Is A.I. the Answer Detroit is looking for?
In a surprising move the Nuggets have agreed to send Allen Iverson to Detroit for Chauncey Billups and Antonio McDyess
SCOTT JACOBS
Detroit is mining for one last title run, and today, they traded for a golden Nugget, acquiring prolific scorer Allen Iverson from Denver. The move is not official yet, but it should be done soon. So the question becomes why?
Not why the Nuggets would do this trade, but why would the Pistons make this deal?
Okay, so AI’s contract comes off of the books at the end of the year, but again, I ask, why make this deal? Okay, so the Pistons are looking to get younger and sort of re-make what has been the East’s model franchise in the 2000’s, but again why make this trade?
Why trade Mr. Big Shot, ChaChaChauncceeeeeeeeeeeyyyyyy BBBBBBBBBubububilllluuuuuuppppssss and McDyess away for a past his prime, ball hog, me first scorer who is rapidly declining each season? Why break up a team that has been the anti-me first team in the NBA for years now, for a guy who always wants to shoot? Why break up a core that once again made the Eastern Conference Finals last season? Why, take all that for granted, and push your chips to the center of the table for a one year trial?
Why?
I understand the Pistons were looking to remake their team. That was no secret. But early rumors a few months ago said they might try to pry away Carmelo from Denver. Why they would want AI is kind of beyond me. Is there like a garage sale on NBA.com that says trade in your good, clutch players that help your team tick, for a used up, past his prime mega-star? First Shaq, then Kidd, then this? Don’t teams get it? Remaking your team around over the hill stars just doesn’t work once the season starts.
Billups was the engine that helped Detroit go. McDyess was the consistent center who did the dirty work. AI is the guy who has led one team to a championship appearance. Billups helped fuel the Pistons to a title, and nearly a second. He’s under contract until 2011.
Detroit is basically playing the Milwaukee Brewers card here: we’ll pick up a guy for the rest of the season and then figure things out after that. I don’t like the move. You may not agree. I just feel like teamwork and chemistry, trumps statistics. What Billups does doesn’t always show up in the box-score. Billups is a special player, an unselfish player, a good ball handlerwho is also a very good foul shooter. AI is a very good shooter as well, but he’s a big personality. How will he coexist with a team as unselfish as there is? Does he fit right in? No one knows.
Meanwhile for Denver, it’s the end of a fun, but ultimately very disappointing era. Iverson was supposed to be the guy who got Denver over the hump. Instead, they never got past the first round. You could argue they will be a better team with Billups, and McDyess, who will be making his THIRD stint with the Nuggs.
I would simply argue that when we look back on this trade, it will be one the Pistons will regret.
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Maybe the East Coast game better suits Iverson? He may be able to bounce back when playing against weaker opponents.
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Football, that may be. But you could argue the East looks pretty strong right now. And there’s no way he’s leading them past Boston. I just don’t see it. I know I know, that’s why they play the game, but I just don’t like the move.
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This is a very interesting trade that shows the Pistons are looking to the future by freeing up some cap space for the free agents in the offseason. AI will surely bring passion, hustle, desire and flat out raw talent to Detroit. His attitude will fit in with players like Rasheed Wallace and Rip but Billups was the glue that made each peice fit together. The only smart thing was that they did it in the beginning of the season and not in the middle which would throw off their continuity. It will be interesting to see how this all folds out.
For starters, Chauncey was the perfect model of inconsistency for the Detroit Pistons. On some nights he would look like Chris Paul, and other nights he’d look like Paul Harvey.
Chauncey went into “fat cat” mode, the moment the Pistons won the title. Dumars, never one to demonstrate patience for complacency, knew that it was necessary to ship Chauncey out.
A perfect example of this is the fact that only after being outplayed by Rodney Stuckey in last year’s post season, did Chauncey dedicate himself to getting in shape, prior to training camp, and getting rid of the 10-15 extra pounds that had limited him in each of the previous two seasons.
McDyess will be back with the team within 30 days. The Nuggets are buying him out.
In essence, you have traded Chauncey for Allen Iverson, a freshly motivated group of guys, and….and….and….a ticket to the Lebron, Dwayne, Chris raffle taking place in two years.
This is just one more example of Joe’s brilliance as an executive in the NBA.
Winslow, interesting feedback. I’m curious to see how it plays out, but now I have a question for you: why is Denver so quick to want to buy out McDyess? He’s a good player, who is good on the boards, and a tough, hard nosed player. He was a very good player with them, so unless its strictly money I’m rather baffled by that.