Wrong Artest Still Trying to find his way with Lakers

premature article.

Bynum won't be averaging anywhere over 12 PPG this season & Artest will find his niche come before ASB

(IMO)

 

Oops. Maybe the Lakers should have scanned the box scores BEFORE they signed Artest. Those numbers don't exactly back up the idea that Ron's shooting percentage will go up if he is more aggressive.

 

I'd much rather that "Knucklehead" shoot 35-40% in LA than Houston.

 

I think he was told not to force it on the offense, just maintain good D. His points average will drop tremendously this season.

 

That is the only way Ron Ron can fit on the Lakers. If he insists on taking shots away from others, they will have big problems. We'll see if Ron's head is on straight late in the season and playoffs.

 

Get it done Morey.


I wonder how much more Artest's defense will decline. Last season, his defense was good, but not as good as it was in the Pacers' days.

 

Since he slimmed down, I doubt it will decline. If anything, his foot speed might have improved and he might be able hang with some of the quicker players.

 

Ron jumped the shark last year, good riddance.

DD

 

I was extremely disappointed in his defense last season. He started from great defense to good to mediocre to slow...Unless they win a championship I don't see him being good for them at all.

 

Not asserting himself into the offensive flow, and struggling in the offense are 2 different things.

So he's doing both

 

way to go out on a limb

 

But if Ron's not taking many shots, then he's basically a waste at the price he signed for. Because he'd just be an older version of Ariza to a certain extent.

Personally, I think the Lakers got him to defend against stronger SF they might face in the playoffs like Melo or Lebron. Since Ariza's problem is his strength. But I'm not so sure Artest still has the speed to keep up with these guys anymore.

 

Ron Artest needs the ball to be somewhat effective. That wont happen b/c you've got Kobe, Odom, Pau, Bynm, and now Artest looking to assert themselves. Trever Ariza really was perfect for that team.

 

With Kobe, Pau, Bynum, Odom, etc, the Lakers don't need Artest to take many shots. On offense he needs to play like Ariza did, which means picking his spots and being selective about his shots. If he isn't able to do that, it will be trouble. The problem is it may be hard for Artest to be a 4th option on a team and retain his offensive rhythm. This is where the Lakers and Artest may have a problem.

I think the Lakers made a mistake switching Ariza for Artest. It's hard to teach an old dog new tricks and Artest qualifies as an old dog (in my book). If he's taking 15 shots per game, their offense isn't going to work. If he's taking less than 10, Artest may not be happy for very long. If his 3-point shot goes cold for a long period of time, I'm very curious to see what happens.

On defense, Artest can guard heavier players like Melo better than Ariza, but he also isn't as quick and athletic. That will cost the Lakers. They will have some drama involving Ron Ron this season.

 

Artest is not playing a role vacated by Ariza the best he can. He is playing a "position" that Ariza played.

And I think you're getting mixed up with "needing the ball" and "being assertive" which is precisely what Phil wants Ron to be more of.

Ron has been easing himself into the team dynamics and PJ simply wants him to be more aggressive.


Ron is not going to be confused about which role he is playing. That's what PJ is for and I think he has proven over the years that he knows how to get his players on the same page and win championships too.

 

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-lakers-fyi29-2009nov29,0,3214692.story

 

boy, blinded by your personal biase, u could not be more wrong

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp...0,3214692.story

Jackson also had a message for Ron Artest -- be more selfish.

Not necessarily as a life strategy, particularly with the holiday season underway, but more in a shoot-the-ball way.

It's the latest reminder from the Lakers coach to the team's main off-season acquisition.

Jackson doesn't like too much shooting in the triangle offense, sometimes cringing when Kobe Bryant has to take over the entire scoring load, but he also doesn't like over-passing.

"He likes to pass the ball," Jackson said Saturday. "He gets a little bit too involved in play-making. Not enough offensive opportunities, we think at times."

Artest seemed more aggressive Saturday against Golden State, finishing with 19 points on seven-for-11 shooting.

Defensively, Artest has been fine. He recently said he was playing the best basketball of his 11-year career. He credited Bryant. ​

 

Fixed =)

 

Artest actually has a decent shooting % in LA. Ariza on the other hand, isn't shooting too well. It's easier to find open shots as a role player.