Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony: 62 ppg
Two 30 point scorers on the same team? Let’s take a closer look.
Ok. It’s finally happening. Allen Iverson is going to play alongside Carmelo Anthony. The Nuggets gave up their starting point guard in the process, and I highly doubt they will have a starting backcourt of Boykins and A.I. This means Allen is the point guard, and they have two guys that need the ball in their hands to do what they do.
Iverson has a long track record of 30 ppg seasons, and Carmelo has been basically unstoppable when not suspended or ejected this season, raising his average a full 5 ppg over last year. The last time there were two 30 ppg scorers on an NBA team was when I tried to pull that off with Latrell Sprewell and Alan Houston in NBA Live ‘98.
Melo and A.I. will each have to make concessions to their game for this to work. Either that, or the Nuggets are going to start scoring more than Phoenix, while they still have a premier shot blocker in Marcus Camby. As of this moment, they rank #1 and #2 in FG attempts with roughly 24 per game each. Allen shoots more free throws, Melo shoots a better percentage from the field. They’re not exactly an inside-outside combo like Kobe-Shaq, KJ-Barkley, or any of the great ones you can think of. They’re both volume scorers, although A.I. is a great passer when he chooses. Defensively… yeah they should just run as much they can on offense.
Carmelo has never made an All-Star game. A.I. is a lock for the Hall of Fame. Is Melo cool with taking a back seat? He’s been shooting 4 or 5 more shots per game than last season. In my opinion he was having a better season than anyone from his draft class, featuring the anointed twosome of Wade and LeBron. It was Carmelo’s time to be celebrated, as per his SLAM cover. The suspension complicates things, but he’s still been an amazing player this year. Will he be able to scale back to say 18 to 20 shots per game (which is still a crazy amount)?
Allen Iverson is ready to start winning again. But don’t think that means he will automatically defer like Shaq did in Miami. A.I. is as great as he ever was, and he has still never changed himself for anyone. He is the dominant personality on the team, even moreso than the coach. What makes this whole thing really weird is that he gets 14 games of making the team HIS, while Carmelo can only practice with him. Don’t make me say practice, we’re talking about practice?!? Ahhhh…. damn you! You made me say it, and A.I. is involved. It’s kind of like having someone watch your apartment for you while you’re on vacation, and when you come home, he’s bought all new furniture and now you are roommates. We’ll see how this works out.
I’m excited for this pairing, and I hope they can co-exist. Will they battle each other for the scoring title? Who gets the ball in crunch time? Melo has been one of the top clutch players in the league the past few years, but Iverson will have the ball in his hands and he’s pretty clutch himself. Here’s one train of thought: the last time Carmelo played with a guy known for jacking up shots whenever was with Gerry McNamara. How did that work out for them? I’d say pretty effing well. Iverson has never had a teammate like this. Webber was too far past his prime and was never the scorer that Melo is and wil be.
Fantasy repurcussions: There will be many many many rebounding opportunities for Marcus Camby and Reggie Evans.
34 Responses to “Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony: 62 ppg”
Dec.19 at 5:58 pm
Brad says:
sickness!
Dec.19 at 6:00 pm
Oliver says:
thats a fantastic point about mcnamara and Anthony- i really hope these guys can coexist- its very exciting no matter what
Dec.19 at 6:01 pm
Brad says:
I wonder how AI will like his new coach
Dec.19 at 6:24 pm
jaymeerah says:
Kobe and Shaq all over
Dec.19 at 6:28 pm
FFist says:
ive you are the best bro … but the stupid team from fhiladelphia sold you for money … you shoud stay in sixers your best team …. ive pls remeber you have been playd for Sixers 11 years man its you home but the f**** life is changen … peace and stay cool
Dec.19 at 6:43 pm
jbn74sb says:
Sam - I may be hallucinating. I believe that you just compared AI to Gerry McNamara.
Dec.19 at 6:58 pm
beantownz finest says:
ai in light blue? cant c it
Dec.19 at 6:59 pm
Sam Rubenstein says:
I’m only comparing them as far as finding a comparison for a type-A kind of player that Melo has played with. Obviously Allen and Gerry have much different games. Gerry came up huge in the nat’l championship game when Melo was banged up though.
And speaking of college days, I remember watching Georgetown vs. Umass in the tourney (elite 8 I think) when A.I. and Camby were the best two players in the land, and then they went #1 and #2 in the draft. Now they’re teammates.
Dec.19 at 7:01 pm
J R says:
Ha! i like the apartment joke.
Dec.19 at 7:05 pm
Dblizzy! says:
I think they will do good, everyone calls A.I. a ball hog, but when has he truly had anyone to pass it too? Why give it to Eric Snow when nobody can guard you? Now he has Melo, an excellent scorer, I think he can get him the rock and still get his shots off. Melo just has to learn to play without the ball more, but I think he’s pretty good coming off screens. Now A.I and George Karl…?
Dec.19 at 7:12 pm
boston's finest says:
iverson never had a teammate like this?
jerry stackhouse? tim thomas? larry hughes? keith van horn? of all these guys, stackhouse was the cloest since he came a year before AI, it was his team. however, AI threw him out, as well as the others. he never reallly gave them a chance to become great playes. it was once they left philly, some these guys made names for themselves.
