Who would you rather have start: Von Wafer or Ron Artest?

i voted for Ron, i'd give him a chance to start, if he's over his ankle injury, i believe he will start to play well but i really dont have issues if Von starts as long they both give 110% regardless.

 

Artest has been making complaints masked as 'comments' about coming off the bench. Wafer can stroke the ball regardless of if he starts, or not, while Artest is a volume shooter. I like Wafer better on offense but it is what it is - Artest needs to start.

 

I like Wafer a lot, and I keep telling my wife, I hope he's legit. Right now, he just gets open looks and is able to drive after the defense is still rotating.

If he is to stay in that role and defenses don't pay him more attention then they are now, he'll have a lot of success. I'd be very interested in seeing what he'd do once opponents look to shut him down more. Heck, I hope he continues to play well.

But for now, I say you go with Artest starting. He's earned that in the league if you are going to ask Artest vs. Wafer.

 

I don't think it makes a lot of difference, but both players are a better fit than an injured T-Mac. When McGrady is starting, he plays more of a point forward. This makes Alston more of a shooter, opposing teams will rotate their defense and force Rafer to beat them. T-Mac has lost his ability to drive, so he has been settling for the outside shot. Wafer & Artest have shown that they can hit the outside shot and their ability to drive keeps the opposing defenses honest. This will leave more room for Yao to operate down low and also provide lanes for players cutting to the basket. Rafer is now allowed to be the playmaker, something he does much better than shooting. Last night, the Rockets had a 16 point halftime lead and Rafer didn't have a single point. A healthy T-Mac is very good at drawing the defense, but he should be paired with a better shooter than Alston, say someone like Brooks or a Baron Davis.

 

I would start Artest just for the sake of cooling him down and satisfying him. He said recently he's not real happy coming off the bench and wants to start.

 

I really hope the Rockets keep Ron for the remainder of the season. I understand many here have brought up the possibility/likelihood of him leaving after this season, but still, he does bring another dimension to this squad that is unique in its own right.

Those of you who say that Artest has been horrible this year, I have to disagree. In recent games that he's appeared to be "slow and old", I really attribute that to his ankle sprain. The past couple of games (coincidentally without Tmac in the lineup), he has played like the player that we all wanted over the summer. Well guess what, now we've got him and this team as is can still make a solid run through the playoffs.

It's been apparent this year that neither Artest nor Tmac can coexist successfully. But now you have Artest and no McGrady, well looks good to me.

That said, at this point I don't think it matters if Artest starts or not. He mentioned in the Chronicle that he stays "warm" when starting so if that's the case, start him. Wafer has been quite a relief this year and I just look forward to this team playing defense like they did the past couple of games for the rest of the year.

 

Ess,

This is off tangent but how do I attain "Contributing Member" status? Do I become one automatically when I make a donation?

 

your wish has been granted...

 

My Starting 5

Rafer
Wafer
Scola
Ron
Yao

 

Definitely Artest. His stats when McGrady misses games have been consistently solid. Add that to the "intangibles" he brings and it's an easy decision.

 

I think it's more important who finishes.

 

Ron and Wafer should finish....



And Ron will be able to get his numbers now that Tmac is out.....good for everyone.

DD

 

DD,

I really don't think Ron is out to get this numbers as a selfish player. In games where ron's played without Tmac in the lineup, ron very much played within the system.

I know you feel that Artest's defense is overrated, but the times we saw him slow footed this year were probably because of two things: 1) his ankle (mostly this) 2) McGrady taking the energy out of the games with is lethargy.

Otherwise, when his ankle is not in pain, I see him playing hard and really acting like a "glove" on opposing players.

What are your thoughts on Artest moving forward based on the Last 2 games he's played in?

 

I think I'd rather have RJ and Wafer or Carter and Wafer start than Battier and Artest.

 

I like Wafer off the bench. We all know he brings all he's got every time he steps on the court. I like to see his boost of energy, especially when the starters start the game off slowly. Him and Brooks are awesome momentum changers.

 

You're comparing apples and oranges.