Oil and water. J-Lo and Ben. T.O. and anyone. Some combinations just aren't meant to blossom. In professional sports, teammates don't have to like each other- Gehrig and Ruth didn't, nor did Oscar Robertson and Jerry Lucas or Barry Bonds and Jeff Kent. The difference in basketball is that players' style and abilties must be well-matched, as only five players play for a team at any given time, and all have some offensive and defensive responsibilities. Their talents must merge for the a team to be successful. Cohesion, not ego, must rule the day. The Denver Nuggets' recent acquisition of Allen Iverson has all the earmarks of a rift waiting to happen.
Carmelo (or is it "Carmela" since his sucker punch of one Knick and retreat from another who stands 5'7") Anthony and Allen Iverson are the two NBA players who take the most shots per game. More than Kobe Bryant, a Shaq-less D-Wade, or LeBron James. Now the two shooters are teammates. Part of what made Anthony effective was the heady playmaking of Andre Miller. On jumpshots and lobs, he benefited from Miller's precise and timely passing. So did the Nuggets' second leading scorer, young J.R. Smith. Eneter Iverson. He can't be "The Answer". Iverson is a star because he fills the basket up- he doesn't share the ball with finishers in the manner of a Steve Nash or Jason Kidd. His stardom is not based on the skills Denver needs most- passing, defending top scorers, or frontcourt strength to aid oft-injured trees Camby, Nene and K-Mart. Iverson handles the basketball an awful lot, and has a scorer's mentality. He will play two weeks before Anthony or Smith return, in which he will put up a mess of shots. When the suspended duo come back, he will not be able to shift mindsets to think of where they like to score from, when they have mismatches, or how to play the defense like a fiddle to exploit their gifts. He has not played with players of their talent level, even in college. The two best scorers he teamed with in Philly, Jerry Stackhouse and Larry Hughes, both asked out.
Look at recent NBA history. Marbury didn't wish to share the spotllight with Garnett, McGrady with Carter, nor Kobe with Shaq. All those who sought separation were scorers. Scoring is built into their contract incentives, their All-Star votes, their endorsement appeal, their image, their Hall of Fame potential. Beating their defender is something they think they can do at all times, regardless of who is guarding or has left a teammate. Jordan and Pippen worked because both players were long, could shut down offensive threats, possessed multiple skills, and wanted to win above all else. Shaq and Wade do well because the Big Guy plays inside, doesn't need to handle the ball, has a defensive role, and needs scoring help at this point in his career. Stockton and Malone were Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison- hoops version. Unselfish stars such as Hakeem Olajuwon and Tim Duncan could have played with anyone (neither was a 28-point-a-game scorer). In the NBA West, neither Iverson nor Anthony is capable of shutting down the best players on the other teams- Amare Stoudamire, Dirk Nowitzki, Duncan, Kobe. Is Anthony mature enough to be a co-star? What will the effect on J.R. Smith be? Can Coach George Karl deal with the changes? If not, what of Iverson and the Rocky Mountain media? Its focus will be on him in a way it never concentrated on Andre Miller.
When will NBA g.m.'s learn there is more to basketball than adding stars to star-studded lineups? Have they forgotten about Portland's experiment with Rasheed Wallace, Dale Davis, Shawn Kemp, J.R. Rider and Rod Strickland? How the Lakers' triangle offense lacked sufficient shots for Rider or Glen Rice? Mashburn in Miami? Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker? League precedent does not favor a Rocky Mountain High for AI. More like rocky times.
