How is LA better than last year?

[DrHouse]

i disagree that artest adds another defensive dimension to your team. artest is still a top notch defensive player but the guy simply has lost a step on the perimeter due to his bum ankle with the 2 partially torn ligaments. also let's not forget that ron ron was very motivated last year to garner himself a big contract and to show he could be under control yet he still pulled his regular bull under a coach that he gets along with and likes. adelman and the rox did a great job of keeping ron's craziness under wraps but the bottom line is i think there is a lot more than just the running out to the bus in his underwear story. clutch from clutchfans has said that there is much more that he heard about from mgmt but would not make public. also let's not forget ron still barely shot 40% from the field in a contract year where he attempted 2 less fgs a game than his previous year.

i think ariza to ron is a lateral move for your team and i think ariza is a more efficient role player on offense for you guys. i love artest's intensity but intensity can't keep you healthy. i know you lakers fans are gonna love this stat but who do you think has played in a great percentage of games in the past 7 seasons....yao ming or ron artest? i am taking out ron's suspended year and yao has played in 83.8% of regular season games while ron ron has played in 78.2% of them.i'm jus sayin

on offense ron certainly has the potential to be a much more versatile player than ariza but the guy is a complete black hole. sure he is a better passer than ariza but he has to have the ball in his hands for 20 seconds before he makes the pass. artest is certainly a much much better post player than ariza but the guy simply refuses to make that the bread and butter of his offensive game. if he only took maybe 2 3's a game and instead shot everything within 15 feet the guy would be an excellent offensive option but he just doesn't do it. if phil can somehow convince artest to do that this year then you guys got a steal and are a sure fire championship winner but i just can't see it happening.

anyhow i'm ready to see how this artest/ariza swap works out!

The one thing you are forgetting is the Lakers don't NEED Ron Artest to be at his best to be a dominant team.

Artest will be a 3rd/4th option at best. His responsibilities on the team will be no more than Ariza's were. Play good D, hit the open shots when they come to you.

[Kobe™]

The question you should be asking yourself is how can they not be better?

All core players in their primes.
Bynum will come back fully healthy and will gain another year of experience.
Shannon Brown will get another year of experience and hopefully more minutes.
Down years for Sasha and Farmar last season, they have a good shot at improving.
Added Ron Artest to the team, going to add another dimension defensively.

It seems most are banking on the possibility of Ron Artest exploding and wrecking the team from the inside out. If you want to believe that then go ahead, I just don't see it as a very likely possibility. Ron's role will be very specialized, he will not be asked to do the things he had to do in Houston. This is a man who is very motivated to win a championship and he's going to be surrounded by people he admires and respects (Kobe Bryant, Phil Jackson, and Lamar Odom).

IMHO this is the start of the next great Laker dynasty. They will win 3 more championships before all is said and done. Nobody is going to stop this team.

Derek Fisher
Kobe Bryant
Ron Artest
Pau Gasol
Andrew Bynum/Lamar Odom

[Scrappy Coco]

The question you should be asking yourself is how can they not be better?

All core players in their primes.
Bynum will come back fully healthy and will gain another year of experience.
Shannon Brown will get another year of experience and hopefully more minutes.
Down years for Sasha and Farmar last season, they have a good shot at improving.
Added Ron Artest to the team, going to add another dimension defensively.

It seems most are banking on the possibility of Ron Artest exploding and wrecking the team from the inside out. If you want to believe that then go ahead, I just don't see it as a very likely possibility. Ron's role will be very specialized, he will not be asked to do the things he had to do in Houston. This is a man who is very motivated to win a championship and he's going to be surrounded by people he admires and respects (Kobe Bryant, Phil Jackson, and Lamar Odom).

IMHO this is the start of the next great Laker dynasty. They will win 3 more championships before all is said and done. Nobody is going to stop this team.

