EA Sports Updates Simulations to Reflect the Iverson - Billups Trade

EA Sports' NBA Live '09 has a feature in the game that they call Dynamic DNA, which refreshes daily all season long. Basically, it keeps the game up to date by accounting for injuries, hot and cold streaks, and trades or free agent signings throughout the year. Since they have this feature already built in, it's not surprising that they've already plugged Allen Iverson and Chauncey Billups into their respective new teams, and ran some simulations to see how the trade might shake out.

Iverson is expected to become more of a playmaker in the Pistons system with his assists per game rising from 5.3 in the original projection to 9.3 and he is still expected to make the All-NBA First Team. Off Iverson's strong floor leader skills the Pistons now project as the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs (up from #2). The trade seemingly limits Chauncey Billups and the nuggets as NBA LIVE 09 now projects that Billups will fail to make the All-NBA 2nd Team and the Nuggets will drop from 5th to 6th in the Western Conference, eventually losing in the first round.

So, more assists and a number one seed for AI and the Pistons, and less of an impact for Chauncey, causing the Nuggets to drop from a fifth to sixth seed while still getting ousted in the first round of the playoffs. For Celtics' fans that may not like the idea of the Pistons taking Boston's number one seed, or for Nuggets' fans that aren't willing to concede the season just yet, fear not! There are at least a couple things in this simulation that seem a bit implausible.

For one, the screen shot shows Iverson wearing Joe Dumars' retired number four, which obviously isn't happening. (And in fact, AI will wear Billups' old number one.) Then there's the projection that the Pistons will lose in the Eastern Conference Finals ... to the Miami Heat of all teams, who most think won't even make the playoffs.