Even on his best behavior, Ron Artest is an awkward fit with Lakers
While he’s been an excellent teammate, contrary to his reputation, Artest isn’t helping the Lakers on court as much as Trevor Ariza, the man he replaced, did last season.
By Bill Plaschke
LA Times
The long list of those who think the Lakers miss Trevor Ariza just increased by one.
Even Ron Artest agrees?
"He's a better player than me," Artest said Tuesday.
But Ron-Ron, nobody ever said he was better, we just said he was a better fit.
"He's a better player," Artest repeated emphatically. "He's won a ring, I haven't. I can't even compare to him. He's a better player."
Artest also agrees, incidentally, with the part about Ariza being a better fit.
"He probably is," Artest said. "He's a role player, a great role player. I haven't been a role player. Many times I've had to carry the load, this is a different look for me."
It is this different look that has some of the Lakers covering their eyes. Entering the season's final stretch, basketball's wackiest star is performing his nuttiest act yet.
Ron Artest is barely raising an eyebrow. He hasn't figured out the flow of the Lakers offense this season, he has sometimes seemed a step slow on defense, and he's made little impact on the team's toughness.
In a move engineered by the Buss family last summer, Artest was signed here from the Houston Rockets to replace Ariza, who then signed with Houston, after balking at the Lakers' contract offer.
It is a move that some Lakers folks would now take back. It was a move that many of us thought should never have happened in the first place.
Ariza didn't have Artest's star power, but he was a better offensive complement to Kobe Bryant, a more versatile team defender, and a guy who had survived the championship battle to win a ring.
He was a known quan y who would have been an invaluable soul in the difficult quest to win a second consecutive le. Artest was a Lakers unknown who is still, well, a Lakers unknown.
"With Ron, there's a little synapse there, a little delayed reaction," Coach Phil Jackson said. "That's just Ron, regardless. All the guys have had to get used to it."
The adjustment has been fine in the locker room, where, contrary to initial fears, Artest has been a model of unselfishness and deference. The adjustment hasn't been so easy on the court, where he's been just as quiet.
After 70 games, the team is 52-18, four games behind the pace of last season's Lakers. Less than a month before the playoffs, the difference between the two versions can be found in the difference between Artest and Ariza.
This year's team seems unsure of itself. Last year's team had no doubt.
While Artest is averaging fewer points, rebounds and assists than Ariza, he has better shooting percentages, but it's not about their numbers, it's about their presence.
The Lakers are still waiting for Artest, 30, to fit into an offensive flow where the younger Ariza existed seamlessly. The Lakers are still waiting for Artest to shut down more opponents like he shut down Denver's Carmelo Anthony at the end of last month, and make the sort of big defensive plays Ariza made regularly.
"Artest is still figuring things out, but we expected that," said teammate Lamar Odom.
Expected it, or feared it? Remember, the Buss family suddenly acquired Artest and dumped Ariza seemingly without similar enthusiasm from either General Manager Mitch Kupchak or Jackson. While both men publicly endorsed the deal, one must wonder whether today they are still shaking their heads.
Artest is certainly shaking his head. While his previous comments about Ariza were made with a straight face, it was clear that they contained some annoyed sarcasm.
Here he is, on his best behavior, and it's still not enough? He didn't force the Lakers to sign him. He didn't ask to shoulder Ariza's memory. He's just trying to fit in, and growing increasingly frustrated that he's not.
"People see me play, they know what type of player I'm about," he said. "'What I was before, it's not as important, what's more important is winning and playing team ball. I could be averaging a lot of points and making people real happy, but that means somebody else would not be reaping the benefits. They won a championship last year, a lot of guys deserve to still shine."
Spoken like a great teammate. If only he were so eloquent on the court, where, as Jackson noted, there often seems to be something missing.
"I don't know. I don't know," Artest said, pausing. "I mean, I'm making my mark defensively. My defense has been unbelievable. I don't know whose defense has been as unbelievable as mine."
He also notes that he has lost 15 pounds during the season, saying he's down to 253 and slowly working into postseason shape.
"It's OK to put it on me, talk about me, that means I'm still alive," Artest said.
The Lakers can only hope.
Haven't watched a ton of Lakers game this year, but historically he's been a ball stopper with questionable shot selection. I'm not surprised that he's made no waves in the locker room, since Kobe and Phil are probably the only two guys in the League he'll defer towards.
he's been a great teammate. Ron Artest is crazy but nowhere near Rodman crazy,P-Jax has seen it all. I do agree Ron Ron offensively hasn't fit in well,but defense he has been all that we could ask for
This and he has shot better is a better passer he definitely has more assits and is one of the few Lakers who can actually execute a post entry pass ...properly.
But he has struggled in the triangle ...
