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How is it a weak eastern conference?
I guarantee you the Lakers would not have made it out. We play defense.
This trade won't change anything. Denver is still a fringe playoff team out West and the Pistons will lose to a better team in a weak Eastern Conference come playoff time.
How is it a weak eastern conference?
I guarantee you the Lakers would not have made it out. We play defense.
Tell me if you honestly believe the Pistons had a legit shot at winning an NBA le this year. How much of a chance did they have at even winning the Eastern Conference. Speak honestly.
Going to the ECF again means jack to this franchise. An NBA Finals appearance would be great, but still if it means not winning the le, it's not worth it to Joe Dumars. He's said as much in interviews.
Chauncey had two more years after this season left on his contract, a team option for another after that. Chauncey is closer to being done than Iverson in my opinion. The Pistons weren't winning this year and you know it. Now you want to twist that fact to make the deal look bad. It's one of the most perfect scenarios for the Pistons. They make a major shake-up to the core, which was getting extremely stale. They bring in a superstar player, albeit on his decline as well, to not only add some hunger, but to sell tickets and bring a renewed interest from the fans, and if all that don't work out, his $22 million contract comes off the books and the Pistons reconstruct their team with a lot of financial flexibility.
You have to be out of your mind to think this is a bad deal for the Pistons or to question it from the Pistons' side in any way.
edit: as for McDyess, he was needed to help match salaries. And, now the Pistons take on more salary then it traded, which means more money comes off the books. And, if rumors are true, there's a chance McDyess is waived and returns to the Pistons. Even if he doesn't, it's a great deal for the Pistons.
That would be the most pissed I would be at Kuppy since he said that "Our #1 prioroty is to re-sign Kobe" which is what really pissed Shaq off. Man, I still think about the rings they could have won
I thought they did, I mean the Pistons could win the east. Arguably, the 4 best teams in the east are: Boston, Cleveland, Detroit, Orlando The Pistons could win the east if the injury bug hits one of the other 3 teams. I just think it's a little early to start giving up on your season- that's all I'm saying
Wouldn't have won with a fat, unmotivated, rapidly declining Shaq getting paid 30 million."Our #1 prioroty is to re-sign Kobe" which is what really pissed Shaq off. Man, I still think about the rings they could have won
I fail to see how this is up 'giving up' on the season.
He's a top 10 player in this league. He has been for his entire career. This is the best team he's ever played on, and we know how to win basketball games.
mcydess sweepstakes?
Horrible trade for Detroit. WTF is Dumars thinking here?
Great deal for both teams...especially DET.. they get somebody hungry like AI and this could give the Pistons the extra push needed to get over the hump. AI is a killer come playoff.....s and is the close out the game player DET somewhat lacked. But the major down side of this...... is it could mess up the great chemistry DET had. I expect for DET to still compete for the EAstern Conference .....but do not think they will win it all.
Every sports headline says Iverson traded, not Billups. Pistons made a great trade!
with billups, the nuggets will probably hold on to their eighth spot. i think they should have kept iverson and just let his contract expire so they can continue rebuilding. adding a young pg or pf/c next to smith and anthony would have them set for the next few years. adding a 32 year old point guard who was injured in last year's playoffs may let them tread water for a few more years but does nothing if their goal is to seriously compete in the playoffs.
What people don't really realize is the mentality this team had. The Pistons get rid of their aging point guard who has been a no-show in the playoffs since 2005, and get a player who wants to win a ring. This will hopefully change the teams mentality of flipping the switch and show that none of their asses are safe.
Not to mention they will have 34 million coming off the books next season from Sheed/AI contracts.
I can't wait to see AI & Sheed take on the Boston Celtics this Sunday.
No matter how you slice it, this trade breathed life into both the Nuggets and the Pistons. Both were seemingly "has-beens", this trade brings hope.
I mean, think what ever you want guys.
Maybe he's not a top 10 player any more (I'd love to see who you would put ahead of him). Statistically, he's a top 10 player, and he's exactly what we needed, a potent scorer.
Forget about what you thought you knew about Allen Iverson. He's on a team that was already arguably better then the ones you root for. So stop hating.
The Denver-Detroit trade makes sense for one team. Not Denver
By Kelly Dwyer
Another day, and another reason to have no idea as to what the Denver Nuggets are on about.
Another day, and another reason to be completely wowed by Joe Dumars and his executive savvy, in spite of his noted missteps (Darko, Kwame, Rodney White, etc.).
Woj is reporting that the Nuggets are about to send Allen Iverson to the Pistons for Chauncey Billups and Antonio McDyess, with frontcourt prospect Cheikh Samb thrown in for Denver as well. Throw in whoever you want. It's an absolute steal for the Pistons.
It's an absolute steal even if Iverson turns an ankle on his way toward Auburn Hills and doesn't play a game for this team, because Dumars just managed to do the exact thing (acquire cap space in one fell swoop) that the Nuggets had been supposedly trying to do all along with AI and his expiring contract.
The Nuggets? I've become convinced that they think the NBA is folding sometime this summer.
