And The Answer Is ... a Nugget
After more than a week of shopping, the Denver Nuggets bought themselves a
last-minute holiday gift: the league's second-leading scorer and 2001 NBA
MVP, Allen Iverson.
The Nuggets have agreed to a deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, sending
Iverson out west in exchange for point guard Andre Miller, forward Joe Smith
and two first round picks in the 2007 NBA Draft. The Nuggets also receive
forward Ivan McFarlin in the trade.
Iverson, who has not suited up for the Sixers since requesting a trade from
the team that drafted him No. 1 overall in 1996, is averaging 31.2 points
and 7.3 assists in 15 games this season.
The move leaves many wondering if there are enough basketballs to go around
in Denver now that the Nuggets have the top two scorers in the league.
Iverson (31.2 ppg), however, would be in action without Carmelo Anthony
(31.5 ppg) until at least Jan. 20. Anthony was suspended on Monday for 15
games for his role in Saturday's altercation in New York.
"We need another scorer," Denver's Marcus Camby told the Denver Post earlier
this week. "We need a guy that can complement 'Melo. That would be crazy to
have them two here, the one and two scorers in the league. (Iverson's) a guy
that can fit into our offense running up and down the court."
When both finally suit up as teammates, they should find their share of
shots in George Karl's high-octane offense. The Nuggets rank first overall
in the league in field goals attempted per game (85.2) and put more points
on the board (108.8) than any team outside of the Phoenix (110.6).
In 23 games as a starter for the Nuggets, Miller is averaging 13.0 points
and 9.1 assists, ranking third-best in the NBA this season. In 11 games off
the bench for Denver, Smith is averaging 5.1 points and 3.6 rebounds.