Derek Fisher
Kobe Bryant
Ron Artest
Pau Gasol
Andrew Bynum/Lamar Odom

Dynasty? Lakers are gonna get stomped out by Boston next year AGAIN. Soft frontline and your leader isn't much of one. Not to mention a quitter

[angelbelow]

Chemistry is important. They have another year under their belt so I think they will be improved.

[JustBlaze]

B: They Aren't.

[robbie380]

The one thing you are forgetting is the Lakers don't NEED Ron Artest to be at his best to be a dominant team.

Artest will be a 3rd/4th option at best. His responsibilities on the team will be no more than Ariza's were. Play good D, hit the open shots when they come to you.

so you are making my case that ariza for artest was a lateral move.

[Man In Black]

WRONG. Artest has triangle experience already.

Let's see...just to show how WRONG YOU ARE AGAIN.
99-00 Chicago Coach Tim Floyd
00-01 Chicago Coach Tim Floyd
01-02 Indiana Coach Isaih Thomas
02-03 Indiana Coach Isaih Thomas
03-04 Indiana Coach Rick Carlisle
04-05 Indiana Coach Rick Carlisle
05-06 Sacramento Coach Rick Adelman
06-07 Sacramento Coach Eric Mussleman/Coach Reggie Theus
07-08 Sacramento Coach Reggie Theus
08-09 Houston Coach Rick Adelman

Not one of those coaches listed are what you call Tri-Primary coaches.
So when, Nurse...when?

[23LeBronJames23]

ddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu uummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
shes fine

[Jloyola]

They wont be better cause team depends on kobe and as you can see kobe is getting older and worser...

A product of the Cleveland school system

[KSeal]

Let's see...just to show how WRONG YOU ARE AGAIN.
99-00 Chicago Coach Tim Floyd
00-01 Chicago Coach Tim Floyd
01-02 Indiana Coach Isaih Thomas
02-03 Indiana Coach Isaih Thomas
03-04 Indiana Coach Rick Carlisle
04-05 Indiana Coach Rick Carlisle
05-06 Sacramento Coach Rick Adelman
06-07 Sacramento Coach Eric Mussleman/Coach Reggie Theus
07-08 Sacramento Coach Reggie Theus
08-09 Houston Coach Rick Adelman

Not one of those coaches listed are what you call Tri-Primary coaches.
So when, Nurse...when?

I'm pretty sure House is referring to when Ron was in Chicago cause they still used the triangle there after Phil left. If what they were doing then was anything close to what Phil is using in LA now is beyond me but Ron has played some in the triangle.

[The Franchise]

I'm pretty sure House is referring to when Ron was in Chicago cause they still used the triangle there after Phil left. If what they were doing then was anything close to what Phil is using in LA now is beyond me but Ron has played some in the triangle.

He was on a team that ran Adelmans system for 3 years as well, but the dummy doesn't have any experience in the motion offense either.

[jonnybravo]

My God, the Ariza ballswinging/nuthugging has even reached Spurstalk.

Ridiculous and embarrassing to witness.

[OceaNus]

Dynasty? Lakers are gonna get stomped out by Boston next year AGAIN. Soft frontline and your leader isn't much of one. Not to mention a quitter

Boston for all intents and purposes has gotten much worse since their le. LA on the other hand has gotten better with the addition of ron artest who will not only be on paul pierce instead of luke walton or kobe, but also force pierce off kobe unless you want ray allen guarding artest.

[2Cleva]

Let's see...just to show how WRONG YOU ARE AGAIN.
99-00 Chicago Coach Tim Floyd
00-01 Chicago Coach Tim Floyd
01-02 Indiana Coach Isaih Thomas
02-03 Indiana Coach Isaih Thomas
03-04 Indiana Coach Rick Carlisle
04-05 Indiana Coach Rick Carlisle
05-06 Sacramento Coach Rick Adelman
06-07 Sacramento Coach Eric Mussleman/Coach Reggie Theus
07-08 Sacramento Coach Reggie Theus
08-09 Houston Coach Rick Adelman

Not one of those coaches listed are what you call Tri-Primary coaches.
So when, Nurse...when?

