PHILADELPHIA - Perhaps the best signing Donnie Walsh never made was the one James Dolan wouldn't allow him to make.
Allen Iverson was prepared to join the then 2-9 Knicks in mid-November, but Dolan, the Garden chairman, wasn't in favor of the move, and eventually Walsh felt it wasn't the appropriate time to make such a dramatic change to the offense and the locker room.
"I did say I'll check on it and that led to 'We're after Iverson,'" Walsh said. "I have a lot of respect for Iverson so I wasn't going to just say no. But it wouldn't have been good for him or us. That's the way I looked at it."
Iverson, who would later sign with the Sixers, faces the team he nearly joined tonight. The All-Star guard was excited about the possibility of resurrecting his career with the Knicks and believed a deal was imminent.
Dolan, however, had reservations about Iverson's troubled past especially since a few months earlier the Knicks had severed ties with Stephon Marbury, who provided enough controversy and drama to last a lifetime.
When Walsh publicly expressed his interest in signing Iverson the Knicks were 1-9, and head coach Mike D'Antoni was open to anything that could get his club out of its funk. But the night before the Knicks made a final decision on Iverson, the team rallied for a win at Indiana, which may have had an impact on management's thinking.
The following night, Walsh decided not to pursue Iverson. The Knicks beat the Nets in their next game before losing five straight. They entered December with a 3-14 record but have since gone 12-8. In the 12 games Iverson has played for Philadelphia, the Sixers are 5-7 and they could be fighting with the Knicks for a playoff spot.
"I like where we are now and how the team is developing," D'Antoni said. "And you never know how it would be (with Iverson). But I do think we tried to make the best decision at that time, and it has worked out because we are playing well."
Iverson's presence could have affected several players, including Chris Duhon, Nate Robinson and Larry Hughes. D'Antoni could have decided to make Iverson the point guard, which would have forced Duhon to the bench.
Since Duhon's contract expires on July 1, there is still a possibility that Walsh may try to acquire a point guard at the trading deadline.
T.J. Ford is available while Andre Miller, Steve Blake and D.J. Augustin can all be had for the right deal. Walsh, however, is reluctant to add salary with the Knicks gearing up for the 2010 free agent class. Coincidentally, Iverson will also be a free agent next summer.
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