When Joe Dumars’ Detroit Pistons lost to Boston in the Eastern Conference Finals last year, he warned the team that no one was safe. And when he meant no one, I think he really meant no one.

In a move that has me scratching my head like I’ve got a bad case of lice, the Pistons have dealt Chauncey Billups, one of the best point guards in the league, to Denver in return for Allen Iverson, one of the bigger ball-hogs in the league that has pretty much proven he can’t win a championship.

“We just felt it was the right time to change our team,” Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars told The Associated Press. “Iverson gives us a dimension that we haven’t had here and we really think it’s going to help us.”

Maybe this thing really, really works out. Maybe having AI’s scoring with Sheed’s ability to shoot from wherever and Rip’s offensive prowess… well, it sounds good on paper. Maybe they’re trying to be the Big Three much like Boston’s Big Three, only Boston’s Big Three is much, much better, and plays much, much more defense.

On the flip side of that trade, I’ve gotta believe Denver betters itself by getting a guy who can score but, more importantly, someone that can really be a setup guy for ‘Melo, something they lacked while AI was in town.