AI Goes to the Nuggets

[El Bandito]

Dunno how many NBA fans there are here, but wow this is huge. If only Melo wasn't so stupid, we'd have the number 1 and 2 best scoring players in the league on the floor. Personally, I think that George Karl's high octane offense-minded gameplan is the right fit for Iverson. I'm hoping this is the spark the Nuggets have needed to get past the first round of the playoffs.

Other thoughts/comments?

[Kirobaito]

Iverson will dominate the ball while Melo is out, and when Melo comes back, no telling how long it will be before they find chemistry, if Iverson is even capable of getting chemistry with anyone.

[-N-]

The Nuggets could use an intelligence boost, even if it is a crudely written computer science project.

Oh, that kind of AI.

[Strider]

I'm going to go ahead and give George Karl the benefit of the doubt on this one. You pretty much need two superstars to make a deep run in the playoffs, and Iverson has become a much less selfish player than some of his numbers might indicate... the only reason he took so many shots in Philadelphia was because his teammates sucked.

[ffxatticus]

they are still not going to be a power house team. they will be better, but they still have competitors like the suns, spurs, lakers, heat, and others. Just cuz you have melo and iverson on a team doesn't make the team amazing, although iverson is now less selfish

[Del Murder]

I don't think it makes Denver that much better. Like atticus said, they still aren't close to the NBA elite. Dallas, San Antonio, Phoenix, hell even the two LA teams are still better than Denver.

[The Captain]

I LOVE the move frankly, because I am an Iverson fan. Say what you want about him, but he plays hard and plays to win. He has shown that if you surround him with talent, he is capable of giving the ball up. Both in the Olympics and in the all-star games, he has shown that he doesn't need to shoot first to be effective.

I would take Iverson on my team any day. I firmly believe he is at the point in his career where scoring titles don't matter to him. He'll shoot still, but I think he knows he has to defer to give him his best shot. I thought his best fit would have been with the T-wolves frankly as Garnett as about as unselfish a superstar, outside of Nash and Kidd, the NBA has, but I think between Melo and AI, the desire to win will trump the desire to lead the league in scoring.

Besides, the move takes sense for the right now for Denver. Losing Melo for 15 games could cripple their playoff chances and for what they gave up to get Iverson, I'd have made the trade too. Other than Miller, every other player was at best average and in getting Iverson, you're getting one of the ten best players in the league.


All of that being said, I don't see the Nuggets in the same league as the Spurs, Suns (15 wins in a row, wow) or Mavs, but this could save their season from perhaps falling apart and get them in the playoffs which is all you ask. From that point, it's a different ballgame, but to win it, you have to be in it.

Take care all.

[escobert]

Iverson and Melo together is going to be crazy.

[The Captain]

Bigger egos have found ways to co-exist. If they can find that common goal (winning), then it could work.



Take care all.

[Flying Mullet]

The Nuggets could use an intelligence boost...
My thoughts exactly. I loathe the Nuggest now more than I ever loathed the Knicks. And I loathed them <i>a lot</i>.

[El Bandito]

I'd just like to comment on how good a deal the 76ers got as well.

Think about it, they already have the worst record in the league and now have two more first round picks. If anything, they're now an absolute lock to get the first pick (aka Greg Oden). Essentially they could be able to nab Oden with their terrible record, then still get two more first round picks in what some are calling one of the deepest NBA drafts talent-wise in recent history.

Hell even if they have to trade all first round picks for Oden, then that's still good for them.

Iverson - Greg Oden (best big man prospect since Shaq or Bill Walton), Andre Miller (vastly underrated), and Smith (a cap dump). Honestly, I don't think the 76ers front office could've done any better. Sure this season will be dismal, but things are seriously looking up for Philly in the future now that they have the chance to have an amazing draft.

[The Captain]

Interesting point, but I don't know if ANY draft will approach the one that brought your Nuggets Melo, in addition to LeBron, Wade, Bosh, Hinrich, and so many more.


Take care all.

[Strider]

Don't forget about Darko, Cap'n!

Sure, the Sixers could make out like bandits in this deal... Of course, that's dependent on Billy King doing something right. And that's dependent on Greg Oden actually declaring for the draft, as Charles Barkley stated on yesterday's Pardon the Interruption that it wasn't a foregone conclusion just yet.

[El Bandito]

Eh, that's just way too much money to pass up. Barring any injuries, Oden is a #1 lock. It's like when Vince Young said he'd graduate from Texas. As great a time Oden is having at Ohio State, you can't turn down guaranteed millions.