how i can't believe the knicks aren't making a play for iverson

my brother and i had a nice genteel conversation yesterday on the phone, one that we've had only about 589,223 times since december 2002 - which is, quite simply, what the hell is isiah thomas thinking?

isiah thomas was the smartest and toughest guard i've ever seen. and yet, as an executive, he's made a living stockpiling idiotic ninnies for his basketball team. you know, the exact opposite of what made him great, what made him a hall of famer and, most importantly, what made him a champion.

and now, the second coming of isiah is on the trading block, and he's not even thinking about trading him?

you might think many things about allen iverson, but these things are undeniable: tough. quick. talented. athletic. basketball savvy. in fact, if you add the suffix -est to all those adjectives, you'd still be correct: toughest. quickest. most talented. most athletic. basketball savviest. i'm right about all of these. there's no question. and if you have one, just watch him play live, and then come back to me.

one thing has become blatantly obvious when you watch an nba game: there's so much basketball talent in the world that it's kinda plateaud. don't get me wrong: KG and nowitski and nash and d-wade and melo are more talented than their peers, but they're not all that much more, and when you look at rosters, well, the difference in talent between one team and another is negligible. (don't get me wrong: the suns are more talented than the bobcats. but it's not like ohio state playing wagner).

and, the other thing that's most obvious about watching an nba game is this: usually, the difference between winning and losing is nothing more than effort. what team wants it more. what team sacrifices more. what team leaves more of themselves on the court. just watch a game. of course, there are other factors, but most of those factors are governed by effort.

effort. who wants it more. who sacrifices more. who leaves more of themselves on the court

did i just describe a certain 5'11" basketball player that happens to be on the trading block?

and did i just describe exactly what ails my new york knicks?

am i crazy? how could or would you not love allen iverson on your basketball team? it's insane. it's completely insane. he's every intangible that sportswriters glorify but can never quantify.

he is indeed the answer.

so what's the question, isiah?