<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Ron Artest thought it was going to be his second home, this apartment with the downtown Hollywood address. He signed a nine-month lease, figuring the next deal to be done was the one that brought him from the Indiana Pacers to the Los Angeles Lakers. ... "It got really, really close; really, really close," said Artest, who made his trade request in Indiana on Dec. 12 and visited the West Coast weeks later. "I was going to their games, got my apartment out there. My agent told me I was going there, so I figured, if I'm going there, I might as well get ready." </div> Source
wow, it sounds like it was really really close. I think a Odom + 1st for Artest + Foster would have been a steal. If they managed to keep Odom, ie, Kwame + George + Bynum for Artest + Foster. They would have had 2 untouchable pieces (Kobe + Artest) and Odom could fill the role as a 3rd scorer. With Foster and Mihm as centers, they would be able to manage with them at center. So the real hole would be at pg, I guess. That would be a good squad, with more defensive tenacity with Kobe + Artest (both good defenders) as well Foster bringing some extra rebounding. I could see playoff upsets with that squad. I wonder what the exact trade was that was really really close.
Have you guys seen the numbers since Artest has joined the Kings? it's unbelievable. Kings Defense - Opponent Averages --- WITHOUT ARTEST POINTS - 100.2 FG PCT - 46% 3-POINT FG - 35% ASSISTS - 21.9 WITH ARTEST ------- POINTS - 91.6 FG PCT - 41% 3-POINT FG - 29% ASSISTS - 18.4 AND that's just on the Defensive Side, not the Offensive Side what Artest has done. Thanks a lot Mitch!
Thanks alot. Im so pissed at the Laker team right now. They need to unload. Kobe doing everything he can. Where is the help? It was an embarrassing loss to the Clips today.
Trading for Artest would've been possibly the best move that Mitch Kupchak would've ever made in his stint as the GM of the Lakers and yes that includes better than the signings of Gary Payton and Karl Malone. Ron Artest is probably the most similar player to Scottie Pippen in the NBA today and since you guys wanted to model after the Bulls what better players to resemble MJ and Scottie than Kobe and Artest?
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Diesel:</div><div class="quote_post">Trading for Artest would've been possibly the best move that Mitch Kupchak would've ever made in his stint as the GM of the Lakers and yes that includes better than the signings of Gary Payton and Karl Malone. Ron Artest is probably the most similar player to Scottie Pippen in the NBA today and since you guys wanted to model after the Bulls what better players to resemble MJ and Scottie than Kobe and Artest?</div> Artest would have given us a much needed defensive presence, as he has shown in Sac-town. Their points against have dropped by something like 7 points a game since he's been playing for them, talk about an impact. As for the offence, Artest would give us that aswell, although I still believe if Odom is used properly, he would be better offensively than Artest.
