# AI observations



## darth-horax

I used to be the biggest AI fan in the world...until he became a pro and turned all thug life on us.

However, admittedly, I have stopped watching him over teh past fwe years altogether due to media bias and stories saying how crazy he is.

Lately, since the Nuggs picked him up, I've been watching earnestly again. I must say that I'm impressed. He's older and wiser than he ever was. He doesnt' dunk on people anymore, but he is so smart when it comes to spreading the defense. 

I admit that I'm shocked at how good his passing really is, and how much extra he brings to the table. It's only been 3 games, but he's always first off of the bench to congratulate or lift up a teammate when needed. He gets everybody involved and makes them better when he's on the floor.

I never knew how much he had matured.

Saying these things makes me want to make some predictions:
1) When Melo and JR get back, Melo's scoring will go up.
2) AI will average around 38-30 ppg, but his assists will rocket to around 12/13 game.
3) JR will launch more 3's than ever before...but he'll be open more often, which will make it harder for defenses to sag down on the post.

I think that AI will be the team leader adn captain, but Melo will learn what it takes to be a total team player. I think Melo will get a lot more open shots, whcih will resutl in more points. I think it will also show Melo that assists and rebounds are just as important as points when it comes to winning.

I'm looking forward to seeing what the Nuggs can do down the stretch.

here's to a long season! :cheers:


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## Sliccat

I seriously doubt that both of their scores will go up or the 12-13 ast. average.


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## darth-horax

Ha! I re-read it, and realized my typo.

I did NOT mean 38-30...I meant 28-30 ppg, which is lower, with the higher assists.

My bad.


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## RoddneyThaRippa

darth-horax said:


> I used to be the biggest AI fan in the world...until he became a pro and turned all thug life on us.
> 
> However, admittedly, I have stopped watching him over teh past fwe years altogether due to media bias and stories saying how crazy he is.
> 
> Lately, since the Nuggs picked him up, I've been watching earnestly again. I must say that I'm impressed. He's older and wiser than he ever was. He doesnt' dunk on people anymore, but he is so smart when it comes to spreading the defense.
> 
> I admit that I'm shocked at how good his passing really is, and how much extra he brings to the table. It's only been 3 games, but he's always first off of the bench to congratulate or lift up a teammate when needed. He gets everybody involved and makes them better when he's on the floor.
> 
> I never knew how much he had matured.
> 
> Saying these things makes me want to make some predictions:
> 1) When Melo and JR get back, Melo's scoring will go up.
> 2) AI will average around 38-30 ppg, but his assists will rocket to around 12/13 game.
> 3) JR will launch more 3's than ever before...but he'll be open more often, which will make it harder for defenses to sag down on the post.
> 
> I think that AI will be the team leader adn captain, but Melo will learn what it takes to be a total team player. I think Melo will get a lot more open shots, whcih will resutl in more points. I think it will also show Melo that assists and rebounds are just as important as points when it comes to winning.
> 
> I'm looking forward to seeing what the Nuggs can do down the stretch.
> 
> here's to a long season! :cheers:



If you were foolish enough to think those things about Iverson before, don't jump on the bandwagon now.


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## nbanoitall

RoddneyThaRippa said:


> If you were foolish enough to think those things about Iverson before, don't jump on the bandwagon now.


there are two sides to the AI story. You can go with the "guy didnt get any help in philly story" or you can go with the ball hog chucker story.

how well he works out in denver over the long haul will prove either theory. If AI is cool with lower scoring and an outrageous amount of assists then its all good. Based on the past couple of games.... it is believable.

But still, I want to see it work with me long term before I start calling the nuggets serious contenders. Talentwise, the Nuggets are up there with any team. How well will it mesh.


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## Dre

AI's playing just how I thought he would. You could tell from watching All Star games and the olympics that he could be a top flight _point guard,_ and he's showing it in Denver. He's getting good looks off penetration, which is so what the Nuggets needed. 

They have a lot of people who like to shoot, but AI penetrates about %70 of the time, and all of those times you're gonna get points out of that. He's perfect in Denver because of the pace of the system.


