You heard the rumors. You thought it wouldn’t happen because the season already started, things were rolling. Chauncey Billups is a much better fit in the D than almost any other guard.
But it’s official official, according to a phone call from MLive’s A. Sherrod Blakely:
The Detroit Pistons have reached a tentative agreement to trade Chauncey Billups and Antonio McDyess to the Denver Nuggets for Allen Iverson. Neither player was at this morning’s shoot-around. Team officials said that more information would be forthcoming later today.
First thing that comes to mind: Stuckey better come up off that No. 3.
Second thing: Detroit is going to love A.I. The little guard’s hard-nosed play will quickly anoint him a king.
But this trade also makes something else official: This is the Pistons’ last chance for an NBA Title…at least for a while.
Iverson’s contract goes off the books after this season. He’s likely not coming back, unless the Pistons can land a championship this season. Rasheed is also coming off the books, and he’s shown no desire to do anything next year other than chill on the beach and call it a career.
And…for the Nuggets. Billups seemed like he’d be a fixture in Detroit, but if he was to play anywhere other than the Palace, it has to be with his hometown Nuggets. Denver traded Chauncey in 2000 to the Magic although he was injured and never really got a fair chance. Since then, Chauncey has earned the nickname Mr. Big Shot and proved he belongs in the Brotherhood.
But can he lead a franchise? We’re fixin’ to find out…
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I’m just saying…..
http://slamonline.com/online/nba/2008/09/slamonline-top-50-chauncey-billups-no-25/ I admire Iverson tremendously, but this isn’t gonna necessarily make Detroit a better team. Guaranteed it will for Denver.
*clapclapclapclap*
i’ll have some extensive analysis in tomorrow’s Cub Scouts column.
Also, at least Iverson will make the playoffs.
But, I think McDyess fills an essential need due to their super thin frontcourt. He can still play and I might be wrong, but i would love to pay him just 13 over the next two to give me 25 mins while keeping Kenyon and Nene fresh. Now that role is being filled by Birdman. I already have about 1000 words done for my breakdown.
And yes, that is going to be my only constructive contribution to the topic
Allenp: That is exactly what it would do, but i’m not banking on one of those guys taking the Pistons money. I guess we’ll see.
We shall see. I don’t particularly like this deal for Detroit, but I hope I’m really wrong. However, Denver should be able to get out of the first round if Melo plays up to his potential. It’s all on him right now.
He’s got a bonfide point who defends and shoots. He’s got a super scoring two guard. and he’s got three legit big men. What else does a super star need?
I don’t think Iverson made Melo worse, but I don’t think he made Melo better either. Now, Melo and George Karl have a shot to do some real work.
And for those folks who said Iverosn retarded Igoudala’s growth, y’all really haven’t watched Iggy play. He’s doing the same things he always did, just less efficiently.
Because no matter what problems you have with Iverson, he will not get shut down by the Cavs the same way Billups has. It ain’t happening. Nobody on Cleveland’s squad wants to see AI.
Nobody.
Good for you on your opinion. Define winning.
Because I always thought that if you won more games than you lost, than you were a winner. What exactly is your definition?
I want to thank you for snapping me back into reality.
I still think Iverson is better than Arenas and Baron Davis.
Everybody else
If the Pistons let Tayshaun handle a lot of the duties on the one, that’s a good thing for Rip and Iverson. Both of them can free lance on the wings and Rip can continue using his curls. Detroit’s ball movement improved under Flip, but before him and during crunch time they ran a lot of isos so it’s not like Iverson is disrupting the chemistry of the Suns or something.
The way this works is if Iverson commits on defense. That’s the big key. If he commits like he commited on defense in Philly he can be an average defender and an excellent ball hawk. That’s all the Pistons need from him. All the Pistons need is for one of Boston’s stars to slip this year and for Lebron’s teammates to keep failing.
If that happens, the Pistons make the Finals.
I’m hopeful about this arrangement. Not ecstatic or anything, but hopeful.
Why didn’t anybody talk about what this means for Melo? Should it be put up or shut up time for him?
It really doesn’t matter for either team since neither can get past the elite. Do you see the Nugs beating the Hornets, Spurs or Lakers or the Pistons beating the Celtics in their respective playoffs?
I like this deal IF it happens
I don’t think Iverson was the problem in Denver. That whole team had issues.
