for the Hall of Fame before it actually happened.
Did you think Brown didnt like Iverson?
The fact that Brown had Iverson traded in the summer of 2000 to the Pistons certainly had people thinking just that, but Matt Geiger put the kibosh on that move allowing for a run to the NBA Finals and eventually we witnessed Iverson sitting on Browns lap when he accepted the MVP award.
Relationships have peaks and valleys.
That brings me to Doug Collins and Evan Turner. There are many fans that e-mail me constantly saying it is obvious that Collins doesnt like Turner. They believe the coach takes Turners minutes but doesnt take others. They look and see a guy who needs the ball in his hands and wonder why he is being asked to do something different than that.
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So I asked what I believe has been asked but just not answered the way people want it to be.
You see those first four games Evan with Spencer Hawes back and this is going to be like we have two new pieces back as we are going down the stretch, Collins said of the time in the season when Turner was inserted into the starting lineup. But the chemistry of our team changes because Jodie Meeks is very much a glue guy but now we have all guys on the floor who are good with the ball in their hands and it is up to me to figure that out. It is interesting to me as we try to piece this together can we get that good feeling again.
That good feeling Collins did not specify but we all know 20-9 felt a whole lot better then 9-16. As for Turners take on him getting minutes or not, he does believe it is performance driven.
I think we have had up and down moments and coach is just trying to find what works, Turner said of Collins. If a guy is making shots you have to ride the wave and give the team the best opportunity to get on a roll
And the is what this team needs, a roll of a couple wins. They can answer no critics without.
As for Evan, if you believe Doug is in his world of judgmental by his lonesome, think not.
I think Evan is a basketball player. You put him at the one, he was able to do that in college. We brought him here and put him at the two and the three. You have to know Evan to know his frustration, he is frustrated about everything. There is really not a situation where he is trying to fit in. He works hard, he sets high standards for himself and sometimes he may get a little frustrated but I dont think it is frustration with this team or fitting in with a a role, it is just a bar that he sets for himself.
Turner wants to find his way, his coach wants the same, but making the playoffs stands in the way.
Jrue and Dre know they are going to be on the court, but after that Lou can score and Jodie can shoot.
E-mail Dei Lynam at dlynam@comcastsportsnet.com