Iverson makes almost $21 million this year, in the final year of his contract, and paired with several other expiring contracts on the Detroit roster, we're looking at a Pistons team that could have at least $20 million cap space this summer. Had the Pistons held the current roster together, once you figured in Jason Maxiell's contract extension and the fact that Rip Hamilton and Kwame Brown are likely to pick up their player options, the team was looking at being just a few hundred thousand over the cap, even with Rasheed Wallace's giant expiring contract.
Instead, this team will have Hamilton, Maxiell, Rodney Stuckey, Tayshaun Prince, Amir Johnson, and a host of youngsters on the cheap, plus enough money to pull in two huge primo free agents. All in return for a 32-year old point guard who is owed $13 million in 2011, and a F/C who might retire.
And, if AI and Rasheed and the gang work out ... who knows? They probably won't, but there are options. The Pistons now have $31.7 million in expiring contracts to shop around starting at the beginning of the 2009 (when Iverson can be traded again). Dumars might not be done.
As for the Nuggets ... what the ?
Billups is still a little underrated, he's a terrific point guard in the half-court, and Denver is desperate for a competent ball-handler to feed their still-formidable rosters of scorers and finishers. J.R. Smith will plug in Iverson's old shooting guard slot and score just as much, if not more. No joke. He also has the size to defend better than AI, but this is also J.R. Smith we're talking about, so let's not get carried away.
Meanwhile, should he report, McDyess can still play, he's already been a Nugget twice in his career, and Denver will be in better shape with that duo than they were in just with Iverson.
But at what price? This keeps the Nuggets well over the luxury tax level this season, and it means Denver will be right near it in 2009-10 even with just seven players signed and Linas Kleiza's contract situation in the air. Give Linas seven million a year, and the Nuggets are paying six or seven million in luxury tax with only eight roster spots filled.
And assuming Kleiza gets the sort of contract I mentioned, even with McDyess' contract expiring, the Nuggets are on the books for nearly $70 million in 2010-11 with just Chauncey, Nene, Kenyon Martin, Kleiza, Carmelo Anthony, and J.R. Smith on board. Just six players, well over the cap, and approaching luxury tax territory.
The Nuggets will be better with this trade, this season. Don't doubt it for a second. A backcourt with Smith and Billups playing big minutes and Anthony Carter or Chucky Atkins working in reserve will do far more than any combination with AI pulling in 40 minutes a night, Smith filling in where he could, and Atkins/Carter having to log heavy minutes because nobody else can bring the ball up court.
But it won't be enough to get near New Orleans, the Lakers, Utah, or Houston. And it won't touch San Antonio, when Manu Ginobili gets back. It might be enough to put Denver in the playoffs, but that's about it. And that "it" will be paid handsomely through 2011.
Detroit's taking another chance, and though there's the possibility the team might whiff in free agency, it hardly matters. They've cleared cap space and developed even more options. If nothing happens this summer, then they can run the kids for a year before trying to clamp down on the 2010 free agent market. After all, only Tayshaun Prince ($11.1 million), Jason Maxiell (reportedly about $5 million), and the backcourt tandem of Stuckey and Aaron Afflalo (combined to make $4.7 million) will be on the books that summer.
Nobody, not even Joe Dumars or Iverson himself, will be able to anticipate what sort of impact his presence will have on this year's Pistons team. AI's game is that unique. But given the far-reaching implications of what this deal could do for Detroit, again, it hardly matters in the long run.
It's all dependent on Dumars making another series of good moves with his newfound options, but given the man's past, should we even doubt the man?
Related: Rodney Stuckey, Amir Johnson, Linas Kleiza, Jason Maxiell, J.R. Smith, Carmelo Anthony, Tayshaun Prince, Kwame Brown, Kenyon Martin, Anthony Carter, Manu Ginobili, Chauncey Billups, Allen Iverson, Rasheed Wallace, Antonio McDyess, Denver Nuggets
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/bal...urn=nba,119329
I can't think of 10 Perimeter players ahead of him.
Kobe
Bron
Wade
T-mac
Melo
paul
williams
nash
And some of those are arguable.
He didn't just say perimeter players, just players.
Then no. He is still a star though.
T-mac?, Nash? Come on man, i'm talking about basketball players. Think of over all production, determination, and hunger. Nash and Tmac are a couple of pussies.
Also, notice my previous post, in which I said, maybe he's not a top 10 player (imo, he is, i've always been an A.I fan). Statistically, HE IS A TOP 10 PLAYER... regardless of position.
It is true, he is one of only two people in history to be in the top 10 in scoring and assist 4 years in a row.
You want to go on heart, AI is #1. Talent, not anymore. And Nash is a pussy now? He leaves it out there every night, no denying it.
Sheed is a role player at this stage. Iverson has ok help around him but this doesnt make them that ing good. So Rip is the #2 scorer? ooooooo Their top scorers outside of Iverson are containable. They have a nice team and probably a tad better with Iverson but comon. They arent beating the Celtics in a 7 game series. Celts D will shut everyone else down and force Iverson to beat them by himself.
Cap wise its a wonderful trade for the Pistons. They will rebuild nicely. Their chances do somewhat improve for le contention, but the Celts are the class of the east. As long as they stay healthy, they will be back in the finals. The only team who will prevent Boston from a rematch with the Lakers in June is Boston. Vice versa for the Lakers as well.
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