well let's not take all of the passion out of the sport... you don't want it in excess.. where chaos ensues and it does more harm than good.. but you also don't want none at all.. and unfortunately this game.. has come to be greatly influenced by outward expression.. whether it be those Duncan like "who me? i fouled? impossible!" faces.. Jazz, team and fan underhanded rough housing, of the opposition and the refs.. disgracefully exaggerated flopping of numerous teams.. constant glaring.. in your face ref..whining.. and other displays of immediate and deplorable intolerance.. I'd prefer to have a player or two.. with passion.. that simply states.. we're here to play.. we're here to win.. and if you try to pull any of this nonsense on us.. we're not going to stand for it.. I have yet to see a nice, quiet, obedient, emotionally indifferent team.. win it all...
I can't wait for Ron Artest to start playing!!!! He's going to be fun to watch. He'll whoop all those haters out there. Bad ass team!!!!
Im excited to have someone with Artests attitude on our team.. I dont agree with it all the time, but there are times where tmac just looks so unemotional, and Yao is'nt a loud mouth. I think Artest attitude will at least hype up and get our other players pumped especially against the Jazz..
This year we are winning it ALL. Artest is this teams version of Mad Max. Dreams Rockets would have never won without Vernon Maxwell/Mario Elie. We controlled the Bulls those years because Maxwell got under Jordans' skin. Mario also didn't take crap. It amazes me what Harpring and the other Jazz players can get away with in the NBA and it's called hustle. Grit. Determination. Character. If a different player does it. It's ghetto. Crazy. On the edge. Scary. Get a grip, or grow a pair. This year, players will lay off Yao. Or else. They will lay off T-Mac or else. The refs will also finally give us our calls.... Sure Ron will get tossed this year for taking up for his teammates. I predict now it'll be for protecting Yao. But he will learn how to direct that anger as this season goes on. He will also lift the O'Brian trophy this year for all of us.
First...you're using a miniscule sample and ignoring that the game was so intense even Reggie Theus walked on to the court. Secondly, what you are a "fan" of is mediocre talent that overachieves. That's all well and good until you build a whole team cut from nearly the same cloth. And that type of player is at a disadvantage in the playoffs when more talented players have another gear that the overachievers don't have. Winnable game? You mean to raise the Kings' record to 19-25? Artest's line in 33 minutes played was 15 pts, 8 boards, 3 assists and a steal. While committing only 2 PF's as Harpring (3 PF's in 14 min) tried to turn the game into a Sumo contest. http://www.nba.com/games/20080125/SACUTA/boxscore.html
Call me a non-purist, but I am extremely excited to see Ron Artest on the court and the passion he brings. I loved him before he was traded to the Rockets and I DEFINITELY love him now.
Ron Artest has been my favorite non Rockets player for a long time. I'm glad he is on his team. As long as he doesn't do anything that's illegal or warrants a long suspension, I am ok with him showing some emotion on the court. Artest is not a dirty player, he just plays like Ray Lewis with a basketball. While Harpring and Bowen cheat and never gets in trouble.
We have one of the most straight-laced players in the league - actually two - in Yao and Battier. Plus one of the craziest, ever - Artest (calling Deke to rein him in). And a player still battling identity issues and achievement challenges - TMac. I can't wait for this season to start.
I honestly want some of the number crunchers in this thread to honestly tell me, even after our resident stat geek Morey made this trade himself, who else that was available would have been a better fit? You're telling me that giving up a meaningless first rounder next year, a rookie this year who would definitely need some seasoning, and an expiring contract for a borderline All-Star (who happens to also be in a CONTRACT YEAR) is not good? No one's saying he's NOT crazy; no one's saying he's NOT random but it's not like the Rockets Franchise hasn't gone through crazy before. Vernon Maxwell, the late 90s with Kenny Thomas and co. fighting on the court, etc. And we won with Vernon Maxwell. "Well, he was a different type of crazy......it's the type of crazy you could have depended on!" Please. If this experiment doesn't pan out next year, you know what? "Bye bye Ron. It was nice knowing you". Anyone that has watched Rockets basketball for the past few years knows that this team lacked any heart and any fire and any toughness. We got some of that back in Landry last year and no one is going to bring more toughness and more fire to this team than a Ron Artest. To belittle intangibles like heart and toughness is to not even know what SPORTS COMPETITION is all about.
If this was directed towards me, I want to be clear that I really like the trade. I mean, it's hard to dislike it, right? I was being a bit tongue-in-cheek with GATER up above. And I value competitiveness and toughness as much as anyone. But I also think we should distinguish between theatrical machismo and real toughness. Letting emotions get in the way of helping your team (which is essentially what happens when you're getting ejected in the 4th quarter of a winnable game) is demonstrating mental weakness, not toughness.