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## melo4life

i think that when carmelo gets back iverson's assists will get a lot higher and carmelo will stay around his average points, or maybe jump a bit higher


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## Dre

I don't think they'll necessarily get higher, because instead of hitting Dermarr for spotup shots, it'll be Melo, and Dermarr and Diawara's time will be cut.


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## Dragnsmke1

RoddneyThaRippa said:


> If you were foolish enough to think those things about Iverson before, don't jump on the bandwagon now.



when I first read the original post, this is pretty much what I was thinking...


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## white360

I think this can give Camby more points also.
As Iverson is quick enough to drive to the hoop and then dish it off to Camby and an easy basket. I hope to seet this often.


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## Sliccat

RoddneyThaRippa said:


> If you were foolish enough to think those things about Iverson before, don't jump on the bandwagon now.


Right, because people aren't supposed to learn, or admit their mistakes. That would be stupid.


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## Kuskid

white360 said:


> I think this can give Camby more points also.
> As Iverson is quick enough to drive to the hoop and then dish it off to Camby and an easy basket. I hope to seet this often.


Camby falls in love with the 18 footer sometimes too, which isn't necessarily a bad thing when it's falling. I expect him to be shooting that that 18 foot just inside the top of the key shot even more now with AI getting it to him once he draws help going towards the rim.


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## Sliccat

Not so much. That's not how big men with Iverson work. They rush for offensive boards, and will get his bail out passes.


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## white360

Sliccat said:


> Not so much. That's not how big men with Iverson work. They rush for offensive boards, and will get his bail out passes.


That is true but maybe AI should change his game and he should work with the big men. It would create a better offensive game and the defenders would have more to do than only focsuing on AI and Melo, and that would create opportunities underneath the basket. Movement is always good.


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## Kuskid

Sliccat said:


> Not so much. That's not how big men with Iverson work. They rush for offensive boards, and will get his bail out passes.


Unfortunately that is how Camby works a majority of the time. :tongue: The dude just takes a lot of foul line to top of the key jump shots. My guess is you'll see more of Nene and Evans diving and finishing at the rim than Camby. Obviously he can still get there, but he doesn't do it very consistently.


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## Dre

It's always nice to say on message boards that a player should learn to pass more..but it's just his game. I mean it's been 10 years, take it or leave it. 

Even still I disagree with Slicc. The problem with the Sixers big men is that they were incapable of scoring. They couldn't just take the zip they got off his penetration and slam it in. Part of that is his fault too, because they were surprised a lot too, and that goes back to him not passing it all that much. But the Denver move seems to be an overrall mentality change. He believes in his teammates now for the most part, as he should, because they were established offensively before he got there. 

Camby, Nene, and Kmart, if he gets healthy are all guys that will benefit off his penetration, because they rely on dunking it off easy looks. You've seen him kick it out to Boykins and Johnson, and a lot of those passes are harder than a simple dumpoff to Camby will be.


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## 77AJ

AI is doing just what I thought he would do coming here to Denver. He's playing great, and will only get better as he gets more comfortable on the court with his new team. Also he turns the Nuggets into legit contenders who can knock off the Spurs/Mavs to go to the finals. Check my earlier posts in this forum regarding a possible AI trade coming to Denver for evidence. 

Let's Go Nuggets!


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## Dre

I'm just glad Denver finally got their 2. Now the Clippers need to finally get that star they're always in the hunt for. They've seriously been in negotiaions for every star thats been available the past two years.


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## Sliccat

> Even still I disagree with Slicc. The problem with the Sixers big men is that they were incapable of scoring. They couldn't just take the zip they got off his penetration and slam it in. Part of that is his fault too, because they were surprised a lot too, and that goes back to him not passing it all that much. But the Denver move seems to be an overrall mentality change. He believes in his teammates now for the most part, as he should, because they were established offensively before he got there.


What does that have to do with what I said?


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## Dre

Sliccat said:


> What does that have to do with what I said?


You were talking about how you thought big men worked with AI and I replied with my opinion on how it actually works.


