Why is Ron Artest calling Ric Bucher a head?

[DPG21920]

I agree totally and that is what I said. The Lakers brass thought having Ron to guard those players was more important that having Ariza to guard the smaller guys. But with regards to Ric's comments, he simply said Ron will have trouble guarding the quicker guys and that Kobe would have to do the job that Ariza once did. That is true.

[BlackBellamy]

I think you're looking at it the wrong. I do think Ron has lost a step, not because of injuries, or age because he's not old, he just put on too much weight. I think he could stand to lose 20 pounds which could help him become more mobile.

100% true. He would be such a greater fit for your club if he would lose some weight. He had obviously put on the lbs. to fit the roles he was intended to in Sac and Hou. I think it's fully reasonable to think that he sheds a few, if nothing else for the minutes he gains in doing so. He was on broken teams the last few cities and had to play a solidly defined role out of position (IMO), versatility should be his goal with Lakes. I would expect good results as an effect of this pick-up. But still, in shown by his latest Twitter gaffe, headcase Ron is alive and well. The man is schizophrenic, it's just a matter of which personality the Lakers manage to get this year (as has been the case every other year Ron-Ron has been in the league). Like it or not, for your benefit or detriment, you guys brought a time-bomb on your ship. Diffuse it or get blowed the up.

[Culburn369]

Like it or not, for your benefit or detriment, you guys brought a time-bomb on your ship. Diffuse it or get blowed the up.

Bull .

[BlackBellamy]

Bull .

'Cause history has shown volatile chemistry never hurts Lakers' teams. Right? Whatever, Cubby.

[21_Blessings]

This is a very good point, Whilst Artest will be able to guard the bulkier players like Anthony and LeBron better than Ariza he will get burned by the quicker players.

And who on the Spurs is going to guard these quicker player? San Antonio certainly has nobody on the roster that can defend them better than Ron Artest or Kobe.

Face it, the Lakers upgraded defensively in a conference where they were already easily the best defensive team last season (was proven in the playoffs).

[Culburn369]

'Cause history has shown volatile chemistry never hurts Lakers' teams. Right? Whatever, Cubby.

You sittin' around wishin & wringin' your hands over it ain't right, smartass.

Grow up.

[Culburn369]

You guys are funny. If twittering, and youtube is our biggest concern with Ron, then I welcome it. On another note. You guys would love to have Jackson back, but the last I remember, that muthafucca was right up in those stands throwing hay-makers at women, children, the elderly and anyone willing to stick their chin out. That er got 5 fouls in the first quarter the other night, and was sent to the showers by his coach. If you guys can tolerate Action Jackson, we can tolerate Ron.

Luva, savin' the old Cubster this Sunday. I'm all splintered and scattered, but, Luva is focused and precise.

Thank, Christ!

[Culburn369]

Yup, Rice and his wife was bashing the coach on our way to our first le in Staples. Kobe and Shaq was throwing punches at each over who had the biggest . Yeah, this team sucks when things are not peachy in LA.

Luva, experiencing his finest hour. It's cut/paste/scrapbook time. C'mon everybody, all fandoms, git your scissors, Elmer's glue and the scrapbook.

I God's!

[xellos88330]

:wgaf

It is the preseason people!!!

[NoOptionB]

I'm still waiting for a Spur to completely annihilate the half-time interviewer on ABC.


Only Pop does it, and laconically at that.

[DPG21920]

Of course Kobe is a better defender than Ariza, but that is not the point. Kobe was able to hide out defensively many times last year because of Ariza. This year, he won't be able to do so.

But the benefits of having Ron shut down bigger guys and Kobe playing more defense on smaller guys could amp up their defense. We will see.

[Culburn369]

:wgaf

It is the preseason people!!!

Your fandom started it, x. I was aghast as well over the fervor of your fandom in regards to preseason results.

[BlackBellamy]

You guys are funny. If twittering, and youtube is our biggest concern with Ron, then I welcome it. On another note. You guys would love to have Jackson back, but the last I remember, that muthafucca was right up in those stands throwing hay-makers at women, children, the elderly and anyone willing to stick their chin out. That er got 5 fouls in the first quarter the other night, and was sent to the showers by his coach. If you guys can tolerate Action Jackson, we can tolerate Ron.

