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LINCICOME: Iverson wasn't The Answer for Nuggets

By Bernie Lincicome, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published November 3, 2008 at 9:42 p.m.

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The Nuggets' long nightmare - or rather short dream as it applies to Allen Iverson himself and to his wasted tenure in Denver - is over.

Reserve your NBA Finals tickets now.

OK. Maybe not that. But the Nuggets are a better team today than they were yesterday, a better team than they were at any time after Iverson arrived, a better team as much by subtraction as addition.

As a consistent voice against Iverson, I take no great delight in having my good sense applied to the business of tattooed millionaires. And when I take the responsibility for personnel decisions on any sports franchise, I will first take the salary.

It was always clear that Iverson would be forever Iverson and exactly not what was needed for the further glory of the Nuggets and Carmelo Anthony. And the fortunes of the Nuggets and Melo are as connected as foam and espresso.

Anyone watching a Nuggets game could see that Iverson and Anthony did not work, never mind someone coaching a Nuggets game, or front-officing a Nuggets game, or Stan Kroenke-ing a Nuggets game (that would be rolling up his pants legs to keep the crap off his trousers).

Or, to quote myself from back when A.I. arrived, anyone who looks at Iverson and sees a savior ought to turn the binoculars around.

This is the smartest thing the Nuggets have done since they drafted Anthony, and their custodianship of young Melo has been careless and unproductive. If Anthony was to be the centerpiece of tomorrow, as he should be, then this is at least two years too late.

Anthony's off-court missteps and his on-court stagnation are, without argument, his own fault. But they can at least partly be assigned to mismanagement by the Nuggets, his lingering immaturity a product of never having to take the responsibility of leadership.

Iverson merely added to it, not to mention the more important fact that the two of them together were like a single sock fighting over the same shoe.

Or to put it in game wardrobe terms, they were competing headbands and arm stockings.

Even had the Nuggets not acquired a genuine point guard in Chauncey Billups, had it been a wheelbarrow and a pair of work gloves, the Nuggets would have been better off.

As the news tumbled through the day Monday, invariably it was dressed as the Pistons acquiring Iverson. The bigger headline was that the Nuggets unloaded Iverson. This was all pitch and no catch, not that Billups is not precisely what the Nuggets need and the return of Antonio McDyess is a reminder of an earlier Nuggets botching of a great talent.

Having Iverson around was like having an exotic plant decorating a house that was not yet built. What the Nuggets need is a foundation, not an ornament.

This now puts accountability squarely on Anthony, as it should have been all along, as it is with LeBron James and with Dwyane Wade, the draft mates of Melo who have taken to the task and exceeded him.

It will once and for certain reveal what the Nuggets really have in Anthony, a genuine rock for the franchise or so much loose sand.

The Pistons get an eye magnet, which they seem to think they want, when their NBA title and their consistent quality has never come from a flashy creature like Iverson but from their cohesion as a team, the glue of which was Billups.

Ideally that is what Billups brings back home, where he played high school, college and pro, the familiarity with how team basketball works, an awareness that he is a catalyst for Anthony, not his competition.

Because Billups plays real adult defense, not the nuisance gnat that Iverson could be when he cared, the Nuggets may now save as many points as Iverson gave away.

Iverson will go off and be Iverson until he can no longer be, and if his undistinguished play in two games this season, plus his assorted ailments, indicate that time is soon to be, that is now the Pistons' problem and not the Nuggets'.

This could be the second time the Nuggets have gotten the best of Joe Dumars, the architect of recent Pistons glory. Dumars took Serbian teenager Darko Milicic instead of Anthony in the '03 draft, leaving Melo to become whatever he has yet to become for Denver.

In matters involving the Nuggets, Dumars is Joe the Bumbler.

Comments

  • November 3, 2008

    11:09 p.m.

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    jrhino writes:

    Will chauncy run? The Nugs are still best uptempo.

  • November 4, 2008

    12:08 a.m.

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    timoptic writes:

    As a season ticket holder, I think this is a good trade for both sides. I could imagine Kroenke cringing when AI took his $20M player option this past summer... the days of AI in Nuggets #3 were limited anyway... this just accelerates the move.

