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NBA Roundtable on the Iverson Trade: Part 1

Posted Dec 19, 2006 10:30PM By The Big Lead (RSS feed)

Filed Under: 76ers, Nuggets, NBA Gossip

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MJD: So, let's start with Allen Iverson himself. There's a real shortage of teams out there where Iverson could have gone and people would've said, "Hey, that's a great fit." But if that team exists anywhere, I think Denver might be it, and here's why. Their defensive philosophy is to get into passing lanes and create turnovers, and Iverson's made a living off of that. Their offensive style isn't normal, either ... Denver insists on running at every opportunity. I think they're kind of like the Suns, if the Suns were meaner, more mercurial, and not as good. I think it's hard to look at things in a traditional sense and say, "Well, it'll be hard to fit this kind of player in," because Denver doesn't really play a traditional style.

Mutoni: The bottom line is that for this to work, Iverson and Carmelo have to learn to co-exist and thrive in their new environment. Having spent their whole careers (AI the longest, obviously) being the only go-to guy, this will not be easy. Oddly, I am optimistic about this working out. Iverson, when given the opportunity (All-Star games; The Olympics), has shown that he can play excellent team ball, and that he's more than happy to set up his teammates if it means winning the game.

Shoals: I don't believe in this "olympics and all-star games" hope, or maybe I just don't want to think it's that easy. Those were exhibition games (yes, that US olympic team was that disorganized) with undeniable talent. The Nuggets roster is nice and all, but except for Melo those are all limited players. Part of what happened in Philly was that Iverson seemingly got frustrated with players who were limited. It's not that bleak in Denver, but there's a difference between players so talented that you can just jump out on the floor and flow, and those who need to be integrated into some kind of game plan. Maybe this is what I mean: Melo, AI, and J.R. Smith could murder cats in three-on-three, but the task at hand is more complicated, and obnoxisous, than that carefree scenario ...

Mutoni: 'Melo is the one that I worry about. This will be hardest on him. He is no longer the alpha dog on that team; there's a new sheriff in town. Could this turn into a Kobe/Shaq thing? Who knows. Out of respect, I see AI coming into the first press conference and saying the right things, "This is still 'Melo's team, and I'm just happy to contribute". But there will come a time, when the team is struggling, and someone needs to take over. Once that's figured out, this team has limitless potential. They're downright frightening.

Part 1: We Start With The Answer
Part 2: The Next Step for Iverson
Part 3: Veering Towards Philadelphia
Part 4: Were the Sixers Robbed?
Part 5: On Andre Miller
Part 6: The Other Nuggets
Part 7: What This Does to Kevin Garnett
Part 8: The Final Words

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