Now that we’ve had a couple of days to digest the idea of Allen Iverson in a Nuggets uniform, let’s take a look at the trade.
Joe Smith was also traded to make the salaries work, but this is basically an Allen Iverson-for-Andre Miller swap. Here are the players’ average stats for the last three seasons:
Iverson: 30.5 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 7.4 apg (23.7 epg, $18.3 M)
Miller: 14.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 7.1 apg (17.5 epg, $8.6 M)
epg = ((Points + Rebounds + Assists + Steals + Blocks) – ((Field Goals Att. – Field Goals Made) + (Free Throws Att. – Free Throws Made) + Turnovers))/(Total Games Played)
The Nuggets also sent two 2007 first round draft picks to the Sixers in the trade, which included their own pick and Dallas’ pick. Neither pick projects to be in the top 20.
From a pure value standpoint, this is a better deal for the Nuggets than for the Sixers. Philadelphia wanted to get a good young guard in a deal for Iverson, but the Cliippers were not willing to part with Shaun Livingston. They ended up with Miller, who is 30, and considering that AI is 31, the Sixers did not get much younger with this deal. When we look back on this trade in a few years, it’s going to come down to what the Sixers are able to do with those two first round picks. If they find a couple of gems or if they’re able to package the picks to land a stud in the draft or via free agency, then the trade evens out. As is, they traded away a future Hall of Fame player who is still in his prime for a middle of the road starter and a couple of draft picks.
Conversely, the Nuggets will get a big boost from Iverson’s presence, especially in the short term. With Carmelo Anthony missing 15 games due to suspension, Iverson should be able to help the team stay competitive in the Northwest. Once ‘Melo returns, the Nuggets will likely go with a starting lineup of Iverson, J.R. Smith, Anthony, Eduardo Najera (or Reggie Evans) and Marcus Camby. This is a perfect lineup for AI to play with. He likes to dominate the ball and create, and as his assist numbers indicate, he’s a very capable passer. He’ll be able to score or set up Anthony and Smith for jumpshots. Camby is a player who doesn’t have very many plays called for him; he gets his points on the break, putbacks or kickback jumpshots. Meanwhile, Evans and Najera will try to track down the team’s misses.
Defensively, the Nuggets will continue to have problems, but it’s hard to see how the addition of Iverson can possibly hurt the team. Sure, he doesn’t like to practice, but George Karl has experience in dealing with stubborn players; just ask Gary Payton or Sam Cassell. I wasn’t a big fan of AI until I witnessed his gritty play in the 2004 Olympics. The guy laid it all out on the line for his country, which was impressive considering the casual attitude of some of the other players on Team USA. It’s common for a player who is considered a malcontent to keep things together for a few years after a change of scenery, and I think the fresh mountain air will be good for Iverson.
Do the Nuggets become a title contender? I don’t think so. Their lack of defense and Karl’s inability to finish teams off in the playoffs will come back to haunt them. But they should be able to give the Jazz a serious run in the Northwest and have a good shot to advance past the first round of the playoffs.
