Artest has more issues than you know

**duncan228** · 01-11-2010

Artest has more issues than you know
By Kevin Ding
The Orange County Register
Ding column: Just as few knew Andrew Bynum was struggling with discomfort atop his kneecap recently, Ron Artest is plodding along with plantar fasciitis besides his post-concussion issues.

When the calendar flipped to 2010, Phil Jackson pointed out to the Lakers that their 25-6 record wasn't even as good as what the Lakers had a year ago ... much less what those Chicago Bulls put up en route to 72-10.

"Just a reminder that this is a team that wanted to challenge the win record," Jackson noted then.

The Lakers dreamt of being historically great because of all the upside expected from two freshwater sources: Andrew Bynum had run out of knees to injure, and Ron Artest figured to be a lot bigger contributor than Trevor Ariza.

Bynum has been up and down and now up again, emergences coinciding with opportunities when Pau Gasol has been sidelined. But Bynum has gotten a lot of spring back in his step and jump lately, and he said his career-high 18 rebounds and 17 points Sunday night against Milwaukee had nothing to do with speculation the Lakers want to trade him to Toronto for Chris Bosh.

Bynum these days is reading more than even Phil Jackson on the Kindle that the coach carries everywhere he goes, but Bynum's into novels and not Hoopshype.com's rumor rundowns. (Bynum's latest read is Mitch Albom's "The Five People You Meet in Heaven.")

So Bynum was oblivious to the scuttlebutt about Bosh – and hardly panic-stricken when asked about it after the game, saying: "I don't really care." Bynum referenced the trade once supported by Kobe Bryant to ship Bynum to New Jersey for Jason Kidd and said: "It's not the first time it's happened to me, especially."

The Lakers aren't going to trade Bynum unless they conclude he is physically incapable of producing three out of four nights, just as a star player must. So far no hidden-camera video has arisen of Bryant advocating trading Bynum for Bosh (Bryant's teammate in winning Olympic gold in 2008) but Bryant did point out Sunday night that Bynum has yet to show the sort of consistency that Bryant so appreciates from Gasol.

What Gasol hasn't been able to do this season is stay on the floor, milking his hamstring injuries to get extra rest and triggering ongoing needling from Phil Jackson for not suiting up when not truly injured. Regarding Bynum, it turns out that Jackson was right about physical problems holding him back as much as than anything. A respiratory problem plagued Bynum for weeks, as did a little-known irritation on the top of the right knee that he injured last season.

Now Bynum is feeling better, and most people just don't realize that the NBA season is so long that just about everybody but Bryant goes through lulls where their bodies just aren't quite right and their performances suffer.

More than anything, that is exactly what's up with this Artest downturn.

Artest isn't feeling that bad. He is feeling well enough to work out on his own at a West L.A. health club Saturday (before, according to his Twitter account, he played more of two-hand touch beach football he has taken to in So Cal).

But Artest isn't feeling good, either. And it's not just his head – although he asked out of the game in the first and third quarters Sunday night, according to Jackson, because of after-effects from his Christmas night concussion. Artest hit the floor after being entangled with Michael Redd and later got clocked by a Kurt Thomas pick.

Unbeknownst to the public, Artest is currently playing with plantar fasciitis in his right foot, the same foot on which he suffered a bad ankle sprain last season with Houston. He also has a sore left foot from being stepped on recently. He's basically out there with no base, which makes it pretty hard to be athletic.

Artest is no Shannon Brown around the rim, but the plantar fascia has him elevating even less than Derek Fisher – especially come the fourth quarter, by which time the soreness from pounding the foot on the hardwood has set in. Artest was all alone at the basket late in the game in Portland on Friday night and couldn't even rise up to dunk.

Jackson described Artest before the game Sunday night as having "a few things going on." Jackson also referred to Artest as "not quite ready to step into" the void left by Gasol's latest hamstring injury.

Artest, let's remember, still managed to average 12.3 points pre-concussion and serve as the Lakers' best percentage 3-point shooter, even though he's far from fully adapting to the triangle after never operating in such a decision-driven offense before.

"He's playing a little from instinct instead of the comfort role in this offense," Jackson said.

But do not underestimate the little issues from head to toe in Artest being dismissed by Milwaukee coach Scott Skiles late Sunday night this way: "Artest wasn't really a factor." Even when he was running the wrong way on offense early in the season, Artest came up with defensive activity that absolutely made a difference for the Lakers ... but not right now.

Right now, Artest isn't right and isn't playing right, either.

He's a warrior and he doesn't ask out of games without real reasons – and by real reasons, I don't mean telling reporters later how he was glad to be replaced by Adam Morrison, whom Artest referred to as "somebody really good to be a threat out there."

Artest is what he is: a simple, strong-willed tough guy.

"I never complain about anything," Artest said. "I always feel great."

So he won't say it, but I will: Artest isn't what he normally is right now.

So besides Gasol missing and Bryant misfiring, these can't be the best Lakers we can see.