    For team chemistry, I see this as a move to maintain Melo as the franchise player and build up JR to a more full time starting roll. The perimeter D will be better, and more assists than shots from Billups will be the rule, not the exception (like AI).

    The AI and Melo experiment was a good try, but the fantasy roster of All-Stars usually doesn't make a good team (see Pistons, Spurs) unless you have outstanding role players (Celtics, Lakers).

    Now who do I call to see if I have my season tickets reprinted with someone else than AI on all of them?

  • November 4, 2008

    4:22 a.m.

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    harryschirati writes:

    What a myopic moron....if you'd take a longer look at what this deal means to the Pistons in the short and long-term, it was another of Dumars' thoughtful moves to improve his team both immediately as well as set them up for moves over the next two summers because of the HUGE salary cap room they'll have when they choose not to resign both Iverson and Wallace. Both Billups and Iverson will bring immediate payoffs to their respective teams. Win-Win, Bernie...what happened, did you misplace your reading glasses?

  • November 4, 2008

    6:56 a.m.

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    tmcd writes:

    I thought AI was a class act while he was here, but I agree that Billups is much more of the answer. We need someone to lead and distribute the ball. This will not only free up Melo, but Smith and Kleiza as well. Nice job in bringing back the Pride of Park Hill.

  • November 4, 2008

    8:33 a.m.

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    ramAZ writes:

    Harry, now you can't be a Piston fan. You used a word like "Myopic". A Piston fan would say "no you di-n't". But, you're right. This is a trade that benefits both franchises. Detroit gets a bit of superstar flash to put butts in the seats during a bad economy. And, a gunner who can take a team on his shoulders on any given night. You feelin' me Boston? The C's now have to look over their shoulders. But who cares about that? I'm a Nugz fan. And this helps the Nuggets tremendously. It allows JR to begin to blossom. It allows Melo to be the lone focal point. It turns the Point Guard position from a deficit to a team strength. Anthony Carter was NOT a good fit as the starting point. But, as a backup, he's servicable. We suddenly have depth at the point. Anyone who saw George Karl's successes in Seattle has to realize it all started with strong guard play. I'm sad to see AI go. My kid has a #3 jersey. But, this will help the Nuggets in terms of team balance and depth and eventually chemistry.

  • November 4, 2008

    9:47 a.m.

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    cassidy22 writes:

    I am a Pistons fan. I did not say "no you di'nt". I said BS. Iverson is a crook, a complete jerk, and thinks he is a lot bigger than he is. Detroit will miss Chauncy and McDyess. I hope that they can get some better players in the future because they have been throwing away their best talent. I have the utmost respect for Joe DUUUUUUU Mars! Because he helped lead the Pistons to back to back rings, he has done so much for the city of Detroit (like most, but not all, of his former teammates) and he brings a legacy to the team. He is a class act.

    Iverson has been a complete jerk since his high school days - my husband went to school with him. Detroit doens't need him. The NBA doens't need him. I hope they can fill their talent pool in subsequent days because of this trade, but I'm disappointed. The days of the Bad Boys are over - Iverson is a liability no one needs.

  • November 4, 2008

    11:29 a.m.

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    Spider writes:

    It's just like Bernice to dwell on negativety. AI was a warrior on the court and carried himself like a class citizen off of it. No his style didn't fit what Denver was trying to do, but whose idea was it to trade for him in the first place? No matter if this trade helps give Denver a better chance in the PO's Bernice shows his stupidity by knocking a player that leaves it all on the court night after night. I'm going to miss him and his post game interviews were classic.

  • November 4, 2008

    12:04 p.m.

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    TONE writes:

    AI = 1 ON 1 basket ball....not team ball.

  • November 4, 2008

    1:37 p.m.

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    blm69 writes:

    I'm so glad that I don't have to watch Iverson dribble in circles for another season. A team with Iverson will never win a championship.

  • November 4, 2008

    2:52 p.m.

