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Familiarity of Iverson, Anthony breeds content

By Chris Tomasson, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published April 18, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

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Allen Iverson

Photo by Chris Schneider / The Rocky

Allen Iverson

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Not that they needed name tags, but a year ago, guard Allen Iverson and forward Carmelo Anthony still were getting to know one another.

After Iverson was traded to the Nuggets in December 2006, Anthony served the final 14 games of a 15-game suspension for fighting. Not long after Anthony returned, Iverson missed eight because of a sprained ankle.

In the first round of the playoffs, the two didn't feel they fully meshed, and the Nuggets lost in five games to San Antonio. But now, with the Nuggets preparing to face the Los Angeles Lakers, both players expect it will be different.

"Obviously, we've been playing together a lot longer than we had last year," said Iverson, who averaged a career-low 22.8 points in last season's playoffs while Anthony averaged a career-high 26.8. "We had a training camp together. We've been in some wars. So I feel good about it."

It's hard not to feel good after a season in which Iverson was third in the NBA in scoring with a 26.4 average and Anthony fourth at 25.7. It was only the fifth time in 50 years two teammates finished in the top four in scoring and the 11th time in league history.

Overall, five duos have done it. Bob Cousy and Ed Macauley of Boston and Paul Arizin and Neil Johnston of the Philadelphia Warriors got it started when each pair was in the top four three times from 1951 to 1957.

It wasn't accomplished again until Denver's Alex English and Kiki Vandeweghe in 1982-83 and 1983-84. Then came perhaps the top scoring duo ever, with Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant of the Lakers in 2000-01 and 2002-03.

"It's not similar to Shaq and Kobe in terms of the type of domination Shaq possessed, but (Iverson and Anthony are) similar in terms of having two guys who can score at least 60 points probably every game," said Derek Fisher, a Lakers teammate then and now with Bryant. "We used to have a saying around here: Shaq and Kobe were going to score 70, and the rest of us just have to figure out how to score 30 or 35 (to win)."

It worked well enough for the Lakers to win the title in 2001. The only other team with two of the top four scorers to win it all was the 1956 Warriors.

Nuggets center Marcus Camby has been vocal about hoisting the trophy. He believes Iverson and Anthony have what it takes.

"Those guys are so unselfish, it doesn't matter who gets the glory," Camby said.

There wasn't much glory last spring. But Anthony believes that will change because of more familiarity with Iverson.

"We know what happened last year in the playoffs, and we don't want that to happen again," Anthony said. "We're both older and both more mature and know more what to expect."

Judging from the season the two had, at least expect a lot of points.

Bevy of buckets

* The Nuggets' Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony finished third and fourth in the NBA in scoring, the 11th time in NBA history a team has had two of the top four scorers and the fifth time in the past 50 years. The most recent five:

Team Year Player Avg. Rank Player Avg. Rank Playoff result

Nuggets 2007-08 Allen Iverson 26.4 3 Carmelo Anthony 25.7 4 -

L.A. Lakers 2002-03 Kobe Bryant 30.0 2 Shaquille O'Neal 27.5 4 Lost West semifinal

L.A. Lakers 2000-01 Shaquille O'Neal 28.7 3 Kobe Bryant 28.5 4 Won NBA title

Nuggets 1983-84 Kiki Vandeweghe 29.4 3 Alex English 26.4 4 Lost first round

Nuggets 1982-83 Alex English 28.4 1 Kiki Vandeweghe 26.7 2 Lost West semifinal

Comments

  • April 18, 2008

    9:35 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    jbowen43 writes:

    In the 1960's Laker coach Fred Schaus had a saying. "If Elgin (Baylor) and Jerry (West) score 65 then we should win."

  • April 18, 2008

    12:34 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    musicman80 writes:

    I'm a Lakers fan... and I love the Nuggiez too... they're one of my top five teams since moving to Denver. This is a bittersweet situation. I just hope one of them takes it to the top!

    San Antonio needs to be stopped!