Is it the right answer in detroit?
Andrew Dodson
Issue date: 11/6/08 Section: Sports
When I received a phone call Monday afternoon from my housemate, my first response was, "yeah, good one - why are you really calling me?"
Here's an equation to ponder: What does an NBA Finals MVP in Chauncey Billups + a veteran all-star forward in Antonio McDyess + a 7'1" center from Senegal in Cheikh Samb equal?
According to the Detroit Pistons, it equals the Answer - Allen Iverson. The barely 6-foot perennial all-star will join the six-consecutive-time Eastern Conference finalists starting this Friday versus the New Jersey Nets. If all goes according to plan, Iverson will help the Pistons get over the hump of the Eastern Conference and make the trip to the NBA Finals.
Bleeding true blue for the Detroit Pistons since the days of Grant Hill and the hideous green jerseys, I needed to look at this situation from a wider perspective. The Pistons are known for their bad boy, hard-nose defense and their slow, but effective half court offense. How will a guard who averaged almost twenty shots a game last season fit in with an offense that relies on tight team chemistry and minimal one-on-one play? Some express hesitance at the trade, I think it could be as critical as the trade for Rasheed Wallace back in 2004.
First off, this is not the Iverson trade from Philadelphia to Denver. The Nuggets were an offensive minded team with zero defense. Carmelo Anthony and Iverson never truly meshed. Both seemed hesitant on who should lead the game with their unique scoring explosions.
The Pistons, however, take in Iverson with open arms knowing he will be the go to scorer. Richard Hamilton's reign as lead scorer may end, but all of his points are earned through the Piston's famous screen and roll offense. Hamilton will continue to make a living rolling off those screens.
Everyone against this trade needs to realize that Iverson is in the last year of his contract. It is a win-win situation. Either Dumars looks like a genius if the Pistons make the NBA Finals and Iverson continues his hall of fame career for the Detroit club, or it doesn't work and Iverson becomes a free agent.
Here's an equation to ponder: What does an NBA Finals MVP in Chauncey Billups + a veteran all-star forward in Antonio McDyess + a 7'1" center from Senegal in Cheikh Samb equal?
According to the Detroit Pistons, it equals the Answer - Allen Iverson. The barely 6-foot perennial all-star will join the six-consecutive-time Eastern Conference finalists starting this Friday versus the New Jersey Nets. If all goes according to plan, Iverson will help the Pistons get over the hump of the Eastern Conference and make the trip to the NBA Finals.
Bleeding true blue for the Detroit Pistons since the days of Grant Hill and the hideous green jerseys, I needed to look at this situation from a wider perspective. The Pistons are known for their bad boy, hard-nose defense and their slow, but effective half court offense. How will a guard who averaged almost twenty shots a game last season fit in with an offense that relies on tight team chemistry and minimal one-on-one play? Some express hesitance at the trade, I think it could be as critical as the trade for Rasheed Wallace back in 2004.
First off, this is not the Iverson trade from Philadelphia to Denver. The Nuggets were an offensive minded team with zero defense. Carmelo Anthony and Iverson never truly meshed. Both seemed hesitant on who should lead the game with their unique scoring explosions.
The Pistons, however, take in Iverson with open arms knowing he will be the go to scorer. Richard Hamilton's reign as lead scorer may end, but all of his points are earned through the Piston's famous screen and roll offense. Hamilton will continue to make a living rolling off those screens.
Everyone against this trade needs to realize that Iverson is in the last year of his contract. It is a win-win situation. Either Dumars looks like a genius if the Pistons make the NBA Finals and Iverson continues his hall of fame career for the Detroit club, or it doesn't work and Iverson becomes a free agent.
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