Is Iverson The Answer For Detroit? AI Set To Debut This Weekend

By Jason M. Williams

In shocking news out of the NBA earlier this week, the Detroit Pistons traded Chauncey Billups, Antonio McDyess, and Chiekh Samb to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for Allen Iverson.  On the surface, this appears to be a win-win trade for both teams – but for the Pistons, this deal opens the door for so much more.

The Pistons were slowly becoming the league’s most boring team outside of San Antonio.  They’ve had the same core of team-first guys for five years, never do anything spectacular, and were a gambler’s dream come true when it came down to picking the loser of the Eastern Conference Finals.

We know they have been a great team in the East, but since Big Ben Wallace left and they started convincing themselves that a washed up Antonio McDyess was the answer at the starting center spot, we all knew they were no longer elite.  No way could they contend with the stud teams in the West even if they were able to squeak by the rest of the East unnoticed.

But then things started to change.  Joe Dumars realized his team was just getting older and slower, so he started bringing in some young depth.  Jason Maxiell, Amir Johnson, Rodney Stuckey, and Arron Afflalo.  They are now tabbed to be the next Core Four.  But they still need more and lack a true superstar.

Getting Iverson gives them a fiery competitor that will wake this team up that has often sleepwalked its way through the early rounds of the East playoffs.  The Answer plays big and wants nothing more than to win.  He fits perfectly with this young team and cocky group of veterans.

More importantly, this move will potentially leave the Pistons with $22M in cap room next summer or the summer of 2010 – when the superstar Class of 2003 are all up for free agency.

If Joe D plays his cards right, and his track record indicates he will, then we could be looking at Iverson being Dumars’ Answer for entering the LeBron Sweepstakes…or more realistically the Chris Bosh Sweepstakes.

(Image: ESPN.com)