Bee: Artest now sees Denver as threat

[VF21]

And in the "well, duh" category:

http://www.sacbee.com/100/story/95446.html

Artest now sees Denver as threat
By Joe Davidson - Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:00 am PST Wednesday, December 20, 2006

At first, he joked about it. Then Ron Artest wasn't laughing so much. Artest, who made waves with his trade from Indiana to the Kings last season, suddenly views the Denver Nuggets as a team to fear.

When told figuratively after Tuesday's practice that he could draw Allen Iverson in the guard's possible Nuggets debut Friday, Artest exhaled, then cracked, "Who, Mike Bibby?" in clarifying exactly whom would draw "The Answer."

Artest said that humorously, then turned serious in realizing that Denver might be a factor in an already stacked Western Conference.

"That's going to make them a better team," Artest said of the deal. "They're going to be a hell of a team. ... Iverson and (Marcus) Camby and Carmelo (Anthony) and J.R. Smith. Shoot. That's dangerous. That's big-time dangerous.

"They don't have a lot of outside shooters, but if they can shoot the ball, it's over. Can't be too many teams (who can keep up with them)."

And for a man who fears no opponent and seemingly wants to guard every top-tier talent in the league, Artest admitted Iverson very well might be the toughest player to cover because of his quickness.

"I've guarded him a little before," Artest said. "It's not easy to guard him. I wouldn't mind, though."

 

[HighFlyingMonkey]

Straight from the "No ****, Sherlock" zone.

 

[DaMan]

man, every team in the west is a threat to the kings lol.

 

[BMiller52]

Kind of off topic, but is Ron jealous?

 

[Variant]

The Aggies are a threat to the Kings.

 

[SLAB]

Kind of off topic, but is Ron jealous?

Well his teammates are Mike Bibby, Kevin Martin, Brad Miller, etc etc.

The Nuggets have Melo, Iverson, Camby, JR Smith.

I can't speak for him, but I know I am jealous.

 

[ShatteredVision]

I'd be jealous too if I didn't get to play in state of the art accomodations.

We totally need Arco Thunder again...

 

[Evenstar]

i'm not too worried about denver

AI means less touches for carmelo

 

[Roman]

I just don't see this working out. I could definitely be wrong though.

The amount of ego on that team might present problems. If AI plays like a real teammate then Denver could be nasty! If he plays like AI - I wonder how he'll squash Carmelo?

 

[Macto420]

carmelo wont get squashed, at the end of the day its melo's team..no matter what you think or what denvers fans thinkor what a.i. thinks, the franchise player is melo, and the organization kno ws that and will back him over iverson 100 percent

 

[Roman]

carmelo wont get squashed, at the end of the day its melo's team..no matter what you think or what denvers fans thinkor what a.i. thinks, the franchise player is melo, and the organization kno ws that and will back him over iverson 100 percent

You can say that - but what do you do if Iverson plays like Iverson? Taking 25 shots and not getting Melo involved?

Sit him? Sit your 13MM asset on the bench?

Could be real trouble.

Especially considering AI will have 15 games to help mold this team to his style.

 

[NugzFan]

carmelo wont get squashed, at the end of the day its melo's team..no matter what you think or what denvers fans thinkor what a.i. thinks, the franchise player is melo, and the organization kno ws that and will back him over iverson 100 percent

agreed - and i think AI knows it and accepts it (based on what he says).

 

[NugzFan]

You can say that - but what do you do if Iverson plays like Iverson? Taking 25 shots and not getting Melo involved?

Sit him? Sit your 13MM asset on the bench?

Could be real trouble.

Especially considering AI will have 15 games to help mold this team to his style.

thats not happening. first of all, in our style there will be plenty of shots to go around for AI and melo and others as well. 2nd, AI knows this isnt his team, he knows this is his chance to win. 3rd, their styles work together - they wont get in each others way.

plus it helps that BOTH guys wanted AI in denver.

of course it COULD be real trouble (no one is ignoring the HUGE risk) but again, what trade has no risk? and how can denver say no to this deal? how can they say no to potentially getting really good?

