The Official Ron Artest Celebration Thread (post #224 for Artest in uniform)

AKIRA · Jul 5, 2009

Re: Artest makes Lakers even stronger.

ahaha that interview with kobe and artest is so funny, artest is all over him, he loves him so much! lol

he seems like a bit of a kid sometimes, you know like just a big kid, i guess thats good sometimes, but sometimes bad. i think kobe will keep him in line, same with phil. artest looks like he just wants to make those two happy.

anique_24 · Jul 5, 2009

Re: Artest makes Lakers even stronger.

cause Artest is secretly in love with kobe.

CelticKing · Jul 5, 2009

Re: Artest makes Lakers even stronger.

Don't tell me that Artest could be gay??? lol

Mamba · Jul 5, 2009

Re: Artest makes Lakers even stronger.

Yes, Artest is gay.

He pulled down Pierce's shorts.

huevonkiller · Jul 5, 2009

Re: Artest makes Lakers even stronger.

Artest will star in L.A.

July 5, 2009 @ 7:03 am by Eddie Johnson · Filed under Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers, Phil Jackson, Ron Artest, Trevor Ariza

The Lakers have been one of the most dominant forces in the Western Conference for decades and the last few days tell you why. When it looks like this franchise might be on an elevator going down, they find a way to re-direct it back up again.

A few years ago the Lakers were fighting to make the playoffs and in one big swoop Pau Gasol falls in their laps. And then they come upon a major find in Trevor Ariza that leds to another title this year.

Faced with another problem having to sign Lamar Odom and Ariza this offseason, the Lakers have come up smelling like roses once again. How can you go from losing one of your key components and actually get better in the process?

Well, the Lakers just did that by signing Ron Artest. Yes, he will be a problem at times, but the Lakers arguably have the two best all-around defenders and scorers in basketball with Kobe and Artest in the lineup. Artest made one of the best free agent decisions I have seen in a while not based on salary.

I am laughing at the fact most people think Artest is on the edge. To me he looks like the smartest free agent in the pool.

I have always said if he ever made it to a team with a winning culture he would explode and become an All-Star every year. I know Lakers fans are a little down about losing Ariza and I can relate to their disappointment, but don’t think Ariza is anywhere near the talent of Artest.

I will go on board right now and say this: Trevor Ariza will struggle on the island he is going to in Houston. Role players need stars to enhance their game. Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady might not even play next year and that will force Ariza to be the player he is not.

Ariza will pay the price for thinking he was worth more than the Lakers offered him and he will suffer while Ron-Ron will make less and be extremely happy for the next three years. Ariza did not think about why he excelled. Making a decision based on dollars might not ever get him to the Finals again, which might be OK with him.

Artest should fit right into the triangle offense because he is an excellent ballhandler and passer. Kobe will be able to get more rest during the regular season because of Artest’s ability to score when the shot clock is expiring. This is something the Lakers could not get out of Odom, but Artest will bring that ability every night which is huge for the defending champs.

Also don’t forget that Phil Jackson loves the bad boy mix on his teams. He turned Dennis Rodman into a cult hero and if Artest plays as expected he too will reach that level of stardom with the Lakers.
Click to expand...

http://blogs.hoopshype.com/blogs/johnson/2009/07/05/artest-will-star-in-la/

huevonkiller · Jul 6, 2009

Re: Official Artest Thread

We had a chance to catch up with Kobe Bryant today as he did a media session at the start of his annual basketball camp at LMU. Unlike some superstar athletes, Kobe actually teaches at his own camp and genuinely seems to enjoy it. ``I wouldn't do it if I couldn't be here myself,'' he said.

Of course catching up with him at his camp also provided us to get his thoughts on some of the recent player personnel moves the Lakers have made. You know, that Ron Artest thing...

Asked whether the Artest signing makes the Lakers a better team, Bryant said:

``I think it makes us a different team. It's tough to say whether we'll be a better team or not. We haven't won a championship with that unit yet. Trevor brought his style to us, which was very effective obviously. And Ron will bring his style to us. We'll just be a different team. Every year we adapt and we adjust. I'm sad to see Trevor go, because everybody knows that he's like my brother. He still is. ''

Kobe then confirmed the now infamous shower scene story, and noted that, ``This is something we've both been trying to make happen for a while.''

``I've known him for a long long time,'' Kobe said. ``It's one of those things, and he'll tell you this story too... After we lost to the Celtics, he came in the locker room, and I was in there, just by myself. And he just came in the locker room and said, `This is not going to happen to you again. I'm going to come there and I'm going to help you out. He wound up being in Houston, then the next year took us to Game 7. But he's here now.''

