Initially, Arnold's reaction was the Nuggets got the short end of the deal due to age factor. But I explained to him that Iverson himself is no spring chicken anymore with his 33 years of age. And I also told him that the Nuggets got what they wanted all along, a true pointguard and a veteran presence in the slot.
Iverson is widely known in the NBA circles as a great scorer but also a headache to his past coaches. He had his run-ins with his previous coaches in Philadelphia in Larry Brown and Maurice Cheeks. It will be very interesting to see if he will fit into Detroit's concept of team basketball. The Pistons had become a powerhouse team in the east mainly due to its defense and equal distribution of points on offense. it is still a big puzzle why Joe Dumars opted for a gunner-type of a backcourtman rather than going after the likes of Jason Kidd and Tony Parker, both of whom were known for their unselfish style of court generalship. There will be questions on whether Pistons resident shooting guard Rip Hamilton will play sweet music with the trigger-happy Iverson.
On the other hand, George Karl and the Nuggets are long craving for a true pointguard who could effectively feed the ball to its post players and of course, someone who could make the team's heart and soul Carmelo Anthony happy. Billups is the right man for the job no question about it. His vast experience in the past, which includes an NBA championship ring with the Pistons in 2004, will be a big factor in elevating the Nuggets style of play. McDyess shall off-set the loss of Marcus Camby. His intimidating presence in the paint shall also go hand in hand with the team's young frontliners like Nene and the "birdman", Chris Andersen.
It is a given that debates regarding the trade will not end here and the final result can only be determined on how both teams, the Nuggets and the Pistons, would fare by the end of the regular season. For now, their fans can only hope for the best.
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