Will Allen Iverson Fit in Detroit?

At the end of last summer Detroit Pistons president of operations, Joe Dumars, promised major changes to the Detroit Pistons team that we have all grown to love over the last 6 years. The "True" team concept of good offense and great defense led by a core group of players that put the team ahead of their own personal agendas.

The Pistons traded Point Guard Chauncey Billups and Power Forward/Center Antonio McDyess to the Denver Nuggets yesterday for Point Guard/ Shooting Guard Allen Iverson in a move that has undoubtedly shaken up the core roster of the Detroit Organization. Allen Iverson brings a much quicker scoring threat to a Detroit team that has at times been unable to buy buckets for long stretches of time. It will be interesting to see if Allen Iverson can put aside his own personal agendas on the basketball court and adopt the Detroit Piston "team" philosophy. It was successful in the past when they brought in then troubled Rasheed Wallace the year they beat the Los Angeles Lakers for the NBA championship.

Losing Chauncey Billups ("Mr. Big Shot") is going to be a rough adjustment. Detroit loses a proven veteran and floor general who had finally found a home in Detroit. But the future of the Pistons is today and Rodney Stuckey is now poised to accelerate his career into future All-Star status with the departure of Billups. I think I am actually more upset at the loss of Antonio McDyess who resurrected his career in Detroit after numerous knee injuries. McDyess was a warrior on the court and was one of the most consistent players for the Pistons. There is a chance that McDyess could be back in a Pistons uniform if Denver releases him and buys out his contract.

It will be interesting to see how this new team meshes together and if they can sustain their defensive tenacity while improving their offensive scoring threat. There is no doubt that Allen Iverson brings a dynamic scoring ability to a Detroit team that often struggles offensively. If this team doesn't mesh well, they may risk making the playoffs, not to mention another Eastern Conference Championship.