Allen Iverson traded to Nuggets

[playstation]

regarding the game tomorrow, we're most likely playing an EVEN FURTHER depleted team. AI can't play...no way. needs physical, hasn't practiced in weeks, totally new team, needs to fly across the country, etc. no way. this means it'll be a lineup of boykins, camby, nene and 4-5 unknowns.

tomorrow's game will be a real mental test for the suns. you thought it was hard to get up for no shaq no wade? what about no Melo, andre miller/AI, JR, or Kmart???

 

[playstation]

as far as denver's chances... AI is going to check his ego at the door i'm sure. he has something to prove this season, and he knows the only way to do it is by winning.

denver will likely win the division by going on some ridiculous tear near the end of the year. what's more, denver will be right there with phoenix for most exciting team. AI was born to be in the western conference... and now his coach is all about running as fast as you can and getting your shot off? this is a match made in heaven.

i still say they are out in the 2nd round. not better than dallas/phoenix/san antonio.

 

[gdiddy]

Bring it on. I'm not afraid of any team in the West. Our hobbled team of last season took out the two healthy LAs in the first two rounds of the playoffs and pushed a deep and talented team as Dallas to six games in the WCF before losing steam.

 

[devilalum]

This trade is a lot like the Marbury to the Knicks trade.

Phily has a lot of flexibility now.

From Denver's perspective I hope this turns them into the Juggernaut that is the New York Knickerbockers.

 

[JCSunsfan]

OK, so who gets the defensive assignments now? Steve can't handle AI. Leandro can slow him some. Shawn will likely get in foul trouble against him, besides we need Shawn to guard Anthony.

Looks like we need a speedy, burly, defensive-minded pg to burn a few minutes on AI. Wonder where we can find a guy like that?

Oh, I think the Suns are trying to deal a guy like that, maybe we can get him.

 

[Arizona's Finest]

I am not sure how i feel about this trade. I don't think George Karl is the coach for AI but it was a risk well worth taking as Denver was going to be one and done anyway. Plus as Simmons points out AI is going to be playing like a mad man...

Talk about your all punk team though:

AI - Melo - KMart - jezzusss - If Karl isn't back on the wagon already he might be after this experiment...

 

[Gaddabout]

This is really curious. I always felt Andre Miller was a nice stablizing force for Melo. Miller's just a really heady player, though he has known limitations. AI and Melo have a great deal more potential to take the team in either direction.

I'm more interested in how the loss of Joe Smith affects them. He's been out with a sprained ankle and his better days are behind them, but he was still good for 8 & 6 when he was available. I think they lose some mobility in the front court that may come back to hurt them when games start to count more in the momentum column.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

This trade is a lot like the Marbury to the Knicks trade.

Phily has a lot of flexibility now.

From Denver's perspective I hope this turns them into the Juggernaut that is the New York Knickerbockers.

Agreed.

 

[Sundance]

Actually, Nash does a good job against AI, for whatever reason. Hell, Iverson historically has some of his worst games versus the Suns. They repeat this fact in every broadcast the Suns have vs. Sixers.

Remember Nash having a triple-double, at half-time,against Iverson in '05? Nash got the better of their sole matchup last season, too.

 

[slinslin]

Yes , I think the Spurs and Mavs need to be more afraid of the Nugs than us. Iverson averages like under 20ppg against us in his career and I don't think we match up badly with the Nuggets at all.

Actually I think they matched up better with us with Miller.

 

[phxrising]

Yes , I think the Spurs and Mavs need to be more afraid of the Nugs than us. Iverson averages like under 20ppg against us in his career and I don't think we match up badly with the Nuggets at all.

Actually I think they matched up better with us with Miller.

Spurs fans so far think they will crash and burn more than anything, they do not seem to see the AI / Mell duo as very threating.

http://www.spursreport.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64397


On a Great point about this trade the Suns did not do anything to stupid to land AI. ( I am of the mindset if it ain't broke don't fix it, too much tweaking is not good)

 

[phxrising]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2702501


Some notes on the trade -


"I talked to Allen and he's ecstatic," Nuggets vice president of player personal Rex Chapman said in a press conference on Tuesday evening. "We hope to have him here tomorrow. Allen has proven that he's a winner."