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## RoddneyThaRippa

nbanoitall said:


> there are two sides to the AI story. You can go with the "guy didnt get any help in philly story" or you can go with the ball hog chucker story.
> 
> how well he works out in denver over the long haul will prove either theory. If AI is cool with lower scoring and an outrageous amount of assists then its all good. Based on the past couple of games.... it is believable.
> 
> But still, I want to see it work with me long term before I start calling the nuggets serious contenders. Talentwise, the Nuggets are up there with any team. How well will it mesh.


I was talking more specifically about the Darth-Hoax "thug life" comment (who just so happens to now have an "all-thug team" signature), although it applies to the basketball part of him too. 

I can buy your argument just fine. Personally, I didn't see a whole lot of Iverson's games when his was in Philadelphia, so I don't feel completely qualified to talk about his game. However, I saw enough to understand the situation: the team was pretty awful. If you think about the "scoring options" he had when he was there, I think his amount of shots were justifiable. Unfortunately, no team can succeed with a single player taking that many shots, and Iverson's stubborness prevented him from seeing this. That said, looking at the Olympics, I find it odd that people could not envision Iverson as a true point guard.


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## RoddneyThaRippa

And by the way...

The Philadelphia theorum is working out in Denver right now. Surrounded by a lack of talent, Iverson continues to distribute the ball to wide open players - and they continue to miss...and we continue to lose.


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## RoddneyThaRippa

Sliccat said:


> Right, because people aren't supposed to learn, or admit their mistakes. That would be stupid.


I don't see it as an honest mistake. I see it as soemone buying into all the media hype and allowing someone else to think for them. 

I still have a hard time understanding why people refer to Iverson as a thug. It is nothing more than a media concoction. People who buy into that shouldn't be let off the hook.


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## Dynasty Raider

Saw this caption in a gallery of AI photos in the LA Times. We had forgotten what a money maker this guy is when it comes to selling merchandise.

" ... The impact of Iverson has been felt in more ways than just on the court. The Altitude Authentics Team Store has *sold 1,700 Iverson jerseys in the last week*."

Expect that to continue or increase when Melo and JR returns and the team plays their exciting brand of bball.

Remember, he was the leading jersey seller every year until every one had his Philly jersey and there was no need to buy another. NOW, the same trend will follow w/Nugget jerseys. You can bet, Reebok is busy designing a shoe for the Nuggets.

Gotta love him ... it.


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## Julo

I doubt that Melo and AI will average over 30 each when both are on the court. Probrably more like 27/24


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## CocaineisaHelluvaDrug

RoddneyThaRippa said:


> I don't see it as an honest mistake. I see it as soemone buying into all the media hype and allowing someone else to think for them.
> 
> I still have a hard time understanding why people refer to Iverson as a thug. It is nothing more than a media concoction. People who buy into that shouldn't be let off the hook.


sliccat is an iverson hater and regularly shows his lack of knowledge on both the sixer and nugget forums that he moderates 

Personally i`ve given up reading his posts because he`s not a fan of anything except his keyboard IMO


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## Sliccat

www.starbury.com said:


> sliccat is an iverson hater and regularly shows his lack of knowledge on both the sixer and nugget forums that he moderates
> 
> Personally i`ve given up reading his posts because he`s not a fan of anything except his keyboard IMO


I'm an iverson hater? You, my friend, have issues.


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## DieSlow69

Sliccat said:


> I'm an iverson hater? You, my friend, have issues.


Hello Everyone, I'm a Philly poster and just wanted to see what you guys were thinking of my boi Iverson. Nice assessment some of you guys have......


To Slic
I agree with you Slicatt....www.starbury.com has plenty of issues. He seems to like to attack guys then runs and hides when you point something out to him that he's totally wrong about. And he swears to god that he has the holy bible/koran on the game of basketball. Dude trips me out because he thinks he knows all and likes to tell other poster they know nothing. I have been posting with you on the philly boards for awhile and I just wanted to put my 2cents in that your not a AI hater. I like www.star post sometimes but a lot of times he shows his mental issues!


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## darth-horax

Did anybody actually re-read the post? I said in my second post that I mistyped...I said Melo's points go up, and AI's go down, but his assists go up.

It's nice taht the Nuggets are losing right now, cause AI will see that he can't do it by himself, and he'll be happy to get Melo the ball.

I can call AI a thug all I want, becuase that's what he is.