That said, the way it went down has been hotly debated in recent days. This columnist loved the move, thinking the Lakers showed a lot of guts, and will be rewarded with another round of champagne glory next June.

Others felt like the Lakers walked away from Trevor Ariza a bit too quickly.

Bryant said he was fine with how the business end played out, but noted he didn't have any official input on the situation.

``I don't think it was something where we picked Ron Artest over Trevor,'' Bryant said. ``I think with Trevor, we made an offer, and his representative felt like he could look elsewhere a little bit. And during that time, the Lakers talked to Ron and Ron was ready to go.

``I think it's either/or. I think if they went with Trevor, or with Ron, either way we'd be fine this year.''

But what about that chemistry stuff?

``Where is that concern coming from?'' Bryant asked. ``Because he ran in the stands and kicked somebody's (butt)? You talk to anybody that played with him, he's a great teammate. He's never been a problem in the locker room. He had that one incident in Detroit, which was unfortunate. But outside of that, it's not a problem at all. ''
Click to expand...

http://www.insidesocal.com/lakers/2009/07/state-of-kobe.html

Kobe's thoughts on the situation.

anique_24 · Jul 7, 2009

Re: Artest makes Lakers even stronger.

Nice article!

I hope Artest really does make LA better.

anique_24 · Jul 7, 2009

Re: Official Artest Thread

Haha! A bit surprised about that locker room thing with Artest, first time I heard it. lol

I like how Kobe isn't immediately dismissing Ariza's importance to LA.

Mamba · Jul 7, 2009

Re: Artest makes Lakers even stronger.

He makes us better than we would have been with Ariza.

anique_24 · Jul 7, 2009

Re: Artest makes Lakers even stronger.

And Kobe doesn't have to guard Carmelo, LeBron and Pierce now.

Still remember how tough it was for Kobe to guard Melo out in the post. With Artest, that won't be a problem.

huevonkiller · Jul 7, 2009

Re: Official Artest Thread

Wallace to Celtics Makes Artest to Lakers Even Better

View full size photo uploaded July 5, 2009

We've already discussed the Lakers' acquisition of Ron Artest (3 years @ the Mid-Level Exception), and the odds are we're not done with it. For my money, it was a great move. Two of the Eastern Conference's three best teams, Cleveland and Orlando, made significant roster upgrades (though I admittedly don't think Cleveland's will be enough to win the East next year), as did San Antonio. Boston was rumored to be trying to do the same.

It was therefore a good thing, in general, for the Lakers to also improve their roster, rather than being complacent while their biggest challengers made moves aimed directly at taking Los Angeles down.

Now, Boston has reportedly reached a deal with Rasheed Wallace, also for the Mid-Level Exception, adding him to the team without losing any major players. In my mind, this makes them at least as likely as any other team to represent the East in the 2010 NBA Finals.

If you ask me, that makes Artest even more important, specifically for the impact he would have in a Lakers-Celtics matchup.

Star-divide

Remembering the 2008 Finals matchup between the Lakers and Celtics, several things stand out in my memory — few, if any, positive. Among those unfavorable memories are two key disadvantages the Lakers suffered against the Celtics.

First, of course, was that Kobe Bryant was unable to be very effective on offense. This was no fault of his own — the Celtics trapped him at every turn, and when he was able to split the double team, a help defender was immediately waiting to seal him off. What should he have done, sprouted wings and flown over the green-clad defenders? Michael Jordan and LeBron James would have been equally ineffective, individually, against that defense. And yet, when Kobe made the pass to find the open man, the Celtics' rotations were so crisp and quick that the open man was no longer open by the time he received the ball. That is how good the Celtics' defense was that year.

The second unfavorable memory that sticks out to me was the Lakers' inability to come up with an answer for both Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. Simply put, whichever player Kobe wasn't guarding simply had his way against the Lakers. When Ray Allen was on fire, Kobe would switch over to him, essentially shutting him down... only to have Paul Pierce make easy work of the Lakers' defense. But when Kobe would switch over to Pierce, Allen would have his way. As a result, the Lakers simply couldn't handle the Celtics defensively — and to make things worse, Bryant's constant defensive scramble left him less energy to combat the Celtics' strong defense on the other end of the court.