Some requirements for physicals and reporting have been waived, according to the Nuggets, in order to get Iverson in a Denver uniform as soon as possible.

Anthony and Iverson are currently the top two scorers in the league at 31.6 and 31.2 points per game, respectively. No two teammates have ever finished a season with both having averages over 30 points per game. Only twice have teammates finished 1-2 in the league scoring race, and the last time that happened was with the Nuggets. In the 1982-83 season, Alex English and Kiki Vandeweghe were 1-2. The 1954-55 Warriors had Neil Johnston at No. 1 and Paul Arizin at 2.http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2702501

 

[sunsfn]

I.A. is a terrible defender, that is why Nash has some great games against him.

One thing about this trade, it will make Carmelo Anthony become an excellent rebounder!!! If he ever expects to get the ball he better rebound!

I.A. will give Karl some problems with his no practice routine, but Anthony will have to be on his best behavior when he comes back from suspension!

 

[HooverDam]

I.A.

You dyslexic or is this some lame joke about how Iverson puts "I" first?

 

[Amare32]

Iverson is not a terrible defender, he is not amazing but he is decent enough. He is great at getting in the passing lanes which is where alot of his steals come from.

Interesting that he might play tomorrow. Makes the game more interesting If nothing else.

 

[CaptainInsano]

I get the image in my head that he will look extremely odd in a nuggets uniform if it is the blue ones.

 

[Suns_fan69]

This is really curious. I always felt Andre Miller was a nice stablizing force for Melo. Miller's just a really heady player, though he has known limitations. AI and Melo have a great deal more potential to take the team in either direction.

I agree, Miller's a pass first kind of guy that was brilliant at throwing alley oops to Anthony (and Martin when he was healthy). He led the league in alley oop assists last year (http://www.82games.com/random19.htm) or at least at the time of that article. I think Denver is going to miss that quite a bit.

 

[Evil Ash]

Iverson is not a terrible defender, he is not amazing but he is decent enough. He is great at getting in the passing lanes which is where alot of his steals come from.

Interesting that he might play tomorrow. Makes the game more interesting If nothing else.

True to a point but what needs to be pointed out before we call the Nuggets a juggernaut is that they are absolutely horrid defensively. If they can play a decent level of D they can be scary but right now their defense is equivalent to a layup drill.

 

[hcsilla]

This trade is a lot like the Marbury to the Knicks trade.

Phily has a lot of flexibility now.

PHI has zero flexibility until Webber's contract expires. This deal is nowhere near to the Marbury-deal concerning cap flexibility.

The Suns dumped not only Marbury's contract but did the impossible: got rid of Penny's.

 

[devilalum]

PHI has zero flexibility until Webber's contract expires. This deal is nowhere near to the Marbury-deal concerning cap flexibility.

The Suns dumped not only Marbury's contract but did the impossible: got rid of Penny's.

This year they dump AI's salary and get in the lotto + a good young player with the Denver pick. At the end of next year they're done with Webber and can go after free agents.

 

[jbeecham]

In the Suns post-game wrap-up on KTAR, the said that Iverson won't be playing tomorrow and probably won't suit up for the Nuggets until Friday.

 

[Gaddabout]

I agree, Miller's a pass first kind of guy that was brilliant at throwing alley oops to Anthony (and Martin when he was healthy). He led the league in alley oop assists last year (http://www.82games.com/random19.htm) or at least at the time of that article. I think Denver is going to miss that quite a bit.

He definitely liked to set Anthony up. Perhaps what Denver might miss more was that Miller could be on the floor with Melo whether he had the ball or not and still make a contribution. Miller could hit a jump shoot and knows how to move without the ball, so if Melo wanted to play point forward, they didn't have to take Miller off the floor.