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In an Insider piece, Thorpe goes into great detail about how Allen Iverson is a great fit with Denver's high-octane offense (one point: more possessions means more touches for everybody, and happier teammates) and in the half court George Karl loves two-man games. You don't need a Ph.D. in Xs and Os to figure out that a  Carmelo Anthony/Allen Iverson two-man game is tough to defend.



Then Thorpe says he thinks J.R. Smith could benefit the most from Allen Iverson's presence:

In my opinion, Iverson is an extreme competitor who wants to win, and he will have no problem helping his teammate go off for 40-plus points and piling up the assists -- if the team wins.



Smith should benefit the most from having Iverson as a teammate. Smith's questionable maturity has cost him the respect of many players in the league and some of his teammates. He has been less than professional at times -- and I'm not referring to the fight.



Iverson will be on a mission in Denver, and he carries with him the strongest street cred in the league. Smith will be far more attentive to detail now, rather than risk upsetting Iverson.



I expect practice to be far more productive than most experts believe, as I've personally seen Iverson practice in an All-Star setting while in college. He was without a doubt the most energized player in practice. That team included future pros such as Tim Duncan, Lorenzen Wright and Chucky Atkins, but A.I. carried the energy for the entire team. It's hard to be motivated each day during an eight-month season, but Iverson will be re-energized in Denver as the Nuggets stay in the hunt all season as a true contender.



While Anthony and Smith will get their looks, I worry about the Denver bigs. Camby and Nene must adjust to being secondary and tertiary offensive options on most nights and must work at sprinting and going to the glass to get their touches.



People doubted Miami's roster last season all the way up to the parade down Brickell Avenue, skeptical that veteran scorers would be able to mold their games anew and allow Dwyane Wade to fully blossom. They should not make the same mistake again. Iverson will inject the Nuggets' franchise with passion and pride experienced thus far in Denver only by the Broncos, and if his teammates can match his determination to win, Denver will join the NBA elite.