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Originally Posted by sev  I have followed AI situation at detroit.
Denver's improvement isnt because of AI leaving. They have got back Nene from cancer ( he didnt play last season). Plus they added billups, dahntay jones, balkman, andersen, petro. So you see they are 6/12 new team.50 % a new team. Its not fair to compare last year team with this one.
And their starting line up 3/5 is new ( jones, billups, nene) over the last year.. |
Johan Petro played in 27 games averaging 8 minutes
Balkman played 54 games averaging 14 minutes
Jones was a valuable addition (he played in the NBDL last year)
Birdman also (he was banned from playing for 2 years for Drugs) & he was 2nd in the league in Blocks (after Dwight Howard)
And of course Chauncey Billups the biggest addition for them this year
they went from the middle to last pack in the playoffs in the west to a 2nd seeded team this year
& u can quote George Carl praising the trade numerous times & discrediting AI 3 months ago after a victory
& they finished with 54 victories tying their franchise record
so u can say that Jones & Birdman did make a difference & but the biggest difference is the arrival of Chauncey instead of AI (i can add also that the numbers of Melo were down this year ;) )
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Detroit situation is different. AI is not a bench player, so him refusing to come off the bench is reasonable.A player with his status, its an insult to tell him you are bench player. remind you, AI was on his day the most popular player in the league ( 2001). And today he is still top 5 popular player. His jersey sales is always top 5.. ( check the latest top 5, it was kobe/lebron/garnett/paul and then AI )
AI didnt play at the end of the year. Yet how did detroit play better off without him? They lost to the sixers, bulls, INDIANA and miami. all without AI. They could have finished 5th, and ended 8th! what did they do vs cavs in the playoffs?? Not a single match they made a fight, despite during the regular season they won cleveland with AI..
Detroit's problem are more down to the rookie coach they hired. It was his first season coaching, and he made numerous mistakes . Especially changing
the starting line up around 12 times ( not because of injuries)...
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im not arguing that AI is or is not a popular player
Hell yeah he is what im saying & debating is what u said here
yes Curry is a rookie coach but yes AI didnt want to go down a lil bit from hi ego back to the earth
Rip was their SG for 6 + seasons & yet he accepted to be playing on the bench & let AI be the starter & the results were disastrous & when the caoch wanted to switch sides their won at first but when they started loosing ballach ya3te 7ejaj he is injured w ma ba3rif chou & he was back after some games & then rejji3 wa2af ba3den
Maybe he could have finished his career a la Steve Smith or A la Michael Finley playing a reduced role for a contending team but due to his selfishness & big ego no team will sign him this summer (maybe Bobcats or Knicks) because no one will pay him Superstar money specially taking into account his age