Asserting something does not make it true. Give me some evidence. I gave you evidence of why the Rockets were already tough before Artest came. I never said he was a bad player. I, and some others, said he was overrated, on both ends. He is overrated as "the best two-way player" in the league. In reality, he is above average on defense and average on offense. Together with his checkered past, that's the kind of player who gets the MLE. Is Artest a better player than Ariza? Probably. But he is not "the much better all-around baller" as simple as you put it. Artest is not going to get better. He is already getting worse. Ariza is still young and improving.