You seem to forget all the nice things I prefaced my criticism of Artest with, but whatever. For the sake of argument, who's to say it stops at Twiitering ' head', and who knows when a person so self-conscious about what Ric Bucher says, has it out with one of the other egos on your team? It's the preseason and he's acting foolish already. Then again, it's only the preseason. I'm not wishing for a blow up, I don't feel as if I need to this year. But there is a chance, even if slight, that he poisons your drinking water. Lots of unanswered questions.

I am not a proponent of bringing Capt. Jack back, and not only for the reasons that you listed. I just feel that his contract is a burden for a position that we don't really need filled. The Spurs have a lot of shooters as is, and if Jack's not the 1st or 2nd option on the offense he gets mighty pissy. His perimeter defense might be a nice addition, but not for the current Jackson price.

[Man In Black]

Shannon will fill that role of guarding the quicker guards this year. To be honest with you DPG, we don't have any weaknesses right now.

Does Shannon Brown play the closer minutes at PG over Fisher?

[BlackBellamy]

yup, rice and his wife was bashing the coach on our way to our first le in staples. Kobe and shaq was throwing punches at each over who had the biggest . Yeah, this team sucks when things are not peachy in la.

'04 = a lottery year and some first round exits.

[Lars]

Pretty sure we all told you Ron was signifigantly bigger but slower than in the past. I think the response was something along the lines of "LULZ NO ARTEST IS DPOY FOR THE LAKERS CUZ ITS LIKE MAGIC IN LA"

[iggypop123]

the old grammys road trip. just means we should be 1 loss 20 games into the season,

[BlackBellamy]

Come on Black, you can leave me some poetry in my private, you can say Kobe is a rapist, but you cant say we don't have the right to rebuild after our captain jumped ship.

I'll leave the poetry to Cubby. Kobe is a rapist. That aside, you absolutely did have that right, and in typical Lakers fashion you rebuilt fast and well. But the unstable relationships on the team led to needing to rebuild in the first place. Alls I'm saying is that one can't deny that unstable chemistry has been a factor in your club's not so distant past.

[TheMACHINE]

Fair enough, but do you think that Ron has lost a step? No one will get burned every time, even with a deficiency, but do you think that having Ron trying to guard smaller, quicker players like Ariza will be a problem for Ron?

Like I said, the Lakers front office thought they could use Ron's skillset more than Ariza. Point is, the assessment was spot on and Ariza's deficiencies did not stop the Lakers from winning a le. Will Ron's? Probably not, but it is still a question mark.

Why are you so convinced that Ron will guard smaller quicker players? Could Ariza guard Carmello and Lebron?...no...if Ron cant guard a smaller quicker player, then let Kobe guard him...sheesh.

[Culburn369]

Alls I'm saying is that one can't deny that unstable chemistry has been a factor in your club's not so distant past.

& we won two NBA World Championships in spite of it.

[BlackBellamy]

& we won two NBA World Championships in spite of it.

How many more should that specific team have had if some people could have kept their egos under control?

[21_Blessings]

How many more should that specific team have had if some people could have kept their egos under control?

None really. The problem in 03/04 wasn't egos. It was the lack of any bench whatsoever and Shaq gaining about 60 pounds of fat. Lakers woudn't have won anything if they paid Shaq what he wanted (30 million extension). It would have been impossible to fill in the gaps unless they got really lucky late in the draft every year.

Mitch has turned into a good GM but he did a horrendous job his first few years after taking over for Jerry West.

[Culburn369]

How many more should that specific team have had if some people could have kept their egos under control?

I was thrilled with 3 in-a-row. You'd be too except you'll never know.

[21_Blessings]

I was thrilled with 3 in-a-row. You'd be too except you'll never know.

That post really needed a "tee, hee" to top it off.

[Culburn369]

Mitch has turned into a good GM but he did a horrendous job his first few years after taking over for Jerry West.

The third of the trio was Kupchak's. & he didn't force Kobe to commit rape, or quit in a Game 7, or, Rudy to get scared of Cancer. He never quit. Kobe did. Phil did. Rudy did. Daddy did. West did. But, not Kupchak. He didn't quit after he'd destroyed his knee either....

- "I'm still 6'10", 240."

- Mitch Kupchak - knee shackled - in tears - Boston, MA. - June.9.1985