The Genius of the Allen Iverson Trade: Gone

When Allen Iverson was traded to the Pistons, I wrote a post about how smart the Pistons were. The trade positioned them to be major players in free agency in their choice of years -- 2009 or 2010. With (then) a winning tradition, a big fanbase, a talented roster and a general manager with a stellar reputation, the Pistons looked to be in position to add some extraordinary pieces. At the time, I threw around names like LeBron James and Chris Bosh. Now they are a team with a fired coach, several key veterans with one foot out the door, and good players who don't appear to fit well together. Today the talk is that the Pistons have their sights set on Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva. Both players are good, of course. But nothing like Chris Bosh and LeBron James, you know? I find the Gordon story particularly perplexing. He needs the ball and playing time to do what he does, which is also true of Rip Hamilton and Rodney Stuckey. I can't imagine how this is the first step in re...