Nuggets trade Allen Iverson to Pistons for Chauncey Billups, McDyess

[bdreason]

Unless the next trade will bring in someone who will take the best player/#1 option title from Iverson (and knock him to the #2 spot), the Pistons still aint gonna win it all. No team with Iverson as the #1 option/best player will win it all.

I'm not hating on AI. But really... undersized shoot-first guard ain't the right foundation to build a winning team. Especially at Iverson's age. Right now he's not even a top five guard in the league.

ummm AI took a worse team to the Finals before.


I don't think it will happen this time, but don't act like it's impossible. The East got better, but it still isn't that good.

I could see the Pistons in the ECF against the Celtics. They'll probably lose, but anything can happen.

[EricForman]

how so? they were 6 games short (hypothectially speaking) last year?. Iverson is much better than Billups on offense how many points did they lose by in game six? 10 11? AI scores close to 30 points per game esspecailly in the playoffs who knows ????

There is more to winning basketball than just adding the PPG of a player and see if that covers the average margin of points they lose a game by, LOL.

[Meticode]

They need to trade Rip for a PF or C now.

Perhaps Rip for Ilgauskas and a 1st?

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/feature...=5~8&te=&cash=


Works for both...

Det

C-Big Z
PF-Sheed
SF-Prince
SG-AI
PG-Stuckey
6th-Maxiell
7th-Johnson
8th-Afflalo
9th-Herrmann
10th-Brown


Cle

C-Varejao
PF-Ben
SF-LeBron
SG-Rip
PG-MoWill
6th-West
7th-Wally
8th-Gibson
9th-Hickson
10th-Wright

It's a win/win.

I totally disagree. This leaves Cleveland with no one who can consistently score down low at all. Wallace isn't going to do it, Varajeo isn't going to do it, Wright isn't going to do it, Hickson isn't going to do it.

As much as I like Hamilton and the fact he's one of the best mid-ranger shooters in the game, this hurts Cleveland more than helping them since they'll be specifically a jump shooting team with almost no offense near the basket.

[catzhernandez]

I totally disagree. This leaves Cleveland with no one who can consistently score down low at all. Wallace isn't going to do it, Varajeo isn't going to do it, Wright isn't going to do it, Hickson isn't going to do it.

Sign PJ Brown?

[A Roc 23]

Billups
JR Smith
Melo
Kenyon
Nene

That's so much better then the other starting lineup it's not even close.

[matt1016]

I like Iverson as a sixth man for the Stones. He could come in and play either guard spot and provide instant offense. He and Afflalo would work together well. I doubt that is in the cards, but it would be the best scenario.

Rip and AI are not going to mesh well. Rip will be running through his last screen and AI will have already moved on to the next offensive option (dribble, dribble, shot for himself.)

I wonder if Rip is the next to go?

[Noob Saibot]

I can't believe Iverson is a Piston. damn! This might bring Detroit back to the very top of the east. It's like he's back on his old team, but's it not Philly. crazy trade.

[tsforthrees]

i've been in class so i haven't been able to post, but i am loving this trade, especially if mcdyess plays with us. i can't wait to see chauncey back here, he is a great feel good story for all people who live in denver and we are pumped to have him back! i think this puts us back in the playoff race.

[Rekindled]

iverson will start, stuckey is nowhere near as good as iverson.

Iverson is the go to guy the piston desperately needed.

Iverson
Rip
Tayshawn
Sheed

4 all stars in starting line u p.

[Richie2k6]

This is surprising. But I don't really have a problem with it.

Denver gets what they need - a big point guard who can handle the ball and shoot from distance. Not to mention a good presence inside to help replace the loss of Camby. McDyess is an intense player who brings heart and can defend downlow and score some points as well.

Billups will be Denver's floor general and will make great decisions. He's one of the smartest and most fundamentally sound players in the game today. He can deliver the ball down low for Melo's post game to grow, and he can finish in the paint or dish it off to shooters. JR Smith's game will get even better off of Chauncey. Not to mention he brings one of the best point guard defenses in the league.

The Pistons get... well... they get Allen Iverson. He puts points on the board, he gets you assists and he gets you steals. And now that he's put in a situation with a team that's extremely teamwork-oriented, he can prove the doubters wrong by being unselfish and showing how good of a playmaker he can be. And all this Iverson as a 6th man stuff... it's just not going to happen. Man put up 26/7 last season.

He's going to help their transition game a lot. Billups isn't big on transition play and often slows it down to get into a halfcourt offense. That can be good or bad, though it's usually been very good. Iverson knows how to slow it down, and he's also very capable of speeding it up in transition for easy baskets. Detroit's defense will not be as good, but it won't be bad either. They still have Prince, Rasheed, etc. Iverson isn't the defender that Billups is, but losing Billups doesn't mean Detroit loses their defense. Defensively I believe Prince is the glue to that team.

If everything goes as planned, Detroit can get to the ECF. If everything goes as planned, Denver can make the playoffs. It's a good deal for both teams... nobody really got raped here. Billups gets to go home, Denver gets the point guard they need, Detroit's defensive gets a bit worse while their offense gets better, Detroit gets a 20million dollar expirer, Denver's defense gets better. Very good trade for both sides. Looks like now I have to watch Nuggets, Raptors and Pistons games this season. Crossing my fingers that AI can play against Toronto, I can catch his debut on TV.


Plus, an Iverson/Wade backcourt in the All-Star game sounds pretty cool. Now quick, somebody get this ish photoshopped!

[Meticode]

AI is more of a shooting guard who gets points based on how many shots he takes. I doubt he will be running the Pistons Offense.

Rip Hamilton is cemented in as shooting guard.

Stuckey is probably going to pick up 35+ minutes a night with the trade.



So where is AI's place?

I don't know. In the end I think The Nuggets got the better part of the deal at least in terms of "this year".

J.R. Smith can finally get his starting roll and show if he can really score 20+ a game.

I have no idea where Iverson is going to play. PG when he's shoot first? Back up SG? I don't know. I don't know.

[Y2Gezee]

So Denver traded Andre Miller, Joe Smith for AI then 2yrs later trade AI for Billups and Mcdyess. Is it me or is this pretty much a similar deal and Denver back to where they originally were?

Ummm...Billups>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Dre. Dre is awful, why can't people get over the empty stats. His style of play can only really help a few teams in the league get to where they want to go and Denver certainly wasn't one, and I'm not so sure Philly is either.

Dre can't spread the floor, can't defend, and while a good game manager his only way of creating offense for others is lob passes.

[SHEED_ gangsta]

Billups "I'm gonna retire a Piston" ouch

[ihatetimthomas]

I like Iverson as a sixth man for the Stones. He could come in and play either guard spot and provide instant offense. He and Afflalo would work together well. I doubt that is in the cards, but it would be the best scenario.

Rip and AI are not going to mesh well. Rip will be running through his last screen and AI will have already moved on to the next offensive option (dribble, dribble, shot for himself.)

I wonder if Rip is the next to go?

I disagree. Rip plays very well without the ball. Ai needs the ball to be effective. That is why Melo and AI couldnt fully be utilized on that team. They both needed the ball. On the Pistons, there are 4 other unselfish players on the court. Rip has been forced to be the #1 option when he really isnt. He will do fine as the 2 option

[TmacsRockets]

Detroit now can win it all again. they couldn't with the team they had.