http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008...t-fairer-fight/ <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%">KRIEGER: Artest would make it fairer fight</span> By Dave Krieger Monday, April 21, 2008 Ron Artest was grabbing a snack for the flight home when I ran into him at LAX after Game 1 of the Lakers-Nuggets series. So I asked him what he thought. "I thought it was a good game," he said. "I think the Nuggets are just as good as Boston and L.A. I don't know if the Nuggets know how good they are, but I like them, Boston, the Suns and L.A. Those are my top four teams." Evidently, Artest has seen more of the Nuggets' good days than the other ones. As a former Defensive Player of the Year (2003-04), I figured he'd have an opinion on their defense. "Decent at times," he said. "Sometimes defense take away from offense. That's why I only average 20 points. If I played a little less defense, I could average about 25 points, or 28 points." So there's something for Kings GM Geoff Petrie to chew on while he mulls the pros and cons of a multiyear deal for his talented, combustible swingman. I mentioned the trade that didn't happen at the deadline, the Nuggets declining to part with Linas Kleiza as part of a package for Artest, and that if it had, he would have been out there on Kobe Bryant and Kenyon Martin could have been in the paint, where Pau Gasol was holding his own little playoff party. "Well, I would have been Defensive Player of the Year, I guess," Artest said. "With K-Mart and Camby behind me, easy Defensive Player of the Year right there. That's why I got it with Jermaine O'Neal." So I asked if he thought it might still happen. "Well, I'm a King now, but after that, Kings got first option and if the Kings don't want me, then I don't know. What type of player would I be on that team? I would be the fourth best or fifth best?" "I don't know," I said. "Defensively, you'd be right up there with K-Mart." "What about as a overall?" Artest said. I have to admit, I was a little stumped here. I had never considered ranking a player who can play both offense and defense among the Nuggets' platoon stars - Martin and Marcus Camby on defense, Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony on offense. "What do you think? What would you rate me?" Artest insisted. "Overall?" "Yeah." "I'd probably put you . . . " "Two? Three?" "Three, two." "Probably three. Say three?" "All right. Three." "Because I want to get paid like No. 3. Who else is No. 3?" On this year's pay scale, that would be Anthony at $13 million. Next season, the price of No. 3 goes up to $14.4 million. If Artest is looking for that kind of money, I doubt seriously he's getting it from Silent Stanley Kroenke, who is already facing a luxury tax bill of about $15 million on top of his $80 million payroll. Just as well, probably. The stories that go around about Artest's interaction with coaches are scary. The Nuggets aren't a particularly coachable group to start with. Still, it's fun to imagine them with a good defensive guard who would let Martin play his own position against the Lakers. We now return you to reality. When I asked George Karl on Monday if the tradeoff - a porous interior in exchange for K-Mart on Kobe - had been worth it, he said, "I think it was 75 percent yes and 25 percent no." I don't know what that means, but when I asked if he would stick with it, he said, "Probably." Unfortunately, the key to it actually working is help from the same guards who make the strategy necessary in the first place. "We watched a lot of film this morning and we talked about how our guards have to come back and sink," Camby said. "When I'm out there roaming and our teammates get beat, my natural instinct is to come and help. That's what I was doing. We just didn't get that 'D' to crack back and Gasol got a lot of easy layups." If the Nuggets are counting on Iverson, Anthony Carter or J.R. Smith to rotate down and provide defense on the 7-foot Gasol, I would like to wish them luck with that. As Karl edged away from the wretches after practice Monday, I asked if he would activate assistant Stacey Augmon if he could, which he can't. For years, Augmon was one of the best defenders in the NBA. He's 39 now, so it was sort of a joke, but only sort of. "Yes," Karl said. Then he smiled. Tell you what: I think he would, too.</div>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>We now return you to reality. When I asked George Karl on Monday if the tradeoff - a porous interior in exchange for K-Mart on Kobe - had been worth it, he said, "I think it was 75 percent yes and 25 percent no." I don't know what that means, but when I asked if he would stick with it, he said, "Probably."</div> You see, most of what he says is funny if you think about it. The man has just been totally destroyed defensively after he makes a controversial move and he says it was "75% worth it." Then he says he will probably keep doing it. If he is not incompetent, then why does he talk and stubbornly persist with mistakes as if he is incompetent all the time?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (tremaine @ Apr 22 2008, 12:17 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>We now return you to reality. When I asked George Karl on Monday if the tradeoff - a porous interior in exchange for K-Mart on Kobe - had been worth it, he said, "I think it was 75 percent yes and 25 percent no." I don't know what that means, but when I asked if he would stick with it, he said, "Probably."</div> You see, most of what he says is funny if you think about it. The man has just been totally destroyed defensively after he makes a controversial move and he says it was "75% worth it." Then he says he will probably keep doing it. If he is not incompetent, then why does he talk and stubbornly persist with mistakes as if he is incompetent all the time? </div> The Nuggets lost by 14 point on the road in the playoffs against a team that has completely destroyed them this season. There was nothing controversial about Karl's decision and the Nuggets didn't get destroyed defensively. As ugly as game 1 was, it was an improvement for the Nuggets against the Lakers so of course it was worth it. I don't want to the Nuggets lose by 30+ points, which is what will happen if the Nuggets used your suggestion.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (cpawfan @ Apr 22 2008, 12:04 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (tremaine @ Apr 22 2008, 12:17 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>We now return you to reality. When I asked George Karl on Monday if the tradeoff - a porous interior in exchange for K-Mart on Kobe - had been worth it, he said, "I think it was 75 percent yes and 25 percent no." I don't know what that means, but when I asked if he would stick with it, he said, "Probably."</div> You see, most of what he says is funny if you think about it. The man has just been totally destroyed defensively after he makes a controversial move and he says it was "75% worth it." Then he says he will probably keep doing it. If he is not incompetent, then why does he talk and stubbornly persist with mistakes as if he is incompetent all the time? </div> The Nuggets lost by 14 point on the road in the playoffs against a team that has completely destroyed them this season. There was nothing controversial about Karl's decision and the Nuggets didn't get destroyed defensively. As ugly as game 1 was, it was an improvement for the Nuggets against the Lakers so of course it was worth it. I don't want to the Nuggets lose by 30+ points, which is what will happen if the Nuggets used your suggestion. </div> If the Nuggets had used most or all of my improvements, they would not be playing the Lakers right now. They would definitely have home court advantage, and they would be playing, most likely, the Jazz, the Suns, or the Rockets. The Lakers would come in the semifinals or even the Western Conference Finals. How do I know this? I don't know it as a total 100% certainty, true, but it is extremely likely, based on many dozens of hours of proving my points and seeing them proven out in real games as the season has unfolded.
