Denver Nuggets-Detroit Pistons Trade @ a Glance and highly unfocused

I understand why Denver and Detroit decided to swap Allen Iverson for Chauncey Billups (McDyess isn't staying in Denver). I understand how the trade benefits both teams in the long term and possibly both teams in the short term. I understand why a lot of reporters are now excited to theorize about the future of the Detroit Pistons. I find myself doing the same, but for all the positive spin this trade is receiving, I'm not sure I'm willing to buy all of it.

I'm hearing a lot of the discussion focus on salaries, playoff seedings, consecutive year streaks in the conference finals, championships, consecutive years of losing in the first round, points per game, years in the league, and ages of the players involved, but I'm hearing very little about the emotional impact of this trade on both teams, which is especially important to the Detroit end of this deal, but not limited to the men who reside in the Motor City.

Three key players for both teams have been featured repeatedly in interviews on ESPN, sharing their initial reactions to the trade, and all three of these players seem very reluctant to embrace it. In fact, I would say all three would like to take a trip with Marty McFly and kidnap Joe Dumars and Rex Chapman. Rasheed Wallace, Tayshaun Prince, and Carmello Anthony do not like this trade, and that matters.

Carmello, when talking to reporters, sounded like his childhood hero had just been murdered. If Iverson was his Superman, then this trade was his Doomsday. Carmello seemed to dwell more on the fact that a future Hall of Famer and close friend of his was sent to the Eastern Conference than he did on the fact that his team received a Finals MVP in return. Iverson and Carmello, while friends off the court, never really complemented each other well on it. Yes, they put up some huge scoring nights, both individually and as a team. No one will forget the night they blew out the Sonics(R.I.P.) by a score of 168 to 116, and they did amass 50 wins last season, the most ever for an 8th seed; but this team was never going to win a championship.

The front office conceded this point this past summer when they traded Marcus Camby away, possibly the only player on the team who played consistently good defense (Najera and K-Mart I offer my apologies). Iverson and Carmello both needed the ball in their hands to be effective. The only way either one impacts a game is by scoring, so it's no wonder that both look to shoot first and that young players like J.R. Smith sometimes get lost in the shuffle. Iverson and Carmello are not ballhogs, but they never complemented each other well. J.R. Smith is 23. Carmello is 24. Iverson is 32 and in the last year of his contract. Iverson had to go. Camby's exit, in hindsight, foreshadowed this departure.

Enter Chauncey Billups. He solves a lot of the problems that have belittled this franchise's efforts over the last few seasons. He's a better floor general than Iverson. He has a better feel for getting his teammates involved, which will allow young scorers like J.R. Smith to develop into more consistent scoring threats, and while 168 point games will no longer happen, neither will the 168 point losses that follow (shortly after setting the record the Nuggets suffered an abysmal blowout of their own). Billups will come to embody the accountability a coach demands of his players on the floor, defensively and offensively. Iverson never did that for George Karl.

Iverson will average more points than Billups. He may even average more assists than Billups; he did last season. But Billups finally brings an Alpha Dog with championship credentials to Denver. Iverson was never that. His trip in 2001 to the NBA Finals was a fluke caused by geography, set in motion billions of years ago when Pangaea decided to make herself into a puzzle, and Carmello has always been the talent, but not the leader. At Syracuse, the heart and soul of the 2003 champions was Gerry McNamara. Carmello was the bone and the sinew. The issue at hand now becomes can Carmello admit that he's not a leader and let Chauncey Billups do the job. Carmello can take all the big shots and lead the team in scoring, but will he allow Chauncey to hold him accountable in the huddle. If so, then this trade works for Denver. If not, then the Denver Nuggets wind up like The Wonders in That Thing You Do., where Jimmy was the talent and Guy was the brains, or the glue. Anyway, the combination didn't work. They broke up after one hit. I guess George Karl is Faye.

The more interesting part of this trade to discuss is on the Detroit Pistons end, which means I probably should have mentioned it earlier, seeing as most people probably stopped reading three or four paragraphs ago. Rasheed and Tayshaun are clearly not thrilled with the departure of their teammate Chauncey Billups. Tayshaun said it himself that it's hard to watch a guy one's played with for six years leave, especially if he was the leader of the team. Imagine the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles without Leonardo. Now, imagine the Ninja Turtles replacing Leonardo with Casey because that's what Detroit just did by trading Billups for Iverson. Casey's awesome with a golf club to the face, but he's never been part of an ensemble cast; and it's likely he hits as many turtles as foot soldiers, but I digress.

The problem goes beyond the chemistry issues. They're just fertilizer to the weed I see growing here. Joe Dumars came out and said to the media that this trade has huge implications on Detroit's cap space for this summer, and it does, which has caused all sorts of ridiculous theories about Detroit making serious efforts to pursue Lebron James. Let's get one thing clear: Lebron James will never wear a Detroit Pistons jersey. Detroit is not a step up from Cleveland. Lebron becomes a free agent in the summer of 2010, not 2009, so the Piston supporting cast, whose window may have already closed, will be another year older. Rip Hamilton will be 32 then. Rasheed Wallace will be 36. Tayshaun Prince will be 30. The guys on this team with championship experience will be old by 2010. Now, I'm not saying that Joe Dumars is not seriously trying to hunt down the King, but he will not be successful; and it doesn't matter if Lebron's agent represents the entire Pistons locker room, which brings us to the issue of chemistry.

Most trades that are made to free up cap space take place much closer to the trading deadline because one team wants to rent a player for the playoffs and another team wants to dump payroll and rebuild. One team focuses on today, while the other looks towards tomorrow. Denver just traded for a 32 year old point guard. Denver is clearly focused on this year and next year with the move. While Denver seems intent on the here and now, Detroit seems intent on the here, now, and everywhere. Joe Dumars is like the eye on top of the pyramid, a Masonic symbol.

Joe Dumars made this move three games into the season because if Rasheed and Tayshaun come around on the move emotionally and Rip Hamilton can come off the bench, then perhaps this move keeps Detroit competitive in the East. The problem is Joe Dumars showed his hand. He let everyone, including A.I. and Rasheed, know this deal was to clear cap space, which makes one wonder will either of them invest themselves into a one year project. Don't be surprised if either one finds himself on the move when the trade deadline approaches.

Rasheed's emotional state about the trade is not just a result of how he feels seeing his army lose a loyal soldier, but because he knows what it looks like when entire armies surrender. He felt a Russian winter when he was still a Blazer. He can see the writing on the wall, just as Iverson should have seen it in Denver when Camby was sent packing. Teams don't rebuild one player at a time; whole platoons are sent packing and withdrawn when the occupation has stretched six seasons.

Detroit just folded up their tents and started saving for tomorrow. Now, all we do is watch, wait, and listen. tck tck tck tck tck tck tck tck tck tck tck tck.............explosions can be the end or the beginning of something