Iverson Coming Back East

Allen Iverson has been getting the job done since college

Allen Iverson was traded on Monday to the Detroit Pistons, in exchange for Chauncey Billups, Antonio McDyess, and another player you’ve never heard of. This will bring Iverson back to the Eastern Conference for the first time since he was traded away from the Sixers.

This move seems to make more sense for the Pistons in the long-run, but may not benefit either team in the near future. Denver is in a tough position being in the Western Conference and among the teams in the West that can finish anywhere from around 6th to 10th. They couldn’t get over the hump when Iverson was there, and it doesn’t appear as if this trade will help them become one of the elite of the Western Conference. This isn’t to say Billups and McDyess aren’t good players, as both are. Billups can distribute the ball, and hit the clutch shot when need be. He also is a better on-the-ball defender than Iverson. Right now it looks like McDyess will be bought out and return to Detroit. If things change and he stays in Denver, McDyess should help on the front line, especially with the void left due to the departure of Marcus Camby in the offseason. McDyess isn’t going to light up the score sheet, but that won't be his job on the Nuggets. McDyess is there to provide much needed defense, and rebounding. However, this still doesn't appear on the surface as if it will allow them to compete with the big guns, such as the Lakers, Spurs, Suns, Hornets, or Rockets.

The Pistons on the other hand may improve a little bit, but there were two main reasons the Pistons made this trade. First, as Iverson is only signed through this season, they are saving money for the future, and possibly looking to sign one of the big names to become a free agent in 2010, be it LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, or Chris Bosh. The Pistons just signed Richard Hamilton to a three-year deal, and are very excited about the young Rodney Stuckey, who if he is smart, will give up his #3 to Iverson this season. This trade also was done to shake things up in Detroit. The Pistons promised some turnover on the roster this off-season, and they did just that. The Pistons clearly felt that their team, which regularly gets to the Eastern Conference Finals, would not be able to beat the elite teams in the Eastern Conference anymore in a playoff series. By taking a chance on Iverson, the Pistons seem to be in a win-win situation. If he fits well with that team, they can compete with the Celtics and possibly win a title. If Iverson does not fit well and the Pistons do not advance far in the playoffs, he still would have put people in the seats and sold jerseys. Iverson and Wallace come off the books this year, and Pistons can be huge players in the free-agent market over the next two seasons.

Expect the Nuggets to continue to stay around where they are in the Western Conference pecking order, best case scenario making the playoffs and getting bumped by a better team in the first round. The Pistons have the potential to be a dangerous team come playoff time however, with stars like Iverson, Hamilton, Prince, and Rasheed Wallace, all of which are playoff tested veterans.