Dec.19 at 7:24 pm
J R says:
true but they’re second players and role players. none of them have carmelo’s potential.
Dec.19 at 8:00 pm
albie1kenobi says:
i simply love that picture up there. if they keep that up i’ll be their biggest fan.
Dec.20 at 12:16 am
ballababy says:
what are we talking about practice? practice man who practices?
Dec.20 at 12:34 am
JAY LESnyc says:
GOOD Trade , thos players in DEN. are ready for playoff run. imagine with Kenyon!
I will still rock my #3 Phila jerzee
Dec.20 at 1:18 am
CM says:
Will AI give up the rock enough..assuming he is at the PG spot? Good question..makes me think back to a slam article on AI where he talked about playing with Spree or Shaq, how he would`ve loved to play with them, and “set them up and let them go off”…I think he will trust melo, though melo is younger and not as proven yet. As to who gets the ball in crunch time…it should fall on the coach to make the right call…but is Karl up to the task?
Dec.20 at 1:47 am
e says:
you already know what it is with my boy a.i and melo they goin be way better than the shaq and kobe era ya dig
Dec.20 at 4:09 am
thomas says:
most complete team and karl is up to the task, good move all around.
Dec.20 at 7:15 am
Boyd says:
Don’t like either of these guys (Melo or A.I) in the slightest, pair of a’holes, really. This will be interesting though. Horrible feeling that the steady stream of excelence that is DAL, PHO, SAS wil be rocked by this little upstart group, but i’m not sure Denver will really be contenders in a seven gamer with any of these veteran elites in the West. They might be like the upstart Suns of 2004/5, maybe, but the Suns have grown a damnsight since then when they were a junior partner of the big three. I’m also not sure this isn’t a completely volatile situation (Melo/A.I/Karl) that works great in NBA Live but will blow up in everyone’s face. We’ll see, short term success or short term implosion. Also, it’ll be fun to see the the All-star game; whoever coaches is DEFINITELY gonna give a lot of court time to Nash at 1, A.I at 2, and Kobe at 3, cos its like running the Suns offence but with a supehuman Barbosa and Marion on the wings.
Dec.20 at 1:55 pm
albie1kenobi says:
i’m guessing JKidd will automatically become the starter for the East?
on a separate note, why don’t west just play west itself?
Dec.20 at 5:46 pm
pat = baller says:
Hopefully an appeal will go through and we’ll be able to see how they co-exist sooner. I hope AI’s ready to take a steve nash back seat ride though cause I doubt Melo is going to want giving up his chances of missing the all-star game again. Either way, my Denver Nuggets are still gonna get past the first round of the play-offs this year.
Dec.20 at 11:59 pm
C-MAC says:
Demarr better give AI the 3# jersey or there gonna be a fight.
AI wants a ring more than a scoring title, he’s already done that 4 times
he and melo gonna kill em
Dec.21 at 9:28 pm
FLUXLAND says:
jerry stackhouse? (wasted all talent in Detroit) tim thomas (NBA body who dislikes playin ball) larry hughes? (no team concept) keith van horn?( crumbles like cookie in any pressure situation … also very soft) HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAH…. dude are you kidding? you are comparing these guys to Melo?. Those guys are 4th opiton at best. Sam is right.. AI is ready to win and will do whatever it takes. Say what you will about him and LB but they took it to the Finals. I’m sure Karl can get the same results out of him.
Dec.29 at 4:35 pm
Melo says:
Carmelo and Iverson is gonna be so cool to watch you guys are all bitches
Dec.31 at 4:59 pm
A.I. says:
I can’t wait to see Melo and Iverson play together!! That will be exciting.
Jan.16 at 7:34 pm
wayne says:
all i gotta say is good luck for the rest of the west when the best of the best hook up on the 22nd i doubt if they win this year but they will make some noise atleast 2nd round of the playoffs and when k-mart come back next year it’s a wrap
Jan.22 at 11:20 pm
amber says:
man….carmelo and allen is look n 2 sexi….! get em boiz….!!!!!!!
Jan.23 at 4:46 pm
tweetybirdladie901@myspace says:
yall bout 2 do sum searious damage 2 boyh of yall stay lookin good
Apr.16 at 10:54 am
Kenyactha Myers says:
Hey yall. Allen this message is for you; everyone out there claims that they are your biggest fan… I laugh in their face. They need to prove it because I surely can. I have your ‘Only The Strong Survive’ on my left shoulder. Love you…
Kenyactha Myers
May.23 at 2:35 pm
Daniela says:
hi Carmelo and Allen you guys are the best and you guys are really cute. Best wishes Daniela
Jul.27 at 10:15 pm
Gabriel says:
esta temporada del 2008 sera la mejor para denver cuando camby uno que da tapones riendoce, kendon marti que es un animal encuanto fuerza, q comience jr.smith que es un jugado completo y melo con A.I que son minimo 55 puntos mas le dan en la cara a los spurs.
Oct.2 at 10:43 am
Alusine says:
That is the most electryfying thing since shaq got traded to miami.
Nov.1 at 10:07 am
Khalil says:
cool
Nov.1 at 10:08 am
Khalil says:
nice work