Trevor Ariza would have helped in this situation, but I question whether he could effectively match Paul Pierce's strength over the long haul. Ron Artest, on the other hand, is exactly the type of defender to match up effectively with Pierce. The Lakers' pick-and-roll defense was stellar in the 2009 playoffs, theoretically removing one of the ways in which Pierce repeatedly punished the Lakers. With Artest on him, he would have a hard time freelancing effectively, as well.

Kobe, meanwhile, would be left to guard Ray Allen — certainly a less physically demanding task for Bryant, and a matchup which could really frustrate Allen and potentially take him out of the game. Alternatively, the Lakers might opt to put Derek Fisher (or Shannon Brown, if the Lakers retain him) on Allen, opting instead to put Kobe Bryant on Rajon Rondo (or whichever quick point guard the Celtics' starting lineup features). This would allow Kobe to either freelance defensively, daring Rondo to hit long jumpers, or to focus his defensive energies on Rondo, keeping him out of the paint and eliminating the Celtics' primary source of ball penetration. While L.A. has used Kobe on Rondo in the past, it has usually meant putting a less capable defender on Paul Pierce and/or Ray Allen.

This is a classic example of the way in which Artest can take over Kobe's "primary defensive stopper" duties, allowing Kobe to conserve energy, saving him more for offense — and potentially prolonging his career by saving him from the added wear and tear.

With the acquisition of Rasheed Wallace, Boston now essentially features an All-Star starting lineup. The biggest question for them now is simply whether Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett will be healthy come May. If they're smart, they'll take the San Antonio/Gregg Popovich approach, saving their key players' health and energy rather than worrying about their regular season win-loss record. If they can do these things, then I expect them to be the Eastern Conference favorites.

If that prediction is correct, then I expect Ron Artest to be a key player in the 2010 NBA Finals.
Click to expand...

http://www.silverscreenandroll.com/2009/7/5/939050/wallace-to-celtics-makes-artest-to?ref=yahoo

huevonkiller · Jul 7, 2009

Re: Official Artest Thread

Ron Artest's teams in Indiana and Houston were not very talented. Yet, they were semi-successful. Ron, Shane, Landry and Scola scared the Lakers didn't they? Better than Tracy could have dreamed even if all those numbers and statistics "back" him up. Sadly.. Tracy is lacking a spine, and a back... a back of toughness and grit.

Rodman... another example of a 'bad boy'... but one cannot argue his value to the Pistons and the Bulls.

Ariza even admits that the play that changed the Lakers was the Derek Fisher shoulder to Luis Scola. The Lakers relied on their talent throughout the playoffs and the Rockets minus Yao Ming managed to make it close? It was embarrassing for all Laker fans. that shoulder... showed the Rockets that yes... we want it more.

Artest's numbers aren't "great." But let's play a game... let's switch Artest with Hedo.. can the Rockets go to 7 against LA? NO. Switch with Durant or Carmelo... ? NO and NO. I will even go to say that if one switches Lebron with Artest... that the Rockets cannot extend the Lakers to 7 games. Lebron would add loads of individual talent, defense and camaraderie but what he does not do is instill a toughness and a will into every single one of his teammates. Lebron couldn't beat the Magic who couldn't even go to 6 against LA. Ron Artest just being on the Rockets team made every player on the Rockets roster TOUGH mentally and willfully. Scola, Landry, Battier elevated their toughness to push around much bigger Laker bigs.

Ron Artest said that he shall "Hoodalize" the Lakers. Go ahead laugh. LOLTSHandrollingonthefloor. We misunderstand him. What he means is that JUST like Kobe he shall infuse his DNA into the players as well. Kobe infused a competitive drive. Artest will instill a toughness, a bad boy into every single one of the Lakers. Trevor Ariza does not have a badboy in him. He shall not complain, he shall not fight, he shall not shove and he will let the officials do whatever they please. He is a good boy player and will do his best to shadow his opponents hoping for opportunities. Artest doesn't "shadow" he grabs, pushes, shoves and will make you sweat to obtain ideal position. Carmelo learned this through Chauncey... and he is better. Yes there are technicals, yes there are ejections... but along with those comes wins and in the end that's all that matters.

How does this apply with the current situation? Rasheed to the Celtics. A lineup that boasts Perkins, Garnett, Wallace, Pierce, Allen, Rondo AND House. That is a team of bad boys and that addition just made the Celtics a whole level stronger. Their will to win just rose again. Orlando SHALL sweat. It was not long ago where Rasheed and the Pistons called Dwight and the Magic "soft." Adding HIM to a team that made the Lakers seem soft in 2008? With this in mind... the Ron Artest pick up seems a lot smarter now doesn't it? It gives Laker fans a chance to breathe a little better because even if we did get tougher this year with the embarrassing 2008 finals fiasco.. we shall get tougher again. What is toughness? Toughness allows teams to overcome numbers, to overcome talent and to overcome expectations. Toughness allows teams to overachieve. This is why Ron Artest scared the Lakers despite the fact he shot 'terribly.' This is why an old and aging Spurs were able to whoop the fun, offensive juggernaut of the Suns.

