ron, our test
posted by: Marc D (www.marcdejesus.com)10.06.09 5:37am PST
EL SEGUNDO, CA - With training camp in full swing, it seems Lakerland STILL is as bipolar about Ron Artest as the entire world is about Kobe, you either love him, or you despise him. No middle ground.
Part of it of course had a lot to do with the dude he was essentially swapped for, Eddie Jones 2.0… I mean, Trevor Ariza.
In Trevor, Chics love him, basketball purist love him, his teammates loved him, I mean, the guy was unselfish, made huge clutch plays, never whined, always played his heart out and was (arguably) THEE X factor in why the Lakers won last year's title.
Despite all that… I’m glad they made the trade the swap..
It was good, On all sorts of levels and i’m not talking basketball either.
Honestly, this year would’ve been sorta boring… really, what storyline or drama would’ve kept our interest? Kobe’s been so great, for so long, it’s like dating a really really hot chic for a long ass time, yunno… after a while, you get used to it.
(fine, I have never "dated a really really hot chic for a long ass time", but im assuming that happens, I mean why else would JT dump Jessica Biel over the phone??? )
So what were we to look forward to his year.. Bynum’s development?? Yawn. (BTW whats his injury over/under when they play Memphis this year?) Lamar Kardashian’s new marriage?? Yawn, unless Khloe starts acting like Doug Christie’s wife. Sasha??? He cut his hair and with that the unintentional comedy.
But with Mr. TruWarrior aboard, I am as excited about this upcoming season as I was with the 96-98 Bulls when they had Rodman. 
Just the volatility, the unknown, the potential for greatness that this team has…
Yes, barring injury, I am predicting a 70+ win season.
Think I’m crazy??
Fact is, everyone in this league improved their games and got better. Fact is, many of the elite players, the ones that take their teams deep into the playoffs, are big 3’s and 4’s.
You think Ariza can handle Lebron?? How bout Melo, Wade or Pierce???
He’s like half any of their sizes. And at this stage of Kobe’s career, while he can and certainly would want to guard them, it’s best to sick someone else on them.
Enter Ron Artest. He’s got the size, the experience, the eff-it attitude, and (with the multitude of overt naysayers, including head chearleader Mark Cuban) the added motivation to contain them, if not shut them down.
Don’t take my word for it, there’s a shtload of data to back this up. Statistically speaking, over the course of their head to head careers, Ron Artest has held each player mentioned above, below their career averages. Don’t believe me?? Fine. Google it. The only player he has yet to contain. Yup, Kobe. Duh, not surprised.
Trust me, Artest knows his place on this team, you can yap all you want about how he ball hogged in Houston or literally ruined the league in Indiana. 
The difference now??? Artest is playing with THEE HOF Alpha Dog and THEE HOF coach, really big effin differences. It’s the law of nature. Look at what playing with MJ did to Rodman.
He respects these guys and he knows what’s on the table. Being eccentric and unpredictable doesn’t necessarily mean you’re not focused... and he will definitely convert a lot of cynics this year.
Yes, Ariza was a great role-player and has proven that he can be the missing ingredient on a championship-calibur team. But that’s what he is, a role player. If by some bad karma, Kobe gets injured, Ariza won’t be nearly as effective. 
Why? He can’t create his own shots, matter of fact, much of his scoring last season came off of double teams, steals and wide open threes. Just watch him in Houston sans T-mac.
Artest? He’s got a great mid-range game, a post-up game and can shoot the 3. Basically, everything Ariza could do and more. Plus he’s nuts, and gets under people’s skin… everything Sasha tries to be.
But no matter what, there will always be the naysayers... and in reality, despite his 5 year contract, Artest is still trying out for the Lakers. He has tons to prove, and rightly so. But just don’t be so quick to judge someone based on their past. I remember the 2005-06 Kobe critics, where the hell are they now?? This is a new year, a new team and a completely different set of circumstances. 
You think Ariza would have become the player he did by NOT playing with Kobe??
Remember, this was the same Kobe that gave Ariza his very own secretive shooting regime last summer, and look what happened.
And that’s why I have no doubt Artest will be in check all year long. For years, people have tested Kobe’s will, his intentions, his desire to play team ball, all to be proven wrong.
This year will be no different.