If you can't see that, you're just blind.


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## Kuskid

horax that's your opinion, whatever. But if you've got any interest in changing your perspective (which is not how it seems), go to your local bookstore, pick up Only the Strong Survive by Larry Platt. Read it, and if you're still that quick to pass judgement on the man than you're a lost cause. The fact that you're defending your position without offering any type of explanation or evidence makes me question why you think this. And why wasn't AI a thug until he turned pro?


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## Sliccat

darth-horax said:


> Did anybody actually re-read the post? I said in my second post that I mistyped...I said Melo's points go up, and AI's go down, but his assists go up.
> 
> It's nice taht the Nuggets are losing right now, cause AI will see that he can't do it by himself, and he'll be happy to get Melo the ball.
> 
> I can call AI a thug all I want, becuase that's what he is.
> 
> If you can't see that, you're just blind.


Allen Iverson: "Man, I'm 31 and I have four kids. I hope I'm not a thug."

Besides, if you're calling AI a thug, you don't know what the word means.


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## Ruff Draft

I bet everyone in the starting five gets a boost. AI is going to have a lot of fun.


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## Dre

darth-horax said:


> I can call AI a thug all I want, becuase that's what he is.
> 
> If you can't see that, you're just blind.


Well, I can tell you to shut the **** up, cause that's what you should do. 

If you don't do that, you're just gonna prove yourself a bigger *** everytime you post.


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## darth-horax

At least I'm not stupid enough to make personal insults over an internet message board.

I like Iverson, but after reading a lot of his interviews in SLAM over the past decade, you get a little sick of him. He's been pushed down our throats for years, talking about how good he is and what he's done.

Don't get me wrong, I love him as a player, and since coming to Denver I've gotten more of a chance to see him on a regular basis, including reading his quotes in the papers. He seems much more mature than he used to be, and he's a more rounded player than SportsCenter gives him credit for.

The media has made him out to be a chucker, which he really isn't. He has great drive and a desire to win, which is nice.

I actually think that he'll be much happier when Carmelo gets back. He knows he cant' do it all by himself now. Back in the day, he thought he could.


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## Kuskid

You still haven't really defended your position at all. What's a thug? What makes Allen Iverson one? It sounds like you just don't like him.


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## darth-horax

Fine, I'll run it down.

The way he carries himself, his bling, his tatts, his cornrows, the fact that he's black. 

Just kidding.

LIke I said, it was from things I've read over the years, nothing extraordinary that stands out in my mind, like Latrell Sprewell. His thugishness doesn't need defending.

I do like AI, and, like posted earlier, he's proving what I've read in the media wrong, and I'm glad thus far.


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## jericho

I've followed his game and personality since high school (and talked to his lawyer during his high school legal problems), and I do sense that he's matured emotionally over the past few years. Great to see. I'm not thrilled to start seeing these low shooting % games in Denver, that partly characterized his years in Philly. Hopefully that will level off a bit once J.R. and Carmelo both return, and there are fewer reasons for Iverson to force so many shots.


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## RoddneyThaRippa

www.starbury.com said:


> sliccat is an iverson hater and regularly shows his lack of knowledge on both the sixer and nugget forums that he moderates
> 
> Personally i`ve given up reading his posts because he`s not a fan of anything except his keyboard IMO


Uh, you must be talking about darth-hoax. I believe sliccat is the biggest Iverson fan on the board, unless I'm getting him confused with dre.


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## RoddneyThaRippa

darth-horax said:


> Did anybody actually re-read the post? I said in my second post that I mistyped...I said Melo's points go up, and AI's go down, but his assists go up.
> 
> It's nice taht the Nuggets are losing right now, cause AI will see that he can't do it by himself, and he'll be happy to get Melo the ball.
> 
> I can call AI a thug all I want, becuase that's what he is.
> 
> If you can't see that, you're just blind.


OK, so to avoid the semantics, what is your definition of a thug?


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## RoddneyThaRippa

darth-horax said:


> Fine, I'll run it down.
> 
> The way he carries himself, his bling, his tatts, his cornrows, the fact that he's black.
> 
> Just kidding.
> 
> LIke I said, it was from things I've read over the years, nothing extraordinary that stands out in my mind, like Latrell Sprewell. His thugishness doesn't need defending.
> 
> I do like AI, and, like posted earlier, he's proving what I've read in the media wrong, and I'm glad thus far.