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    paradoxguy writes:

    I am disappointed at Lincicome's lack of NBA knowledge, which he covers up with shallow snarky and inaccurate comments such as "In matters involving the Nuggets, Dumars is Joe the Bumbler". I want to point out why Lincicome's characterization is simply wrong.

    Firstly, Joe Dumars admittedly pushed hard for Darko Milicic as the Pistons' 1st pick in the 2003 NBA Draft; they potentially passed on Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade, and Carmelo "No-defense" Anthony. Milicic did turn out to be a bust for the Pistons, although arguably this was due to his coaches Larry Brown and Flip Saunders not playing him more. Milicic was traded to the Orlando Magic in Feb 2006 for Kelvin Cato and a 1st-round pick, which turned out to be Rodney Stuckey, the Pistons' "point guard of the future" who has developed so rapidly and well that Dumars traded off Chauncey Billups so Stuckey's growth would not be stunted. If we assume Milicic was a true bust, then Dumars showed his savvy by salvaging the situation into Rodney Stuckey. It should be noted that Milicic posted much better stats with the Orlando Magic who played him much more and is now considered one of the best players for the Serbia and Montenegro international team.

    Secondly, Joe Dumars' trade for Allen Iverson allows him the luxury of playing Iverson for one year, then deciding whether to re-sign him or let him go when his contract ends in 2009. If Dumars passes on resigning Iverson, his (overly?) large salary comes off the Pistons' books and will allow Dumars to pursue 1 or 2 top players from the large crop of free agents in 2009 and 2010 (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/st...). Among these future free agents are Chris Bosh, Manu Ginobili, Carlos Boozer, Ron Artest, Shawn Marion, and Lebron James. In addition, Kobe Bryant and Amare Stoudemire can opt out of their contracts in 2009 and 2010 respectively and test the free agent market. In the meantime, Joe Dumars gets a 1-year rental of an exciting scorer and penetrator who could re-energize the complacent Pistons. In addition, the possibility exists that the Nuggets will buy out Antonio McDyess, in which case he could potentially return to the Pistons at a discount (McDyess has always liked playing with the Pistons). The Iverson-for-Billups/mcDyess trade has positioned Dumars in a favorable position to renew his team with fresh quality talent.

    So...Lincicome, I contend you are simply wrong about your characterization of Dumars as a "Bumbler". He continues to show why he's one of the very top GMs in the NBA.

  • November 4, 2008

    3:05 p.m.

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    chillywilly writes:

    ... If AI wasn't the answer... and Chauncey is... Than what was Miller!? You trade a PG for a SG... Than trade the same SG for a PG!? And you think this front office makes sense!? AI was never played at PG in Denver yet Karl wanted him to play like one... What was the point of trading for a guy... Getting his family out here and than pull the rug out because yall wanna keep the 3 and 16 playoff record winning coach!? Morons

  • November 4, 2008

    3:10 p.m.

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    paguy1955 writes:

    I feel lied to. First they trade Camby to get under the cap.. So what do we do..we trade AI for Billips and we are back where we started. Over the cap AGAIN and unable to pursue any FA for the next 4 years.AI 1 yr 20 million Billips 4 yrs 40 million. Dosen't make sense.If AI dis not resign we could of taken that 20 million and signed one or two YOUNG FA's. We have sold our future again and have zero chances of winning a title. Or getting youth. And how much more are we gonna have to pay Kleiza at the end of the season.Since we for financial reason refused to give him and extension.. I give up. Selling my tickets and staying away!

  • November 5, 2008

    7:26 p.m.

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    nathanfrigerio writes:

    Stop worrying about the nba. Stern & co. will still try to get an overated lakers (any lakes in L.A.?) into the finals(again). This league is corrupt. How does the script put l.a. in the finals again?
    Did anyone actually watch the playoffs last year? At least in football we have any given Sunday. There's no chance for a small market team to win it all. I hate the lousy, cheating nba and wish they would be relegated to the lifetime channel.

  • November 8, 2008

    8:40 a.m.

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    xprintman writes:

    Billips, my man, remember this - the Nugs would ship out the Pope if he couldn't hit an occasional 3 and play some D.