Boston shut down Kevin Garnett for the rest of the regular season. It's time for the Pistons to do the same with Allen Iverson - not because he's injured but for the sake of team chemistry.
The Pistons put up with Iverson sitting out a month with a mysterious back injury and his insistence on getting outside opinions on his condition. All along, the speculation was that he simply didn't want to come off the bench as a sixth man, a spot that Michael Curry moved him to just before his back supposedly flared up.
In both of the games he's played since his return, Iverson has complained about being put in that role. The first time, he essentially said he felt a player of his stature was too good to be placed in that spot. After the game against Cleveland Tuesday, he fumed about playing just 18 minutes and said the team rushed him back into action.
The Pistons didn't rush him back. In fact, they'd probably be happy if he took the rest of the season off. They're fighting for a playoff spot - they don't Iverson whining after every game about his role.
I've said it numerous times this season - the Iverson deal was a trade the Pistons had to make. They have over $20 million in salary-cap room this summer to reshape the roster, thanks to Iverson's expiring contract. But the on-court results this year have been a disaster. The sooner Iverson sheds his Pistons uniform, the better.