Sure, Iverson dominated the ball, but it wasn’t like George Karl was asking them to run a motion offense. He only ran isos for Iverson and Melo, plus a few pick and rolls. Melo got his numbers with Iverson, he was less efficient becuase he decided that rebounding and passing were optional along with defense.
Melo is a very good scorer, and he hasn’t shown a willingness to do much else. At least Iverson has proven over the course of his career that he can sacrifice and adapt. It’s time for Melo to get his mind right.
The Pistons can’t beat the Celtics from last year, but they don’t have to. They have to beat this year’s Celtics team.
Unfortunately, it looks like the early evidence that KG was going to be a more effective inside scorer may have been a preseason mirage. If that’s true, without Posey, the Celtics can be beaten. As long as Powe doesn’t make too big of a leap this year, the Pistons can compete with the Celtics.
And Billups took a lot of long jumpers for Detroit. By adding Iverson, the Pistons now have two very good slashers in Iverson and Stuckey.
I WONT REPEAT WHY I DO NOT THINK THEY WILL BE GOOD TOGETHER. READ MY POST A BIT ABOVE IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY. Of course, they can both change their games up for each other, they’re incredibly high level NBA all-stars. I think it may be better for both Rip and the Detroit Pistons if they don’t make them change up their games and just make a trade.
Chauncey is better at shooting the three and running the team. Two things he does better than Iverson. Plus defending.
me picking JR smith in the last round of fantasy ball now looks prophetic. a robbery, even.
seriously though, this is a terrific trade for denver. melo is without a doubt their best player now. billups then address nuggets’ biggest deficiencies at leadership/point guard play/defense/long range shooting. JR can now be inserted as the starting 2 and do his thing. if furious george can hold the team accountable, this is a playoff team. who can/will they knock off? that i have no idea.
as for detroit, it’s not as much as a sure shot, BUT i see the detroit team as a (way) more talented version of that AI sixers team that went to the Finals – they are built on defense and unselfishness. so if the current pistons are indeed selfless, why would it matter if they are taking less shots? AI will be loved by the city of detroit, and this new surrounding cast fits AI’s style of play and attitude a lot better than the nuggets counterpart.
I have a big manifesto to be posted tomorrow.
Damn this “other” full-time job!
As soon as I saw you using steals to talk about defense I knew this wasn’t going to be fruitful. Anybody with a basic knowledge of the NBA knows Chauncey is a better defender than Iverson. All you have to do is watch games. He also shoots the three better and is a better defender.
By listing those three things I proved you wrong. Just admit it and move on with life.
Witness: has Zach Randolph STARTED his career?
Nice.
JE foolishly said Iverson does everything equal or better than Chauncey. That’s obviously not the case. You know I’m an Iverson fan, but an honest fan can admit that good and bad of any deal.
The Nuggets finally to a real, starting quality point guard and serious playing time for J.R. Smith and Linal Kleiza. If Melo plays up to his potential he should get out of the first round. I just wonder if Melo will do his thing.
Detroit got a bonafide scorer who still has enough in the tank to drop 40 on anybody. They now have to rebuild their rotation and decide how they want to use Iverson. I like TAD’s idea to have Tayshaun run the team. He’s a good passer and he was being underutilized by Flip who basically made him run godawful isos when he wasn’t standing on the perimeter. I think Tayshaun should flourish as a decision maker. The question is how much will this hurt Detroit defensively? And will their remaining bigs be enough? We shall see.
Your logic is that if you play for a good defensive team you are a good defender?
Steve Kerr
John Paxon
Matt Bonner
Matt Geiger
Lebron James
Eddie House
All of these players play or played on elite defensive teams. None of them were good individual defenders. There is no merit in an argument that playing on a good defensive team makes you a good defender. None.
Like I said a long time ago, the best Detroit can hope for is that Iverson be an average overall defender and remain great in the passing lanes.
Iverson hates dealing with contact on screens, he tends to lose his man in the halfcourt and regularly gives up in the post. Billups did none of these things. Iverson can do some things well on defense, but he’s not in the same league as Billups.
So, in the short term, Denver wins, but I think Detroit could win in the long term.
