Ahhhh, my bad. I have to admit I didn't read the entire thread before expressing the utter shock I am in that JJ Redick had a monster game.
The Chris Paul is a punk evidence continues to build. http://espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=291101002 Crotch puncher in college; dirty player in the NBA; just a big time sore loser. ESPN needs to do a better job oh showing his history of bad acts. His positive rep is undeserved. He's one of the worst punks in the NBA.
The only thing I see that Artest brings over Ariza is strength and toughness. If the Lakers' thought process was that he will pay off against guys like Carmelo and LeBron by taking pressure of Kobe on the defensive end, then I think it makes sense. I don't think the Lakers were worried about the fact that Ariza has more upside. They have no shortage of talent and are strictly looking to win now.
Todays game shows why the current Denver roster will never be a serious contender. How you gonna give up 123 pts to the Griz on your own floor. That's just lazy - and that dog will not hunt.
The question for me is can Artest accept a role as a limited role-player. I have my doubts. He won't be happy without playing a major role on both ends of the floor. Just taking pressure off of Kobe won't cut it.
I have to believe the Lakers were confident that things would work out offensively one way or another. They probably figured that Kobe is a dominant enough character that Artest would have no choice but to fall in line. Artest doesn't have the leverage he had in Sacramento or Houston where the team absolutely needs him to win. Aside from the mental stuff, I was just wondering if the Lakers main reason for bringing Artest in was to better deal with physically stronger wings like Anthony and James. They must have been fully aware of his rapid decline in athleticism.
indeed. I almost gasped out loud when I saw Redick's stat line today... Maybe he decides to come out in his contract year? lol
Artest has total leverage: A guaranteed contract that pays him the same amount no matter what. We'll see if Kobe can keep him in line. It's a long season.
I don't feel bad for the Hawks. they dug their own grave, with turnovers by the case. So much talent so little coaching.
Yea, he certainly has that leverage. I was talking about the leverage of "you need me on the court or you can't win." He doesn't have that for the first time in a while.
The Hawks just melted down. I think they were playing bad for that 5 min stretch more so than the Lakers were playing good. You can't afford to play soft for even a few minutes against the LAs and Celtics of the league.
