Allen Iverson Prefers His New Teammates

In Denver, Allen Iverson, Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith co-existed. They all scored, and no one hogged the ball. It was not an incompatible grouping.

But in Detroit, the Pistons take it one step further: they actually help each other get buckets. Iverson debuted with Detroit last night. The team lost, but A.I. likes the selflessness he saw from his new mates.

"The game is a lot easier playing with these guys," Iverson said. "They're so unselfish. All they care about is winning. So many guys can do so many things, and they make it much easier for me."

After two years in Denver, is this an indictment of 'Melo? Again, the Nuggets did little more than co-exist. If Anthony made things easier for Iverson, it came only in terms of relieving pressure, diverting on-court attention. By Rip Hamitlon, Tayshaun Prince, Rasheed Wallace ... those fellows are excellent passers and defense-stretching shooters.

It also doesn't hurt that Detroit boasts the best defensive team A.I. has been surrounded with since the 2000-01 Sixers ... who went to the Finals. Iverson was more prolific those days, but he's certainly become a more efficient player of late. The loss to New Jersey doesn't seem indicative of what this squad could be capable of.

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