Mr.Bottomtooth
12-20-2006, 12:20 PM
opening shots | jim armstrong
A.I. provides Nuggets with MVP reputation
By Jim Armstrong
Denver Post Staff Columnist
Article Last Updated: 12/20/2006 01:05:28 AM MST
Let it note, let it note, let it note. ...
Just to put the Allen Iverson trade in perspective: The Nuggets in their 30 NBA seasons have had a coach of the year, a most improved player, an executive of the year, a defensive player of the year and several all-stars. But an MVP? The only time an MVP wore a Nuggets jersey is when John Elway used to get the fans jacked up during the playoffs. ...
Iverson in Denver? If you're a hoops junkie and you're saying, "Thank God," you also might want to thank him for making Stan Kroenke a rich man. Because if Kroenke doesn't sign off on paying the NBA's luxury tax, this deal never would have gotten legs. ...
Rex Chapman, the Nuggets' vice president of player personnel: "To be completely honest with you, two weeks ago, when it kind of got out that Allen's time in Philly was over, Stan asked us about it. 'What about some Allen Iverson conversations?' Stan really stepped up." ...
Smart man, DerMarr Johnson. He has agreed to switch to number 8 so A.I. can have 3. In exchange, the Nuggets will let him stay on the roster....
Speaking of Elway, Tuesday's trade has to rank No. 2 all-time in this dusty old cowtown. For that matter, it might be No. 1. Elway, for all the hype surrounding him, hadn't played a down in the NFL when the Broncos stole him from the Colts. Iverson is a ready-made hoops icon. ...
No, Iverson at 31 isn't as young as he used to be. But the NBA's decision to lose the hand-checking has made him a better player. Said Chapman, who guarded A.I. more than a few times in his career: "When I was playing, at least, if a guy beat you, you could take and throw him back in front of you with one hand. Now that you can't touch anybody, he lives at the foul line. He's every bit as good as he was three, four, five years ago." ...
Does Iverson figure to thrive in the Nuggets' fast-paced offense after all those years of walking it upcourt in Philly? "Without a doubt," Chapman said. "Allen had a great run in Philly, but Allen has a motor that innately says go. He wants to run. He's really a thoroughbred. You don't want to get bogged down in halfcourt games when you've got thoroughbreds, and we feel we've got a team of them." ...
By the way, anybody remember A.I's last trip to Our Town? He went for 36 last December, including a last-second jumper over Andre Miller to win the game. Oh, and then there's the little matter of his MVP award for the 2005 NBA All-Star Game at the Pepsi Center. ...
Iverson is 417 points away from 20,000. At his current scoring rate, he would be on pace to hit it Jan. 20 at Houston. Not that the Nuggets wouldn't mind if he waited 48 hours until the Grizzlies made their way to the Pepsi Center. ...
Memo to A.I.: Probably not a good idea to leave your Bentley in a handicapped spot in your new digs. When people mention the Denver boot, they're not talking about footwear. ...
Carmelo Anthony, when asked what would get him through his 15-game suspension: "Us winning games. Please. Us winning games." And how many can they win in his absence? "If we can get eight out of this 15, it would be a good 15 games for us." Now for the *. He said it an hour before the Iverson deal went down. ...
Don't know about you, but I'm thinking Mardy Collins, J.R. Smith's assailant, has a bright future in the league. The NHL, that is. ...
Collins, for reasons only David Stern knows, got a six-game suspension for initiating the Grapple in the Apple. You figure he's staying in shape by getting in bar fights? ...
And finally, happy birthday to Jake Plummer, who turned 32 Tuesday. Good luck next year, bubba, wherever the Chinook winds may take you.
Jim Armstrong can be reached at 303-954-1269 or [email protected].
http://www.denverpost.com/lacrosse/ci_4869718
A.I. provides Nuggets with MVP reputation
By Jim Armstrong
Denver Post Staff Columnist
Article Last Updated: 12/20/2006 01:05:28 AM MST
Let it note, let it note, let it note. ...
Just to put the Allen Iverson trade in perspective: The Nuggets in their 30 NBA seasons have had a coach of the year, a most improved player, an executive of the year, a defensive player of the year and several all-stars. But an MVP? The only time an MVP wore a Nuggets jersey is when John Elway used to get the fans jacked up during the playoffs. ...
Iverson in Denver? If you're a hoops junkie and you're saying, "Thank God," you also might want to thank him for making Stan Kroenke a rich man. Because if Kroenke doesn't sign off on paying the NBA's luxury tax, this deal never would have gotten legs. ...
Rex Chapman, the Nuggets' vice president of player personnel: "To be completely honest with you, two weeks ago, when it kind of got out that Allen's time in Philly was over, Stan asked us about it. 'What about some Allen Iverson conversations?' Stan really stepped up." ...
Smart man, DerMarr Johnson. He has agreed to switch to number 8 so A.I. can have 3. In exchange, the Nuggets will let him stay on the roster....
Speaking of Elway, Tuesday's trade has to rank No. 2 all-time in this dusty old cowtown. For that matter, it might be No. 1. Elway, for all the hype surrounding him, hadn't played a down in the NFL when the Broncos stole him from the Colts. Iverson is a ready-made hoops icon. ...
No, Iverson at 31 isn't as young as he used to be. But the NBA's decision to lose the hand-checking has made him a better player. Said Chapman, who guarded A.I. more than a few times in his career: "When I was playing, at least, if a guy beat you, you could take and throw him back in front of you with one hand. Now that you can't touch anybody, he lives at the foul line. He's every bit as good as he was three, four, five years ago." ...
Does Iverson figure to thrive in the Nuggets' fast-paced offense after all those years of walking it upcourt in Philly? "Without a doubt," Chapman said. "Allen had a great run in Philly, but Allen has a motor that innately says go. He wants to run. He's really a thoroughbred. You don't want to get bogged down in halfcourt games when you've got thoroughbreds, and we feel we've got a team of them." ...
By the way, anybody remember A.I's last trip to Our Town? He went for 36 last December, including a last-second jumper over Andre Miller to win the game. Oh, and then there's the little matter of his MVP award for the 2005 NBA All-Star Game at the Pepsi Center. ...
Iverson is 417 points away from 20,000. At his current scoring rate, he would be on pace to hit it Jan. 20 at Houston. Not that the Nuggets wouldn't mind if he waited 48 hours until the Grizzlies made their way to the Pepsi Center. ...
Memo to A.I.: Probably not a good idea to leave your Bentley in a handicapped spot in your new digs. When people mention the Denver boot, they're not talking about footwear. ...
Carmelo Anthony, when asked what would get him through his 15-game suspension: "Us winning games. Please. Us winning games." And how many can they win in his absence? "If we can get eight out of this 15, it would be a good 15 games for us." Now for the *. He said it an hour before the Iverson deal went down. ...
Don't know about you, but I'm thinking Mardy Collins, J.R. Smith's assailant, has a bright future in the league. The NHL, that is. ...
Collins, for reasons only David Stern knows, got a six-game suspension for initiating the Grapple in the Apple. You figure he's staying in shape by getting in bar fights? ...
And finally, happy birthday to Jake Plummer, who turned 32 Tuesday. Good luck next year, bubba, wherever the Chinook winds may take you.
Jim Armstrong can be reached at 303-954-1269 or [email protected].
http://www.denverpost.com/lacrosse/ci_4869718