ducks
01-31-2006, 09:56 AM
Artest sees playoff berth in his fresh start with Kings
By GREG BEACHAM, AP Sports Writer
January 31, 2006
AP - Jan 30, 8:15 pm EST
More Photos
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- Ron Artest had the demeanor, the diplomacy and even the crisp, pinstriped dress shirt of a man eager for a good impression and yet another fresh start.
In his first trip to the Kings' training complex Monday, Sacramento's controversial swingman acknowledged his new fans might be right to worry about his tumultuous past. But Artest also knows he can only control his future with the Kings, who acquired him from Indiana in a trade for Peja Stojakovic last week.
While meeting team staff, answering questions and touring his new home, Artest even predicted the last-place Kings will reach the playoffs this season, despite their 18-26 record after a 1-5 East Coast road trip.
"I like reaching for the stars," Artest said. "Once this team gets adjusted to each other, I feel like we're one of the better teams in the league. ... We've got an opportunity to do something special here."
That's a tantalizing thought from a tantalizing player who already intrigues the Kings' famously loyal constituency, from owners Joe and Gavin Maloof to the fans who have sold out 292 consecutive home games. Artest should expect a huge ovation when he makes his home debut against the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night.
But Artest's charm and humility are all too familiar to the Pacers, who finally gave up on him after nearly four years of tolerance for his idiosyncrasies. The honeymoon period never lasts with Artest -- but he claims he can be a long-term asset to his third NBA team.
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"This is one time I want to prove people wrong, that I can be a better person," Artest said. "There's things that I can do different. I just want to prove to people that those things can be better."
Artest sat out 73 games and the playoffs last season after the infamous brawl in the Detroit stands. He was deactivated this season after requesting a trade in mid-December, even though he apparently regretted the request days later.
Artest still has trouble articulating exactly what went wrong in Indiana, but he freely acknowledges it was his own fault.
"As much as I loved Indiana, for some reason I felt a lot of frustration there," Artest said. "It just feels like a weight off my shoulders now. ... Maybe earlier, if I'd told the appropriate people about my frustrations, it would have worked out different."
But if Artest needs to avoid the spotlight that's followed him from St. John's to Chicago to Indiana, he couldn't find a much more comfortable spot than Sacramento.
From Chris Webber to Bonzi Wells, other stars who arrived in Northern California with spotty reputations have been good citizens and standout players under the watch of coach Rick Adelman and president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie. There's little national media glare, and the Kings have a culture of success despite this season's struggles.
It's no secret Artest has received an embarrassment of second chances because of his remarkable talent, including a hard-nosed defensive intensity that just might help transform the Kings into the tough defensive team imagined by the Maloofs and Petrie, who knows Artest's on-court attitude is something Sacramento has lacked.
"He's here to work and give the best effort that he can give," Petrie said. "You also get the sense he's not willing to concede anything, which is great for the attitude of our team and where we find ourselves at."
Artest, formerly an All-Star and the NBA's defensive player of the year, pronounced himself rested, clear-headed and ready to help Sacramento's dramatically reconfigured lineup. Sacramento lost to Boston and Toronto after the trade, but Artest played surprisingly well, with 39 points and 15 rebounds in the two games.
He still isn't in basketball shape -- but he also isn't tired after playing just 23 games in the past two seasons before the trade.
"I think I can help, but not (as) the savior," Artest said. "I can bring hustle. I can bring clutch shots. Every possession, every second of the game, I just try to play it the right way, play it hard."
By GREG BEACHAM, AP Sports Writer
January 31, 2006
AP - Jan 30, 8:15 pm EST
More Photos
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- Ron Artest had the demeanor, the diplomacy and even the crisp, pinstriped dress shirt of a man eager for a good impression and yet another fresh start.
In his first trip to the Kings' training complex Monday, Sacramento's controversial swingman acknowledged his new fans might be right to worry about his tumultuous past. But Artest also knows he can only control his future with the Kings, who acquired him from Indiana in a trade for Peja Stojakovic last week.
While meeting team staff, answering questions and touring his new home, Artest even predicted the last-place Kings will reach the playoffs this season, despite their 18-26 record after a 1-5 East Coast road trip.
"I like reaching for the stars," Artest said. "Once this team gets adjusted to each other, I feel like we're one of the better teams in the league. ... We've got an opportunity to do something special here."
That's a tantalizing thought from a tantalizing player who already intrigues the Kings' famously loyal constituency, from owners Joe and Gavin Maloof to the fans who have sold out 292 consecutive home games. Artest should expect a huge ovation when he makes his home debut against the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night.
But Artest's charm and humility are all too familiar to the Pacers, who finally gave up on him after nearly four years of tolerance for his idiosyncrasies. The honeymoon period never lasts with Artest -- but he claims he can be a long-term asset to his third NBA team.
ADVERTISEMENT
"This is one time I want to prove people wrong, that I can be a better person," Artest said. "There's things that I can do different. I just want to prove to people that those things can be better."
Artest sat out 73 games and the playoffs last season after the infamous brawl in the Detroit stands. He was deactivated this season after requesting a trade in mid-December, even though he apparently regretted the request days later.
Artest still has trouble articulating exactly what went wrong in Indiana, but he freely acknowledges it was his own fault.
"As much as I loved Indiana, for some reason I felt a lot of frustration there," Artest said. "It just feels like a weight off my shoulders now. ... Maybe earlier, if I'd told the appropriate people about my frustrations, it would have worked out different."
But if Artest needs to avoid the spotlight that's followed him from St. John's to Chicago to Indiana, he couldn't find a much more comfortable spot than Sacramento.
From Chris Webber to Bonzi Wells, other stars who arrived in Northern California with spotty reputations have been good citizens and standout players under the watch of coach Rick Adelman and president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie. There's little national media glare, and the Kings have a culture of success despite this season's struggles.
It's no secret Artest has received an embarrassment of second chances because of his remarkable talent, including a hard-nosed defensive intensity that just might help transform the Kings into the tough defensive team imagined by the Maloofs and Petrie, who knows Artest's on-court attitude is something Sacramento has lacked.
"He's here to work and give the best effort that he can give," Petrie said. "You also get the sense he's not willing to concede anything, which is great for the attitude of our team and where we find ourselves at."
Artest, formerly an All-Star and the NBA's defensive player of the year, pronounced himself rested, clear-headed and ready to help Sacramento's dramatically reconfigured lineup. Sacramento lost to Boston and Toronto after the trade, but Artest played surprisingly well, with 39 points and 15 rebounds in the two games.
He still isn't in basketball shape -- but he also isn't tired after playing just 23 games in the past two seasons before the trade.
"I think I can help, but not (as) the savior," Artest said. "I can bring hustle. I can bring clutch shots. Every possession, every second of the game, I just try to play it the right way, play it hard."