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General Discussion => Beer and Queso => Topic started by: JaneDoe on July 02, 2009, 07:04:30 pm

Title: Artest to the Lakers?
Post by: JaneDoe on July 02, 2009, 07:04:30 pm
ESPN reporting that Artest claims he is signing with the purple and gold.
Title: Re: Artest to the Lakers?
Post by: Savage on July 02, 2009, 09:28:42 pm
ESPN reporting that Artest claims he is signing with the purple and gold.

And Ariza to the Rockets. 
Title: Re: Artest to the Lakers?
Post by: Noe on July 02, 2009, 09:35:18 pm
I had heard Ariza was mad at the Lakers for lowballing him, now it looks like he's going to bolt for a one year deal and then try and make his millions afterwards.  If the Rockets get Ariza and the Lakers get Artest, the Rockets win in that deal.  IMHO of course.
Title: Re: Artest to the Lakers?
Post by: TheWizard on July 02, 2009, 09:58:24 pm
Damn that sucks...
Title: Re: Artest to the Lakers?
Post by: Andyzipp on July 02, 2009, 10:48:23 pm
Rockets got Ariza for a rumored 5-year deal.
Title: Re: Artest to the Lakers?
Post by: hostros7 on July 02, 2009, 10:50:49 pm
The Ron/Yao when Ron's not jacking three's Rockets were special.  There are too many uncertainties in that statment for me to be too concerned.  Plus, Ariza could be a really nice addition.
Title: Re: Artest to the Lakers?
Post by: S.P. Rodriguez on July 03, 2009, 08:33:27 am
Agreed.  Artest went off on his own too often in this offense.  Talent wise, he's among the most talented.  Game wise, he's got too many voices in his head to be consistent enough to make him more than a good third option for an offense. 

Phil Jackson will have his hands full with this one, best of luck to them both.  I cant' wait to see Artest's reaction when he realizes the triangle offense is all about getting Kobe a shot, unless Artest is willing to take up the post role that Gasol was filling. 
Title: Re: Artest to the Lakers?
Post by: Noe on July 03, 2009, 08:51:50 am
Agreed.  Artest went off on his own too often in this offense.  Talent wise, he's among the most talented.  Game wise, he's got too many voices in his head to be consistent enough to make him more than a good third option for an offense. 

Phil Jackson will have his hands full with this one, best of luck to them both.  I cant' wait to see Artest's reaction when he realizes the triangle offense is all about getting Kobe a shot, unless Artest is willing to take up the post role that Gasol was filling. 

Add to that the role of "be alert because if Kobe finds himself trying to make a really impossible shot, he could, at the last minute, pass it to you and you better be in the right position to get the ball and shoot.  The right position?  That will be wherever Kobe throws the ball.  If you're not there, he will give you that pained expression of "why aren't you there?  Come on man, get in the game!  My game!".  I never liked Artest, his teammates did to an extent (most of them, no one is really going to cry now that he's gone... trust me).  I think the Rockets are better off with Ariza.
Title: Re: Artest to the Lakers?
Post by: Bench on July 03, 2009, 11:25:36 am
Add to that the role of "be alert because if Kobe finds himself trying to make a really impossible shot, he could, at the last minute, pass it to you and you better be in the right position to get the ball and shoot.  The right position?  That will be wherever Kobe throws the ball.  If you're not there, he will give you that pained expression of "why aren't you there?  Come on man, get in the game!  My game!".  I never liked Artest, his teammates did to an extent (most of them, no one is really going to cry now that he's gone... trust me).  I think the Rockets are better off with Ariza.

I have a feeling Ron and Kobe aren't going to get along very well.
Title: Re: Artest to the Lakers?
Post by: rifraft on July 03, 2009, 02:28:30 pm
I think the Rockets are better off with Ariza.

24 y/o swing man with length and very good defensive ability.  Shoots the 3 ball solidly, has improved over the course of the last few seasons, quite a lot actually.  Very good signing.  The contract, $5.8 or $6 million per year seems big, but not so large it can't be traded later.  I definitely trust Morey, but trusting him and thinking he can pull some big free agent next season (or trade tmac for a big time player-Bosh/Amare) are two totally different things.
Title: Re: Artest to the Lakers?
Post by: Mr. Happy on July 03, 2009, 06:00:25 pm
As a Laker fan, I'm not as gung ho over getting Artest, who has the all-time bad attitude, as I am over Phil Jackson returning to coach him. If Jackson had decided to hang them up, I'd have been pissed that they signed a troublemaker. If anyone can get Artest to play like a team and play the triangle, it is Jackson. After all, he tamed Kobe and had Kobe and Shaq on the same team on the court. Artest is in his prime. It's not like when we signed Dennis Rodman (over my vehement objection), who was washed up and not playing offense at all. Thankfully, his stay in the purple and gold was only one season.

