AI Goes To Denver! An Update: Philly fans Get @$%&ed

(Update below the following initial report)

According to Marc Stein and Chris Sheridan of ESPN and David Aldridge of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Allen Iverson has been traded to the Denver Nuggets:

The Denver Nuggets have reached an agreement in principle with the Philadelphia 76ers to acquire Allen Iverson, according to NBA front-office sources.

The trade, pending league approval, some two weeks after Iverson demanded a trade in Philly, would send Andre Miller, Joe Smith and two 2007 first-round picks to the Sixers for Iverson and perhaps another minimum-salaried player or two. It was expected to be completed later Tuesday barring any snags….

This deal will bring Philly a former league assist leader in Miller, Smith’s expiring salary of nearly $7 million and those two first-round picks in June — projected to be in the 20s — to go with their own lottery pick. Miller is averaging 13 points and 9.1 assists per game — third-best in the NBA — while Smith, an 11-year veteran, has played little this season, averaging only 13.5 minutes and 5.1 points per game.

High-scoring Denver adds another potent piece to its roster in Allen Iverson. This masterstroke of a trade, in both timing and by retaining J.R. Smith, allows Iverson to integrate himself into the Nuggets’ offense while Carmelo Anthony is shelved due to his suspension. Upon Melo’s return (and that of Smith’s five games earlier), the Nuggets will put the top two scorers in the Association at the same time and become a major player for Western Conference supremacy. It is being said that by giving up two first round draft choices the Nuggets paid a steep price of AI. However, playing in George Karl’s up-tempo offense will benefit Iverson, Anthony, and the rest of the Nuggets for years to come.

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12.20.06

Ahhh, it’s the day after. Looking at the Allen Iverson trade now, it appears that Denver stole Allen Iverson from Philadelphia. Now, I’m not saying that the Sixers received less-than-trade-value for AI. Wait, yes I am.

I felt all along that the reason for 76ers chairman Ed Snider’s public dissing of Iverson was contrived because he knew exactly what he could get for The Answer since the 76ers actively shopped the guard last summer. In fact, Snider tried to trade Iverson for the better part of the past six years and may have fired the last coach to lead the Sixers to the playoffs just to get rid of AI. The primary goal of Snider’s “dis-fest” was to ready Philly fans for the mediocre players the Sixers were going to receive. His secondary goal was to placate Sixer fans with the promise of a new-fangled rebuilt team whose core are players that fans could grow up with, ensuring more butts in seats.

So, face it Sixers’ fans, you got ganked. Snider put the okee-doke on you, got you to forget that AI is one of the best two-guards in the history of the NBA, the best little man in the NBA, and with his on-court effort, was the person who exemplified how you like to view yourselves – a city of grinding people who will fight against all odds and succeed in spite of outsiders’ perceptions.

For all of that the Sixers get Andre Miller, whose per 48 minute facts show that the Nuggets were 9.2 points better overall with him on the bench and NBA vagabond and Marcus Camby wanna-be, Joe Smith. Let’s throw in a number 22-29 first round draft choice from Denver, a number 28-32 first round choice from Phoenix and what do you have? You have two mediocre veterans and two hope-and-a-prayer rookies. Wonderful.

That’s okay, though. You still have Howard Eskin of 610 Sports Radio, who has a long straw from his mouth to the seat of Ed Snider’s chair at the Wachovia Center, ensuring you that AI was a blight on your city and that he and Anthony will never be able to co-exist. He tells you Iverson should already be in Denver “After all, he doesn’t have much to pack,” so he’s already screwing the good people of Denver with his antics. Go ahead and believe all that tripe, Philly fans. When you’re watching Denver go deep in the playoffs for the next four years while your team is deep in the lottery during those same four years remember, ya heard it here first.

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One last tidbit: AI’s season numbers: 31.2 ppg, 7.3 apg, 2.2 spg. With Carmelo Anthony at his side, Iverson’s scoring numbers will down, but once he’s fully acclimated to George Karl’s offense, his assists will go up, and with the pace of play in Denver, I bet his steals do, too. Compare those stats to the guy peopl are beginning to tout for a third MVP in a row, Little Stevie Wonderful: 19.3 ppg 11.6 apg, 1.0 spg. Hmmm, it’s not a stretch to think that if the Nuggs get 50 wins and begin a nice playoff run, that AI can be the MVP this season….

(thanks to the peeps at “The Big Lead” for the link to this article.)