There is no "value" to toughness. There are the +/- stats and those will not show Ron Artest's value. When he's off the court... his team's still tough. When he's on the court his team is still tough. Look at values like Win Score and PER and it does not make sense on how the Rockets fared better against the Lakers than Denver and Orlando. Perhaps the Lakers did take their game to another level. In fact they did... they weren't pushed around by the athletic bigs of the Nuggets or the man-beast Dwight. They became a little bit like the Rockets and Ron Artest.

What will Ron do to Bynum? What will Ron do to Gasol? What will Ron do to Odom? What will Ron do to everyone else? That's right.. the Lakers shall be the talented team we were last year... PLUS the bad boy toughness of the Houston Rockets.

Boston, I hope you stay healthy for 2010. So that we can duke it out in an all out war of wills and wits. May the best team win....
Click to expand...

Source

Lost One · Jul 7, 2009

Re: Official Artest Thread

"Artest's numbers aren't "great." But let's play a game... let's switch Artest with Hedo.. can the Rockets go to 7 against LA? NO. Switch with Durant or Carmelo... ? NO and NO. I will even go to say that if one switches Lebron with Artest... that the Rockets cannot extend the Lakers to 7 games."

interesting...

Mamba · Jul 7, 2009

Re: Official Artest Thread

I wouldn't put them extending us to 7 on Artest.

We were fucking lazy and expected them to fold.

huevonkiller · Jul 8, 2009

Lakers make Ron Artest deal official with signing.

Lakers make Ron Artest deal official with signing

38 minutes ago

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP)—The Los Angeles Lakers have signed Ron Artest(notes), making official a deal agreed to last week.

The team announced the signing early Wednesday but did not release the terms.

ESPN.com and the Los Angeles Times have reported that Artest, who was an unrestricted free agent, agreed to a three-year deal worth $18 million when he decided to join the team on Thursday.

The 6-foot-7 forward earned $7.4 million in his only season with Houston, averaging 17.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists.

Artest has averaged 16.1 points and 5.1 rebounds in 10 seasons with Chicago, Indiana, Sacramento and Houston and was named 2004 Defensive Player of the Year.
Click to expand...

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-lakers-artest&prov=ap&type=lgns

Mamba · Jul 8, 2009

Re: Lakers make Ron Artest deal official with signing; three years 18 million.

Sweet money!

Only 3 years, too!

DaRizzle · Jul 8, 2009

Re: Lakers make Ron Artest deal official with signing; three years 18 million.

Thats way better than the 5 year option IMO

umair · Jul 8, 2009

Re: Lakers make Ron Artest deal official with signing; three years 18 million.

LOL I thought you guys hated Ron Artest? But again, you guys only get stronger with this signing. Maybe I'll watch a few more Laker games now that you guys have Artest

huevonkiller · Jul 8, 2009

Re: Lakers make Ron Artest deal official with signing; three years 18 million.

I love Artest, he is a legit thug and a badass. :]

huevonkiller · Jul 8, 2009

Re: Lakers make Ron Artest deal official with signing.

Two down, one to go
July 7th, 2009, 10:17 pm · Post a Comment · posted by JANIS CARR, OCREGISTER.COM

At 9:01 p.m., Lakers officials sat down with Shannon Brown at Prego restaurant in Beverly Hills and signed the guard to a two-year, $4.2 million contract.

The group then walked down the street to Mr. Chow’s, where Ron Artest was waiting — no doubt pen in hand — and signed the foward to a five-year deal worth $34 million to $35 million.

By 10:10, the Lakers had two free agents in the fold. The third, Lamar Odom, was no where in sight.

Artest is holding a press conference at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday. We’ll hear what the unpredictable swingman has to say and let you know. No doubt it will be interesting.
Click to expand...

http://lakers.freedomblogging.com/2009/07/07/two-down-one-to-go/20313/

Ron has an option for two more years I believe, so it is indeed 5 years MLE. Not really worried to be honest.

Just Lamar left.

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The Official Ron Artest Celebration Thread (post #224 for Artest in uniform)

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The Official Ron Artest Celebration Thread (post #224 for Artest in uniform)

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