Denver Nuggets Get Their Players Back, Detroit Pistons Get Their Answer

Wow.

Okay. Let's do this—just take a step back, breathe, and take the situation in.

Done?

I know, I know. You thought it had finished, right? Last season there were so many blockbuster trades. So many of the 'untradeables' dealt.

Surely there would be a rest period. A calm after the storm? Apparently not.

All right. So, 24 hours ago we all knew that the Denver Nuggets were a sinking ship and the Detroit Pistons didn't have too many chances left to win another championship.  That was the situation as we knew it.

Ladies and Gentlemen, that situation is long gone.

Let me introduce you to the new situation:

Allen Iverson, a great of the game, a no-nonsense Hall of Famer, the guy with the biggest heart ever—has been traded from the Denver Nuggets to the Detroit Pistons.

The Answer is back East.

This is one side of the trade, and naturally, there is another: Chauncey Billups, four years and a half years removed from a Finals M.V.P, the leader of the Detroit Pistons, Mr. Bigshot, is returning to his native Colorado.

That's right, "Smooth" is mile-high once more.  Antonio McDyess will also be returning to the Nuggets.

Okay. That sunk in yet? No?  Yeah...You'll probably have to give that a couple of days, but you'll get there.

But still, this move is amazing in itself. Already, it is bigger than any trade within the last year. Maybe not as significant to one player or team, maybe not as potential conference-ranking changing. But still amazing.

Allen Iverson was brought into Denver to pair up two of the league's top 10 scorers in the hopes of finally securing a title. The idea was that no team could combat both scorers, double-teaming two players at once is not smart after all.

It appears that experiment is done. But that was already crystal clear when they gave Marcus Camby away for nothing.

To be fair, it wasn't a disaster. Denver made the playoffs each year. They had some high-win seasons, but at the end of the day it was simply never going to work.

Nuggets management obviously realised this, and went into cost-cutting mode. This season already looked like it had been given up on.

But now it's different. The Nuggets actually have something to work for. They finally have an All-Star-caliber point guard, and a forward who isn't going to get injured every other game.

Something tells me, that in the current Western Conference, this isn't going to get them much further than they already were—but that is far from the point. The point of this trade is that Denver actually looks like it is trying to do something for once.

Instead of a season where the Nuggets play even less defence and finally miss the playoffs, now they have hope. They can watch their prodigal point guard try to mesh with the team and have hopes for seasons to come.

Basically, its comes down to the fact that Nuggets fans now have a reason to watch this season.

Detroit is a whole different kettle of fish.

We know the story. Champions in '04. Eastern Conference champs in '05. Been to the conference finals every year since. Consistency is a good word to use here.

They have always had a model. No one player, team effort, defence is the name of the game.

Traditionally, this is not what you associate with Allen Iverson.

To most, this must look like the biggest mismatch ever designed. But I disagree totally.
Allen Iverson is not selfish. He doesn't have to be "the man." He just wants to win.

And in the last 24 hours, he has been put into a huge chance to finally win that 'chip.

24 hours ago, I would have argued heavily against Detroit's ability to even get into the conference finals. I assumed they would simply go through the motions yet again, only to reach the playoffs and suddenly find out everyone else has caught up.

No. Not again. This is not going through the motions. These players are going to realise they have a legitimate shot at the title. Don't get me wrong, if they actually worked at it, they could of had a chance anyway, the point is that they wouldn't have worked at it.

The Answer becomes the motivation.

There is no player I want to win a NBA title more than Allen Iverson. None that deserve one as much as he does.

If I had my way, he'd be traded back to Philly tomorrow and win one there, but I'll take this chance with Detroit if I have to.

Both teams knew they weren't working, weren't going anywhere.

They now both have a reason to at least try.