Nuggets Ship Allen Iverson to Detroit in order to bring back home-town legend.
by Scott Bruskin
Until the Allen Iverson trade broke late Monday morning on November 3rd, my original thoughts on the Nuggets of Sunday November 2nd was that the Denver team would once again be struggling to only receive a spot in the playoffs as an eighth seed. I believed that strongly, due to the fact that the Nuggets traded their defensive stopper, Marcus Camby, for a pair of old gym shorts in order to free up salary cap space. I also was not sold on the Nuggets’ decision to let their heart and soul of the bench, Forward Eduardo Najera, depart to New Jersey via free agency.
All of this was true until news of one of the biggest trades in Nuggets history was reported to me through my text messaging, (sorry Period 4 Chemistry class). Through that text, I learned of the Nuggets’ decision to ship unhappy superstar Guard Allen Iverson to Detroit for George Washington High School graduate Chauncey Billups, former Nugget star Antonio McDyess, and 7’1 Senegal import Cheikh Samb.
My first thought of this trade was, finally… it’s about time. Iverson wanted out of Denver because he felt that Denver was in a “rebuilding phase,” and also Iverson was frustrated with the amount of shots (or lack there-of) that he was taking during each game.
Since his DPS beginnings, I have loved Chauncey as a player, and I have always thought the Nuggets made a huge mistake when they let him snake away back in the 00-01’ season. What Billups brings to the Nuggets is a proven leader who is capable of scoring as well as defending. Chauncey will be counted on to defend the great scoring guards in the West, such as the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant, and the Rockets’ own Tracy McGrady. Chauncey is also one of the most clutch players in the league; this attribute is a main reason why his nickname now is Mr. Big Shot. Billups is a proven guard who is good at distributing the ball and getting the top scorers into great shooting positions. Iverson can score better than Mr. Big Shot, but that is not all it takes to be an elite point guard in the NBA, and that is just what Billups is.
The other player traded to the Nuggets was Antonio McDyess, who has gone on the record saying that he refuses to play for the Nuggets and wishes to only play for Detroit. The only reason the Nuggets acquired McDyess was because his salary could be balanced out with Chauncey’s and Cheikh’s to match Iverson’s 20 million dollar paycheck for this season. However, it would not surprise me to see McDyess decide to suit up for the Nuggets, because money does talk, and McDyess won’t make all of his 14 million dollars if he decides to negotiate a buyout with the Nuggets.
Cheikh Samb is just another player thrown in to balance out Iverson’s salary. I expect nothing out of him, unless a few of the Nugget big men begin to suffer injuries.
Coming out of training camp, it appeared that the Nuggets had finally committed to playing defense. But after trading away their best defensive player by far in Marcus Camby (the only guy in the entire Pepsi Center who could play defense), the Nuggets have moved back a notch on that side of the court. Colorado professional sports in general don’t seem to play defense, from the Broncos’ 30th ranked points per game allowed to the Avalanche’s complete lack of defense and goal tending in last year’s Conference Semifinals sweep defeat at the hands of the Detroit Red Wings. The only defensively solid team in Colorado is the Rockies, and they were not even close to being good this year, with a 74-88 record.
But the Nuggets say they have changed. I wonder, how? The Nuggets got rid of arguably two of the team’s top four defenders in Marcus Camby and Eduardo Najera. Chauncey can’t do it all; some other people are gong to have to step up.
At least the Nuggets got viable free agents to make up for their losses, right? Wrong. The Nuggets are relying on last year’s back-up center Nene Hilario to fill in for Camby. Nene, who had to miss a portion of last year’s season due to testicular cancer, is healthy this year, but don’t expect him to be healthier for the entire year. In the past three years, Nene has only played in 81 of the 246 games possible. Nene is a great talent, and when healthy, he is one of the best low post players in the NBA, and he has the size and quickness to cover all of the big men in the West, such as Amare Stoudamire, Shaq, Tim Duncan, and others.
To replace Najera, a fan favorite as well as the best energy player off the bench, the Nuggets traded for New York Knicks’ forward Renaldo Balkman who, although not as quick as Najera, is a physical player who can hustle. Balkman also has the ability to score on occasion. The Nuggets also added former fan favorite Chris Anderson, a.k.a. the “Birdman”, to replace Najera. Anderson is taller than Najera, coming in at 6’10”, whereas Najera was only 6’8”. Therefore, he can help cover the power forwards in the Western Conference, something Najera struggled with at times.
The success of the Nuggets’ season is going to depend on their most key addition to the team this past off-season; the addition is not a player but instead a verbal commitment to defend. If the Nuggets can find a way to play defense (something I don’t think they will be able to do), then they should be able to contend with any team in the West.
The Northwest Division will be even tougher this year, as the two teams that finished behind the Nuggets, the Portland Trailblazers and the Oklahoma City Thunder (formally the Seattle Supersonics), have each made big strides to contending in the division. The Trailblazers welcome last year’s number one overall pick Greg Oden back to their team. Oden, who sat out last year after knee problems, is healthy this year and will be welcomed back with open arms. The Oklahoma City Thunder have another year of experience under their belt, and with rising stars in Kevin Durant and Jeff Green, they stand to be a much improved team.
This Chauncey Billups trade will have a trickle down effect on all of the Nuggets players. For one, this trade will help the game of J.R. Smith, won will get even better looks at the basket due to Billups’ great passing ability. Smith will also not have to worry about covering the great scoring guards, and instead focus more on the offensive end. This trade will help Nene too, as Billups will provide better opportunities for him to finish at the basket. This also will apply for Kenyon Martin who will now not have to fling up his horrific looking three pointers, although I’m sure he still will anyway.
All of this being said, I can now see the Nuggets contending for a division title. They have gotten the balance that it takes to contend, and every championship team needs a well-rounded point guard. Last year’s champions, the Boston Celtics, had a well-rounded point guard in Rajon Rondo, as he was a key contributor to their title run.
And if nothing else, team owner Stan Kroenke can’t help but grin because he knows that Chauncey will put fans in the seats, and that is enough to make any millionaire happy.