Fail.

Floyd ran it his first 2 years in Chicago, Artest being there for that 2nd year.

[Scrappy Coco]

Boston for all intents and purposes has gotten much worse since their le. LA on the other hand has gotten better with the addition of ron artest who will not only be on paul pierce instead of luke walton or kobe, but also force pierce off kobe unless you want ray allen guarding artest.

Worse? How so? Lakers frontline will still bullied by Boston and with the addition of Sheed the soft frontline will be exposed even more. Guarding Artest won't be that big of a problem as he will not win the game for the Lakers. In fact he can shoot away he's not a offensive problem like you would hope.

[JamStone]

You can pretty much throw out any notion that a player has "experience" in an offense when that team goes 15-67 and 17-65. When a team is that bad, they aren't running any offense. It's just . Let's be real.

[DrHouse]

You can pretty much throw out any notion that a player has "experience" in an offense when that team goes 15-67 and 17-65. When a team is that bad, they aren't running any offense. It's just . Let's be real.

Bull . You were wrong and you are too pussy to admit it. You said Ron had no triangle experience, I called you out on it because Ron does in fact have triangle experience from his early Chicago days.

[Culburn369]

Bull . You were wrong and you are too pussy to admit it.

The Dr., with the accurate diagnosis.

[BUMP]

@ Culburn

[all_heart]

Bull . You were wrong and you are too pussy to admit it. You said Ron had no triangle experience, I called you out on it because Ron does in fact have triangle experience from his early Chicago days.

Why are you bringing up old ?! That was years ago, he hasn't had to use it in forever.... he's slightly familiar at best. I got loads of math experience, but guess what that years ago, guess what I remember?

[Culburn369]

I got loads of math experience, but guess what that years ago, guess what I remember?

Your chronic inability to win 2 in-a-row?

[JamStone]

Bull . You were wrong and you are too pussy to admit it. You said Ron had no triangle experience, I called you out on it because Ron does in fact have triangle experience from his early Chicago days.

My initial comment:

I think there are legitimate questions and criticisms that can be made about Artest joining the Lakers. Individually, Artest is a better player than Ariza (even though some might try to argue otherwise). He is. Artest is a better individual player. However, one can argue that he might not fit with the Lakers as well as Ariza did last year. That's a legitimate criticism that has to be proven next year. Until they actually get on the court, it's not a ridiculous notion to question that Artest might not fit as well with the Lakers as Ariza did. Artest likes the basketball in his hands on offense a lot as well. He also likes to iso against defensive mismatches. He's not exactly the best spot-up jump shooter. He hasn't really played in a structured offense like the triangle before (although the Lakers do break off from the triangle much more than in previous seasons). Those are legitimate claims why Artest might not be the best addition to the Lakers. And, that doesn't even go into other potential issues he might cause with his personality.

Talent wise, the Lakers should be as good as last year, maybe even slightly better. But you cannot ignore chemistry on and off the court. Trevor Ariza fit well for the Lakers in both regards. Artest might, might not.

The Lakers are and should be the favorites still in the West. But it's fair to question if they're necessarily a better team than last year.

Are you really going to argue whatever he played in Chicago under Tim Floyd was a structured offense on 15-67 and 17-65 teams? Kindly get the out of here.

[Culburn369]

Are you really going to argue whatever he played in Chicago under Tim Floyd was a structured offense on 15-67 and 17-65 teams? Kindly get the out of here.

I God's, Jam, just admit yer wrong. It won't be the end of the world.

[JamStone]

Honestly tell me the 1999-2001 Chicago Bulls ran a structured offense and I'd happily be willing admit I was wrong.

[Culburn369]

"He hasn't really played in a structured offense like the triangle before"

And he has, Jam.