As far as Ariza goes, he might be a luxury that a rebuilding club like the Rockets can't really use. He was an important piece in this year's championship puzzle, but he's a replaceable cog and nothing more. He has shown little ability to create his own offense, and he benefitted at the three point line from Kobe's presence. His D was good, certainly better than Artest's against quicker players. However, the Lakers were a little thin in the middle, and it hurt against the big boys like Anthony and James.
Title: Re: Artest to the Lakers?
Post by: JackAstro on July 03, 2009, 10:19:02 pm
...Shoots the 3 ball solidly...

I like his game, and I like the signing, but Ariza has not shown himself to be a good 3-point shooter at all. Artest is significantly better behind the arc.
Title: Re: Artest to the Lakers?
Post by: rifraft on July 04, 2009, 08:31:50 am
I like his game, and I like the signing, but Ariza has not shown himself to be a good 3-point shooter at all. Artest is significantly better behind the arc.

Shot 20% and 27% the first 2 months of the season, after that he was a 34%-35% 3pt shooter, throw in his hot streak in the playoffs and now I believe he is a solid shooter.  That's the good thing about Ariza(vs. Artest), he can get better, Artest is now on the down side of his career.
Title: Re: Artest to the Lakers?
Post by: S.P. Rodriguez on July 04, 2009, 02:10:29 pm
I like his game, and I like the signing, but Ariza has not shown himself to be a good 3-point shooter at all. Artest is significantly better behind the arc.

You and I were obviously watching different games.  I can't count the number of ill-advised, self-isolation plays he called that resulted in a desparation 3.  I won't miss him.  And as for his defense, it is stellar, when he bothers to commit to it, which hinges on how he's feeling that day.
Title: Re: Artest to the Lakers?
Post by: TheWizard on July 05, 2009, 10:49:47 am
Ariza isn't a good three point shooter.. based not only on his numbers, but also the way his shot looks.  He side rims a lot for a perimeter player.
Title: Re: Artest to the Lakers?
Post by: ybbodeus on July 05, 2009, 11:24:08 am
My brother-in-law is a Kobe slurping Laker fan and constantly carps at my son and me about how Artest should be in jail.  Now that RR's with the Lakeshow, I've asked if they have some kind of special work-release program for Ron, just to be consistent.
Title: Re: Artest to the Lakers?
Post by: JackAstro on July 07, 2009, 12:44:19 pm
Shot 20% and 27% the first 2 months of the season, after that he was a 34%-35% 3pt shooter, throw in his hot streak in the playoffs and now I believe he is a solid shooter.  That's the good thing about Ariza(vs. Artest), he can get better, Artest is now on the down side of his career.

20-27% is absolutely awful. 34-35% is adequate. A hot streak is a hot streak. He is not a solid 3pt shooter, but you are certainly correct in that he could get there. He's new to the whole "shooting 3's" thing, and I would expect him to improve. In fairness, I also thought Eddie Griffin was going to improve, so I've been guilty of misplaced optimism before.

You and I were obviously watching different games.  I can't count the number of ill-advised, self-isolation plays he called that resulted in a desparation 3.  I won't miss him.  And as for his defense, it is stellar, when he bothers to commit to it, which hinges on how he's feeling that day.

All I said is that Artest is a better 3pt shooter than Ariza is. I'm not really stepping out on a limb with this... Artest has hit 38.2% of them over the last 3 seasons, Ariza has hit 30.6%. So, Artest is significantly better at shooting 3's. Fitting into an offense, shot selection, defense and effort are other things entirely.
Title: Re: Artest to the Lakers?
Post by: TheWizard on July 07, 2009, 06:28:32 pm
The thing is Ariza got "hot" from behind the line in the playoffs, when he was on the national stage. So to the national audience, the guy seems like a pretty decent long range shooter.  Problem is he didn't exhibit that during the season, which is a much bigger sample size.  So here's hoping he improves, because honestly IMO, I don't think he's a very good shooter.
Title: Re: Artest to the Lakers?
Post by: Gizzmonic on July 08, 2009, 09:25:24 am
Does anyone follow Ron Artest on Twitter?  He's a funny guy.  "ESPN Hood - All Gatorade baths replaced with purple drink and Erin Andrews replaced by whoever has the fattest ass in a 3 mile radius."
Title: Re: Artest to the Lakers?
Post by: TheWizard on July 09, 2009, 05:52:56 pm
Does anyone follow Ron Artest on Twitter?  He's a funny guy.  "ESPN Hood - All Gatorade baths replaced with purple drink and Erin Andrews replaced by whoever has the fattest ass in a 3 mile radius."
I still refuse to twit, tweet, or twat... wait a min..
Title: Re: Artest to the Lakers?
Post by: Gizzmonic on July 10, 2009, 10:59:32 am
I still refuse to twit, tweet, or twat... wait a min..

I found out the username I thought was Ron Artest was a fake anyway.  Still funny though.