Iverson trade

I’m a week late, but let me talk about this trade.

The trade is bad for the Philadelphia 76ers, unless they trade Billy King there General Manager (GM) too. King sucks, and has destroyed the Sixers over the past 10 years. The 76ers made the Finals once in that span, going in 2001, but every other year has been a disaster. King has never been able to supply Allen Iverson with a formidable cast of characters to accompany him on the basketball court. The players King gives him are washed up, and the wrong pieces for an Iverson team. Iverson needs a big man who can set picks, and roll. He needs a point guard who is completely unselfish, and can shoot the three. He needs a forward who can hit open shots, and a power forward who can bang around in the paint. He has one of those, Kyle Korver, the forward who can shoot and make open shots. The 76ers received Andre Miller, a 7th year point guard who is 3rd in the league in assists, but at the same time is making 14 million dollars a year, and the ever marketable Joe Smith a center, in the deal. But the big part of the deal are the 2 first round draft picks, guranteed top 20 next year. Like I said, they need to trade King for that total of 3 lottery picks to be beneficial for the 76ers. Tank the season, get Greg Oden, that will help. Smith’s contract expires at the end of the year, being an element that the 76ers were looking for, an expiring contract. The 76ers will have about 20 million in cap room to work with next year and the 3 lottery picks, but was it enough for a Hall of Famer, all time legend, and a career 28 ppg average, with 6 apg, and a Philadelphia icon? Not in midseason anyway, the Sixers should have made this deal in the off season, and they should have made it with Boston, Denver didn’t have as good of goods to give Philly, and Iverson won’t do as well in Denver.

The trade is bad for Denver. It gives them hope of winning a title with both Iverson and Carmelo on the floor, the #1 and #2 scoring leaders in the league (that is after Melo’s 15 game suspension.) But the problem is just that. Melo has spent his whole life trying to proove people wrong. He went to Syracuse because he couldn’t be a high enough pick in the NBA draft out of high school, he got drafted after LeBron and Darko, Denver was criticized for not drafting Dwayne Wade after his breakout season, Melo has been snubbed for not making the All Star game yet when Chris Bosh, James, Wayne, and others have made it, and on top of all that, Wade won a title before Melo. Melo has been incredible this year averaging 31 a game and leading the Nuggets to the 3rd best record in the best (before the suspension.) He’s taking the 4th most shots in the league, compare with Iverson taking the most shots in the league. Melo is still in the phase where he is trying to proove he is something that he knows he is, but others don’t know it. He’s bent on making something of himself, and producing things in his career. A veteran such as Boston’s Paul Pierce would have realized the blessing to play with Allen, and would sacrifice shots, and make it possible to get wins and maybe even a title. Melo still wants to be the man, and he won’t concede too much slack to AI, I predict. Not enough shots, and not a capable point guard of dishing the ball out with Miller gone. J.R. Smith won’t be happy (the previous #2 scorer,) and Nene the Nuggets’ power forward, can’t bang around in the paint without losing his knee again. So where did Allen need to go?

As earlier I pointed out Boston. Boston would have been a great place to go. AI and Pierce on the same floor would have been phenominal. Pierce have given some stardom to AI, and they would have worked together well to acheive wins. Gerold Green, Rajon Rondo, and Brian Scalabrine (expiring contract) could have been given to Philly in exchange for AI, with Philly also getting a 1st rounder. Boston was desperate to get this deal done, with Danny Ainge, the Boston GM throwing everything except Al Jefferson and Paul Pierce at them (even throwing the much coveted Sebastian Telfair.) But Philly didn’t bite, Philly didn’t want young explosive talent and a first round pick, they wanted journeyman point guards, and the chance to screw up the 2007 NBA draft which has been dubbed as one of the deepest drafts in history.

The best team for Allen Iverson would have been the Los Angeles Clippers. On the clippers AI gets Shaun Livingston, a pass first PG, Elton Brand a pick and roll forward who can score at will when needed, Chris Kaman the banger inside, and big time defense from Quintin Ross. The Clippers could have given up Maggette who has asked for a trade, and some draft picks as well as the expiring contract of James Singleton.

Neither team comes on top with this deal, I think, but if anyone it is Denver. They become instant contenders, and the Nugget fans will enjoy the fire of AI for the next few seasons. It may even be amazing and continuous if Carmelo and Iverson can work together for good, instead of evil.