This reminds me of the Tongva tribe from southern California. A great and proud people. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, they were among the first native tribes to welcome the dark men to live with them as free men. This was the second and third generation of families of freed slaves who traveled west to find better ways to live. These free dark men seemed a perfect fit for the Tongva. They were strong and no stranger to hard work to help with hunting and building. And as many natives have come to discover the evil and treachery of the pale man, they shared a common dislike. So it indeed seemed a perfect fit. However, only a few generations removed from slavery, these dark men were still uneducated and lacked proper understanding of discipline and mutual respect. The Tongva tribe encountered many incidents of the younger dark men raping young Tongva women and even engaging in unusual and unacceptable atrocities, including forceful, anal intercourse. The stories of the Tongva were well traveled among other tribes in the west. And from those stories, the Tongva have become very closed tribe, cautious of welcoming any strangers into their lives.
I find disturbing similarities with Ron Artest and the Lakers. And by that I mean while the Lakers welcomed Artest in hopes of a perfect fit, they would be wise to be very cautious less they end up getting ed in the ass.
that guy is a nut. lakers would be better off without that side show.
Ariza didn't even really come on until the playoffs started, so let's wait and see what happens in the playoffs before these types of things are written.
ya im interested to see what ron ron does in the playoffs
If Ariza continued to play like he did before the K-Mart trade, I want Artest back. Ariza had earned the right to be called "chucker"
But, but, but
"38%>47%
Regular Season>Playoff stats"
Cobbler 03/12/2010
You will see the real Artest stand up, and it won't be pretty
ariza to me fit better with the Lakers needs than artest does.
I don't think so. Rodman was eccentric and flamboyant. Artest is mentally ill.
Lol Rodman was/is mentally ill as well. Don't let the amusement and entertainment value of his madness disguise the fact that he was still completely insane.
+1
As I said at the announcement of the move, Ariza was perfect for the Lakers, as a role player with another year experience, Ariza>Artest in the Lakers context.
agreed. While Artest is obviously the better all-around basketball player, his scoring comes more from a "volume" shooting approach, while Ariza would get his buckets off of wide open 3's, and easy buckets in transition (he ran the floor EXTREMELY well as a Laker), good offensive off-the-ball movement, and give-and-gos.
Also, Artest's defense is more of a bruising type, that tends to work mainly on people that dont like physical play, but if you get someone who can take it (ex. Lebron), or if your main source of scoring comes from someone other than your SG/SF (ex. Mavs/Spurs) then his defense isn't all that useful. On the other hand, Ariza is a guy who perhaps doesnt play as good of straight defense, but is still quite good, but is a lot quicker, more athletic, and plays passing lanes better and creates turnovers that lead to easy transition buckets, which IMO is what the Lakers defense revolves around, as opposed to just locking your opponent up (which I feel is going to be their weakness in the end). I think just all around, Ariza fits the Lakers system better.
sorry but Artest is gonna wake up in the playoffs and kick some ass. He will probably be best Laker after Kobe in the playoffs.
I think Artest will come alive in the playoffs too. That's when beast mode kicks in. Rowwwrrrrrghhhhh!! He'll carve the words TruWarier in his hair now dyed Lakers Yellow and you'll see it.
People should remember that better player does not mean better chemistry. Artest is a better individual player but that does'nt necessarily mean he'll be a better fit than Ariza. They have 60+ games with Artest in the lineup in starter minutes and the dude still cant find his groove. Ariza was pretty much a third string back up logging less than 18 minutes before he was inserted in the starting line up and he fit right in no matter what. Jackson would plug him for 10 minutes and Ariza would make things happen for the Lakers. He would steal, deflect the ball from a passing lane, make that extra pass, finish in transition or hit a steady three pointer. Thats the beauty of Ariza with the Lakers.
A career 40% shooter with no lift nor any relaible offensive move is not going to be LA's second best player. Maybe defensively, but I think players like Odom and Bynum are still the key to success before Artest name comes to play.
Best poster on the site. How about another rap?
sorry but Ariza did a fine job in the POs last year especially in 4th quarter with clutch steals and great Defense.
Once again as already stated Artest is with no context the best all around player of the two but for the Lakers Ariza was just what they needed: good defender capable of scoring open 3s, dunking and making decise D plays in particular in the 4th.
More like opponents throwing the ball into his hands
Bottom line is that Ariza was super-athletic, and he made the Lakers one of the more athletic teams in the league, in addition to being the longest team in the league.
He had an uncanny ability to make steals and create breakaway dunks, which broke the backs of opponents and kill runs. He was able to gamble in the passing lanes because of all the length underneath.
On the offensive side, he was great at moving the ball and could hit spot-up threes consistently. Yet he didn't look for his shot, so he didn't take anything away from the offense - he merely added to it.
When the Lakers let him go, I was ecstatic. I knew they would miss him terribly. And they do.
he's an awkward fit for mankind.
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