[CHRON] Rockets hope a mature Artest can deliver in playoffs

Mature Artest (chuckle).

DD

 

thanks that was fun to read

 

"Everything from his own incidents to dealing with his daughter Diamond’s chemotherapy for a cancerous kidney tumor, now in remission, brought perspective, he said."

How come I've never heard about his daughter's tumor? Wow, I never knew that...

 

Probably because most people only look at Ron Artest through the lens of the Detroit-Indiana brawl.

 

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/6379733.html

 

Or maybe through the losing focus and going one on five and costing the team vicotiries lens.

DD

 

hmm. artest mentions in the article that he should play within the team and not take it all upon himself. but, it seems that at critical points in some of the games, he has done just that. he will have the ball and just do his own thing trying to score...similar to what tmac does. this...versus trying to find a shot based on what the defense is giving you. and, many times it does not work, he makes some poor shot attempt, and it puts the rockets deeper in a hole.

but, he has a good jump shot and nice form. he is definitely a scoring option. it's just on some plays he tries to do a little too much taking it on himself...and ends up forcing up a bad shot.

agree/disagree?

 

http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=166726

 

don't compare artest to t-mac. t-mac actually has the skills for what he does. plus, he's a very smart player who always tries to create open shots for his teammates. he's more than willing to even give scrubs chances for game winners if it's a good shot (remember novak's 3 vs. the kings...).

well, maybe that t-mac's gone but at least it was this way when he actually played for us.

artest on the other hand seems to be a not so smart basketball player who thinks too highly about his own offensive skills and also has trust issues with his teammates. how many times have we seen artest going 1-on-5 ignoring open teammates when he thought he had to take over?

sorry, but there's no mature basketball player named ron artest. he might have been even worse earlier in his career and he might be more mature as a person off the court now. but basketball-wise there's only one chance the rockets have - ron's gotta have a hot hand all series long. because you know what's going to happen when the blazers will have figured out how to deny yao the ball... at least i do.

well, i hope that the blazers won't figure out how to stop yao and / or that ron actually runs hot. that's the only chance the rockets have to win this series without home court advantage.

 

i have no doubt ron is a great person. i've heard some of his family stories and i'm touched obviously.

but ron needs to play one way: let the game come to him. he's not good when he forces the issue and tries to do everything b/c he's not good enough. it's like watching rafer alston trying to be chris paul. if he plays his role and knows that he's a role player, he looks very effective (spot up jumpers, go to the post when yao's out, play defense).

 

artest can't do what tmac does offensively. i think he "tries" to be the man b/c he thinks he's he only option. but really, when ron tries to dribble, he really looks bad.

i like when he takes spot up jumpers or stay in the post. he's not a creator like tracy.

 

Fixed.

 

mature artest is an oxymoron.

He will jack up bad shots, hope he hits some of them.

 

indeed, lol.

 

rose is like tim duncan, expression-less. but that mentality is why he's so calm in pressure situations

 

Right, or the Ron Artest Will "Step It Up" In the Playoffs how our pansy superstars cant ever deliver...
Then seeing in actuality Artest can join that crowd. Putting it in a perspective we understand, Artest turns into Rafer Alston in the playoffs.

regular season career average .422 FG %, .342 3pt FG%
postseason average 31 games .383 FG%, .333 3pt FG%

ALL we can hope for is maturity...

 

Ron is just competitive to a fault. He tries too hard to do EVERYTHING especially when somebody good or a strong defensive player "challenges" him. That's one factor we have going in our favor for this series: Portland doesn't really have a trash talker or strong defensive player on the wings that will "dare" Ron to enter one of his dreaded "ISO/ball stopper/jack up 20 horrible shots" mindsets.

P.S. JVG just predicted that we'll dominate this series. Mark Jackson disagrees and thinks Portland will win.

 

Heard that from JVG. Good to have some more support for a team that most of the media downplays.

 

I always laugh when folks say Artest taking bad shots costs the team victories. He may cost them a BETTER chance at a win, but there is zero guarantee that those bad Artest shots automatically become makes if someone else takes them. There are very very few instances where you can say any single instance of something cost them the win. At BEST, it made winning the game harder(and sometimes that means they ultimately lose) but it did not automatically lose the game, nor does a hypothetical different play in that situation automatically WIN the game.

Artest is not scared. And when the offense is breaking down and nobody is moving, Yao can't get open/teammates cant get him the ball, I'll take a prayer from Artest over a 24 second violation or a bad pass turnover. At least when he shoots the team has a chance to set up for the rebound and/or get back on D. Heck, it might even go in.

[rant]
And remember, just because you THINK you see Yao open, does not mean that the players on the floor see it as well. Just because you THINK you see an opening to get Yao the ball, does not mean its actually there. Defenses like to bait the offense by making an opening appear then jumping in for the steal. [/rant]