Most coaches don't hate Allen Iverson, but they probably feel better when he's somewhere else.
We're supposing that goes double for the Denver Nuggets' George Karl, who — thanks to an NBA-rattling deal with the Detroit Pistons — will be coaching Chauncey Billups rather than A.I.The first whiff of this deal suggests a tidy, desperately needed upgrade in on-court chemistry for the Nuggets, and a big, risky swing at glory for the Pistons in their quest to compete with the Boston Celtics.
But let's not be too hasty in turning cartwheels for Denver.
Before the explanation, please note that the win-win Nuggets reaction is understandable. With Iverson working alongside Carmelo Anthony, Denver's go-to hierarchy — ridiculously crucial in the NBA — always would be muddled. Throw in an unrepentant gunslinger like two-guard J.R. Smith, and ol' George should be ready to gulp Maalox from a mug.
In Billups, he now has a point guard with considerably greater chops than current starter Anthony Carter and an inside reserve named Antonio McDyess who can be more than a salary-match component.
He also waves bye-bye to Iverson, a hard-playin' two-guard in a point guard's body, a scoring machine whose stated commitment to Karl's sinister we're-guarding-people-this-year approach already seemed to turn frosty after a measly eight-shot performance against the L.A. Lakers.
With all of that on the table, let's take a look at why this may not be a slam dunk for Denver:
The key variable is, of course, loot.
A look at Iverson's slot on the Nuggets' payroll reveals that he'll be paid almost $22 million this season. But this also happens to be the last year on the 33-year-old A.I.'s deal, making that total rather lovely for Denver's immediate salary-cap future.
The Nuggets could have played out this season in the grievously talented Western Conference, then attempt to adjust their roster with that $22 million albatross looming as a terrific start. Or they could have waited out the trading-deadline inquiries from contending teams looking for a volume shooter like Iverson. The payoff would have required matching salary, but might have provoked an offer that included young talent and/or draft picks.
Now 32, Billups seems to have remained statistically consistent, although the numbers fail to remind us how the one-time NBA Finals MVP appeared to have slipped as a defender last season.
It should be noted that while Iverson remains quicker than an overdue notice, he never really knocked himself out to use that fast-twitch capacity as a defender. Even though he's a step slower these days, Billups should be a plus for Karl's stab at defense that has (despite the giveaway of Marcus Camby) enabled the Nuggets to move from pathetic to the rank of 9 (in three precious games) for opponents' field-goal percentage.
It doesn't hurt a bit that Billups is from Denver and played at Colorado, while buddy McDyess is a former Nugget.
Perhaps unfortunately — depending on how gracefully he ages at the movement-oriented point guard position — Chauncey's lighter annual price tag is underscored by having two more years. Including this season, Denver will pay Billups $36 million. When he's 35, they'll have an option to retain him at a cool $14.2 million.
We can be pretty certain that George doesn't care. With the Iverson-Anthony tag team eventually recommitting to offense and going turnstile on defense, Karl would be long gone before Chauncey's contract reaches maturity. He probably wouldn't get canned, but a guy like him may hark back to those D-intensive days in Seattle and decide to quit hoops to live on a fishing boat.
Another blockbuster
Many big NBA stars have been traded in the past two years, including Allen Iverson twice. The results so far? Mixed. Let's take a close look at how those deals have panned out.
- VIDEO: Rosen breaks down blockbuster
- VIDEO: Pistons GM discusses deal