Well, I can't say I'm surprised that this opinion is coming from a 31 year-old from Colorado Springs. You must live in the Broadmoor area.


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## melo4life

do you think his opinion is good or bad??


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## nbanoitall

RoddneyThaRippa said:


> Well, I can't say I'm surprised that this opinion is coming from a 31 year-old from Colorado Springs. You must live in the Broadmoor area.


 
exactly why a lot of analysts thought bringing AI to colorado is a risky move. Its the honeymoon, and they haven't been proven wrong until he plays well with Melo. 

You cant get pissed at the fans that think he is a thug, and you can't get pissed at the ones that think its going to work out great (he's matured, a good guy etc)

You can point to the lack of quality players around him, or you can call him a hog. At least finally everyone is going to find out just who Allen Iverson is.


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## RoddneyThaRippa

nbanoitall said:


> exactly why a lot of analysts thought bringing AI to colorado is a risky move. Its the honeymoon, and they haven't been proven wrong until he plays well with Melo.
> 
> You cant get pissed at the fans that think he is a thug, and you can't get pissed at the ones that think its going to work out great (he's matured, a good guy etc)
> 
> You can point to the lack of quality players around him, or you can call him a hog. At least finally everyone is going to find out just who Allen Iverson is.


Well, I was talking specifically about a certain part of Colorado Springs. What analysts and the rest of the country fail to understand about Denver is that it is as urban as it gets. For example, the city had to rework some of its gang policies after 75% of the population of black males between 14 and 25 (or something like that) were placed on the "gang list". Denver really isn't a cow-town. Like everywhere else, it is highly segregated and you have your ignorant people and otherwise.


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## darth-horax

I only WISH I lived in the Broadmoor.

I used to live in Camden, NJ, Atlanta, GA, Atlantic City, NJ...come on. Don't hate on me cause I'm 31 and white.

LIke I've said on here several times, I like Iverson's style of play. I like the fact that he's proving the media (what I've read) wrong. I hope that things stay cool with him and Melo when they get on the floor together.

Nobody has really read what I've posted. 

To sum it up, I loved AI in college, then he got drafted adn his image (whether real or otherwise thought up by the liberal media) turned him into sort of an anti-hero of all things. I loved the way he played, but wasnt' a big fan. He gets moved to Denver, I see thigns up close, I'm glad that HE's proving the media wrong and shownig that he's the same player he was in college, only more mature.


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## nbanoitall

darth-horax said:


> I only WISH I lived in the Broadmoor.
> 
> I used to live in Camden, NJ, Atlanta, GA, Atlantic City, NJ...come on. Don't hate on me cause I'm 31 and white.
> 
> LIke I've said on here several times, I like Iverson's style of play. I like the fact that he's proving the media (what I've read) wrong. I hope that things stay cool with him and Melo when they get on the floor together.
> 
> Nobody has really read what I've posted.
> 
> To sum it up, I loved AI in college, then he got drafted adn his image (whether real or otherwise thought up by the liberal media) turned him into sort of an anti-hero of all things. I loved the way he played, but wasnt' a big fan. He gets moved to Denver, I see thigns up close, I'm glad that HE's proving the media wrong and shownig that he's the same player he was in college, only more mature.


first of all i think you know a lot about the nuggets so dont take what i'm about to say overboard. But to say the liberal media turns AI into an anti hero. Liberals tend to be more accepting of differences. Ask McNabb about that. Seriously, don't blame the liberal media for this. Ask Fox News what they thought of AI the last few years in philly. And see just how accepting of AI those guys would have been. Seriously Colbert and Stewart arent ragging on AI...... lets not blame the democrats for hating AI


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## darth-horax

I didnt' mean to imply that all liberals are democrats.  I used to be a sports editor (in Nebraska of all places-gross), and I'm not a dem.

I just mean that the media likes to twist things, and I've always known this, but it's nice to see how wrong they can be. It seems (so far) that AI is the consummate teammate.


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