Some people say Ron Artest doesn't fit well with McGrady. I tend to disagree. The guys are dealing with injuries and early season adjustments, that's all. In any case, I am wondering if you think someone else who might be attainable fits better than Ron fits next to McGrady.
Yeah I agree. It hasn't gone as well as we hoped so far, but I remember things being awkward when Yao and Tracy were on the floor together for the first time back in '04. Everyone keeps saying that Tmac and Ron are both post players, but I've always thought of Tracy as a perimeter guy. It'll be alright...I'm still very excited about our star core of Yao, Tmac and Artest.
Rafer Alston. He is the only PG who does not need the ball because he can not make good use of it anyways.
Ron is the best player on this poll and personally I would always go with the best player. Once they spend enough time on the court together they will learn each others tendencies. From there the chemistry will start working and the team will become more consistant.
It depends on which McGrady you get on any given night. You have the aggressive McGrady that fits well with RonRon and his good 3pt shooting or you have the passive line drive jumpshooting McGrady that doesn't fit well with putting more offensive burden on Artest. At some point if these guys can ever get enough playing time to gel with one another, I feel they could beat anyone on any given night. Still see RonRon coming off the bench and Battier starting.
OOOH...I have become Van Gundier's obsession...lovely. I vote Mike Miller or Corey Maggette, either would make this team better than having Ron Artest on it. The point that the OP is missing is that I think Artest is a redundant piece. 1. He steps on Tmac's toes by needing the ball to be successful 2. He steps on Battier toes by eating into his minutes. We already have those 2 wing players, we did not need an incremental upgrade at a position of strength, UNLESS...you are adding an entirely new dimension......someone who plays off the ball...ala Miller or how attacks the rim...ala Magette. Of course there are others on that list I would want too, but not over Artest. DD
seriously, how hard is it to float around the 3 point line and shoot threes? Miller is a good player dont get me wrong, but youre basically saying that hes more valuable to this team than Artest because he does that better than Artest. Ok so he has artest there, but not by enough for it really to make up for the fact that its all he does well. What else does he do well? He is a pretty good ball handler/passer for a SF but he's about the same as artest in that area and if your biggest strength is 3 point shooting and thats what youre going to bring to the table, then ball handling isnt that important. Artest is a way better defender and rebounder and he plays multiple positions on the floor so he can adapt better than a guy like Miller. So again youre basically saying that Miller would be a better fit on the team because when he floats around the 3 point line and gets an open look from three, he can make it slightly more often than Artest. Well so could steve Novak and he was pretty useless for us. If teams want to take millers three point shot away, all they have to do is put a decent defender on and its done. Miller is then rendered useless and he will get used on the other end of the court by whoever he is guarding. With Artest, he brings so many different things to the table that even when he is shooting as poorly as he is now, he still finds a way to help the team win. Ironically one major thing he is doing now to help the team win is knocking down 3 pointers and outscoring whoever he is guarding. What he is struggling with right now is finding his role in the offense. And thats Something that he'll better understand over time as morey and the coaches get a chance to see when hes most successful on offense. I think hell be most successful in a role off the bench where he can take weaker defenders to the basket and score in the paint with Yao no longer in there. He'll also learn that when playing with Tracy or Yao, he will have to be mike miller for a few minutes and just stand around the 3 point line and throw it in to yao occasionally. On the defensive end, he is pretty versatile so even with Battier guarding the other teams best perimeter player, ron can play off his man and aggressively go for steals and rebounds.
I think a shooter would fit better with Tmac/Yao. So I picked Peja. Following Bostons model for a championship, they had a post guy, a penetrator/disher and a shooter. Having said that, I would rather have Ron than Peja, but I think Peja would fit better is all.
the best fit for Tracy at his prime.. would be to be surrounded by the Cuttino Mobley's (quick cutters with a good perimeter shot, that doesn't have to create for himself to function, but offers the option), Peja's and Mike Miller's (good off the ball movers at the perimeter, with a dangerous 3pt shot) of the game.. for centers and forwards.. you'd want Brad Miller, Chris Webber types.. for this Tracy.. who some people seem to think isn't decling.. though I believe otherwise.. he'd be better served adapting to the team instead of vice versa.. and be somewhat of a Scottie Pippen type.. focus on his passing, spot up shooting, low post, and use the energy he saves on the offensive end, to lift up his ability on the defensive..