 

[VF21]

thats not happening. first of all, in our style there will be plenty of shots to go around for AI and melo and others as well. 2nd, AI knows this isnt his team, he knows this is his chance to win. 3rd, their styles work together - they wont get in each others way.

plus it helps that BOTH guys wanted AI in denver.

of course it COULD be real trouble (no one is ignoring the HUGE risk) but again, what trade has no risk? and how can denver say no to this deal? how can they say no to potentially getting really good?

You don't know what's going to happen, NugzFan. As I mentioned in another thread, I can understand you being excited about this for your team. But please understand - we aren't wearing Denver-colored glasses. We don't see this the same way you do. Here on a Kings message board, we're more apt to look at what could conceivably go wrong...

You aren't going to change any of our minds, especially not before Iverson has even arrived in Denver.

I think you need to understand that we will NEVER see this the same way you do.

One thing? Comparing this trade to any other trade is just silly. There's a reason there weren't a plethora of offers for Iverson. There's a reason you got him at a bargain basement price. You could end up with a real steal or you could end up wishing you had never heard the name Allen Iverson. It's a huge gamble.

 

[BigSong]

i dont think it was a huge gamble, couple a picks and miller. that is very as you say bargain basement. and considering that the nuggets will probably seed high, those picks arent going to amount to much. to me this was a steal, even if things dont go smoothly the nuggets can probably ship AI out at the beginning of next season, heck we might get em.

 

[KingKong]

Denver is certainly a threat to the Spurs, Mavs, Suns & Lakers. But definately not a threat to the Kings.

 

[Oscar]

Artest should worry less about Denver and more about his shooting choices.

 

[VF21]

i dont think it was a huge gamble, couple a picks and miller. that is very as you say bargain basement. and considering that the nuggets will probably seed high, those picks arent going to amount to much. to me this was a steal, even if things dont go smoothly the nuggets can probably ship AI out at the beginning of next season, heck we might get em.

The gamble wasn't the personnel that left Denver. The gamble is the whole idea there being anywhere near enough touches for Iverson and Anthony. AND, as has been touched upon before, the idea of Iverson buying in to George Karl's style of coaching.

If things don't go smoothly, I'm not so certain at all the Nuggets will be able to ship AI out as easily as you seem to think. Contrary to what he and the Sixers would like people to believe, there wasn't THAT much interest in him this time around. If he messes up in Denver, there aren't going to be a lot of teams willing to take him off the Nuggets' hands.

 

[Warhawk]

If things don't go smoothly, I'm not so certain at all the Nuggets will be able to ship AI out as easily as you seem to think. Contrary to what he and the Sixers would like people to believe, there wasn't THAT much interest in him this time around. If he messes up in Denver, there aren't going to be a lot of teams willing to take him off the Nuggets' hands.

Yeah, look at Philly trying to move Webber or Denver and Nene. I know it's an injury vs. attitude with Webber/Nene and AI, but you get the point. Large contracts can be hard to move sometimes and get anything decent back....

 

[Bricklayer]

Oh come now...its Allen Iverson. Until/unless he starts slowing down there will always be some team willing to trade for him. Big issue this time was him more or less trying to contol where he went, and it being midseason when such an acquisition would be hard to fit into a team concept midstream. And 28 teams (according to reports) called anyway. Maybe the only one who didn't at that rate being the Spurs.


As an aside, George Karl, for all of his myriad faults, actually had a lot of success coaching Gary Payton. I have no idea who can coach A.I., but Karl (friend of Larry Brown's too) would seem to have as good a shot as anybody.

 

[VF21]

Yes, it's Allen Iverson. And I think he's a bigger time bomb than Ron Artest... especially put into a situation where he's completely and totally out of his element, meaning he's not the only clear shooter on the team. If you're #1, how willing are you going to be to share the ball with #2?

Hey, if I'm wrong I'll have no problem saying so, but I truly believe this gambit has a bigger potential for disaster than our Peja-Artest deal.

 

[Roman]

Hey, if I'm wrong I'll have no problem saying so, but I truly believe this gambit has a bigger potential for disaster than our Peja-Artest deal.

But just that - but we were horrible at the time. We were bottom of the barrel.