Happy Homecoming for Ariza

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>EL SEGUNDO - Like so many kids who grew up in Los Angeles, Trevor Ariza was curious about what it would be like to play for the Lakers.

Ariza, who attended LA Westchester High and spent one year at UCLA before declaring for the NBA draft, knew all about the history of the Lakers, about the stars such as Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, about all the championships.

The Lakers kept an eye on Ariza in his first three years in the NBA, and they finally acquired him from Orlando on Nov. 20.

"Honestly, I didn't know what to feel at first," Ariza said. "I know I was excited to come back home and play for this organization. Growing up here, you always hear so many great things about it, and I was kind of curious to see what it was like."

The Lakers liked Ariza before New York drafted him in the second round in 2004. They liked his defensive skills, his athleticism, his ability to run the court and his attitude.

"We just think that there is a lot of growth potential there for him," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "His 17-foot shot looks good. He has good form on it. Now he has to just start being consistent with it to flesh out the rest of his game.

"He has to work defensively getting through picks, understanding that part. But his intensity, his ability to anticipate, playing passing lanes, running the court, slashing, getting to the basket, knowing how to finish -- those are all great things."

The Lakers also like the fact that the 6-foot-7 small forward is just 22; they feel he has an upside and can still improve.

Ariza, averaging 6.6 points and 3.1 rebounds in 17 minutes for the Lakers, has shown flashes in three starts, scoring 11.3 points per game.

"He plays hard every night on the floor, so I'm not surprised by the way he's playing," Orlando general manager Otis Smith said by phone. "He's a great kid."

Ariza frequently calls Smith just to say hi, and thanks for everything.

"It was more than him being my general manager," Ariza said. "It was kind of like my dad. We just talk about everyday life."

All of the Lakers were close to Brian Cook and Maurice Evans, who were traded to Orlando for Ariza, and the players were sad to see them go.

But the quiet Ariza has fit right in with his attitude and ability and has made defense his primary focus.

"His personality meshes extremely well with the team," Kobe Bryant said. "His length, his speed, his agility, his athleticism are all great things. He's not a bad shooter. I just think the teams he was on in the past didn't allow him to shoot the ball. So as a result, he's kind of hesitant to shoot it. But he has a good stroke. Once he develops that he's really going to be a handful."

Ariza has two years left on his contract that pays him $3.1 million per season. He has an opt-out clause after this season but sounds happy to be in LA.

"Everybody is pretty much laid-back like myself," he said. "Everybody wants to have fun and win."</div>

Source: Riverside Press Enterprise