I’m really tired of those kind of comments about Sheed. He is who he is at this point in his career. It’s not about interest, it’s about skills. Sheed wasnt/isnt/wont be as good as KG and TD. He plays the game in a lackadaisical dont-give-a-f— way that makes you THINK he can play better. Sheed has always underperformed on the boards and is not a go-to low post scorer. His 1vs1 D is top notch but he can’t control the paint. It’s not in his DNA.
Allenp: Not my logic at all, but my logic is that a sound defensive player like AI is far more likely to play great defense on a great defensive team. Aside from Lebron on that list, come the f*ck on. Those guys were only on those teams for the purpose of knocking down perimeter shots when need be. As for lebron, I would hope that his D shows vast signs of improvement in the years to come. My point: those guys are piss-poor defensive players, and AI is not. He is a very capable defensive player, just reckless when he has been on reckless teams. Won’t be the case with the Pistons.
LeBron James is not a bad defender
Iverson is not even “sound” as JE calls it, seriously he hasn’t gaurded a star player in like 3 years. He gets absolutely smoked for the short period of time he has to gaurd top notch PG’s. What detroit allows that denver didn’t is backup around the basket to help iverson after he cheats off his guy or gambles for steals, now amir, sheed, and maxiell can swat away shots instead of nene and kenyon fouling whoever gets in the key
Kostas: If Obama loses this election tomorrow, i’ll certainly be moving somewhere outside of this country.
the country has been very counterproductive the past 8 years. i blame my counterproductiveness in the last 8 years on W.
did you know a comedian called Sarah Palin impersonating the leader of France and she actually believed him? If McCain wins the election and then dies, i will move to romania that day because that women can’t lead a family let alone a country
Did you say that nobody other than Mutombo was an average defender on that Sixers team from 2001?
Eric Snow
George Lynch
Aaron McKie
Raja Bell
Tyrone Hill
Are you serious?
I meant Flip Saunders. I would have liked to have seen what Flip Saunders could do with designing an offense with Iverson in mind. Flip, except for his curious use of Tayshaun, is very good at offense.
@Gaber….:comment of the month!!!!
If it’s just for the money, they should have just kept Iverson. Denver appears to be stupid.
can be very interesting BUT, a gamble, huuuge gamble, for both sides.
Melo can get way better with Chauncey, or he will just prove he doesn’t have the heart…
Iverson is a fan-favorite anywhere he goes, BUT, can he shake this team up???
doubtfull. i don’t see him blending in and putting him with Sheed can get crazy…. crazy good or crazy bad…
at least, shakes the league a little bit.
i hated the whole list and a lot of the articles, but i don’t remember saying i would give up on slam.
i didn’t renew my subscription, but that doesn’t mean i’m done with slam…
anyway, thanks god, i don’t live in US and i don’t have to choose between obama and mccain.
specially thanks that i WASN’T governed by george W…, but well, he must have robbed on the election…
americans are toooooo smart to elect this guy… specially twice…
you guys worry with your own problems… please.
i’m here for basketball.
hehehe
NOT GETTING HIS NEW PISTON UNIT FOR SURE!
Both teams benefitted. Why does everyone look for a winner and loser in a trade?
_____________________________________________
BECAUSE ONLY ONE TEAM CAN WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP….
Can Melo take Chauncey being the leader and Chauncey (mr big shot) taking the last second shot?
Notes: Stuckey wouldn’t say whether he’ll give up his No. 3 jersey to Iverson. “We’re going to have to talk about that, I guess,” Stuckey said. … What the hell. Who does this kid think he is!?
good for both markets, but no influence on the play on hardwood.
I agree … Stuckey has all to prove for now … he should give his number, without discussion.
So if this doesnt work…. they will have money to offer 2 max contracts. Lebron James?
Chris Bosh? Stuckey
Rip
Lebroskie
Bosh
Maxiell And then play the 2007 boston role and pick up every veteran who wants a shot at a ring.
Means the Piston wom t retire Billups jersey.
Same shame for the Big Ben jersey.
Those 2 numbers should join Thomas, Dumas and co up there.
Like when Doug Chritie wore a Dallas number 13 jersey. Nash jersey should be retired also in Dallas. Jersey needed to be retired : Glen Rice, Hornets
Tim Hardaway, Heat
Penny, Orlando
Rodman, Bulls
Richemond, Kings
Divac – Webber, Kings
Starks, Knicks
Mark Jackson, Pacers
Sabonis, Blazers
and few mores…
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