There are few names in Professional Sports that inflict fear and general clamor into the hearts of all who speak their names. Were they not ridiculously gifted with physical prowess, they would be just another undiagnosed sociopath or schizophrenic.
By now we all know the names of these loose cannons whose off court/field antics are as notorious as the Unabomber or Tom Cruise: Chad Johnson, Mike Tyson, Dennis Rodman and Terrell Owens to name a few.
And then there is Sacramento Kings Forward Ron Artest. The de rigueur trade commodity supposedly coveted by Laker fans citywide. The 28- year old Artest has, over the course of his award-winning career, played for three teams and has been seemingly banished from his last two.
The burning questions here are: Why can’t a player named the 2004 Defensive Player of the Year find a steady home? Why can’t a player who averaged 20 points per game last year be a star or even a superstar?
The answer is simple: Ronald William Artest, Jr. is bat**** insane. And not in that cute, crazy “I can only play piano in a sandbox” way that Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys is. That is eccentricity. And not in the zany wacky way that Bugs Bunny has made a career out of. That is just hilarious. Ron Artest is frightening crazy. Psychopathic scary.
If the Lakers were to acquire Artest, most likely they would have to part ways with Lamar Odom, one of the leagues most talented and best human beings. They would most likely have to eliminate one of their core players who is so versatile and unique, the league may never see a player of Lamar’s capability again.
So if the Laker front office believes that subtracting Lamar and replacing him with Ron Artest is indeed the panacea and will ultimately boost the Lakers to a Championship, they might want to look at Ron-Ron’s track record and see what kind of dude they are bringing in.
I have my own thoughts, feelings, opinions, and gripes with the Ron-Ron question that seems to have permeated this website. There are so many incidents and stories about Ron Artest. I wouldn’t trust this dude to serve Kobe Bryant Gatorade, much less serve as starting Small Forward for my venerated Los Angeles Lakers.
Artest’s bizarre behavior began in his Rookie year with the Chicago Bulls when he applied for a job at a Downtown Circuit City in order to receive an employee discount for electronic equipment. To add to his lore, Artest once showed up to Pacer practice in a bathrobe after being denied a month off from playing in order to promote an album he produced. Absurd? Yes. Hilarious? Yes. Wacky? Sure. Professional? Not even close.
On November 19, 2004, Artest transcended the realm of cutesy games and entered Psychoville. With 45.9 seconds left in a game between the Pacers and the Pistons, Ron Artest fouled Piston Center Ben Wallace. Big Ben shoved Ron-Ron. The two began arguing and Ron retreated to the scorer’s table to take a rest. While reclining, the gears started turning in his head. Ron took a radio headset and pretended to give a radio interview while Detroit fan John Green threw a full cup of beer at the Pacer forward. That’s when things got surreal…
Enraged, Ron dashed up the four rows into the crowd and began wailing on a fan. Not even the fan that threw the cup. Artest went postal on a scrawny kid in a black polo with glasses. Ron was joined by teammates Jermaine O’Neal and Stephen Jackson (who is not the most mentally stable dude either) in savagely beating fans. Ron was suspended for the remainder of the season.
Never in history has there been such a breach of professionalism and obscene misconduct in sports. Revolting? Yes. Frightening? Absolutely.
It is not cute and it is not hilarious.
The Ron Artest question that plagues the Lakers Nation is not really a question at all.
It is an elixir brewed up by local newspapers and television pundits who somehow think that the Lakers NBA Championship aspirations are predicated on the addition of Ron Artest at any cost. This is not true. It is snake oil being force fed to you.
The bottom line is that Ron Artest is the wrong choice for this team; and not just because there are 50 Circuit City stores in the Greater Los Angeles area. Ron Artest is the wrong choice because of his mental unpredictability and questionable ethics.
To have Ron Artest wear the Purple and Gold of the Los Angeles Lakers and to see Lamar depart would without question be one of the most crushing and horrifying blows in Laker history.
Ron Artest is a recipe for disaster.
Just trust me on this one.
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good job Andrew, its good to see that not everyone agrees with ron ron coming over at the expense of lamar
i would take him for vlad and luke though haha
maybe, but i like artest, and i am willing to take that chance
pj will set him straight…
I agree with you, but if we can get Artest without giving up Lamar (which i doubt), then i say do it…and the Lakers have to reach an agreement with Artest that he can’t go crazy at anytime he wants, but sometimes a team needs someone crazy, with attitude and toughness…if we can sign and trade a few players and draft picks to get Artest without giving up Lamar, then i would do it
Forget this article man I’m a odom fan but he is nowhere near artest on defense or in that fact nor offense. Artest was a DPOY and averages 20 ppg. Artest is the answer he is more tougher then odom. And he can actually guard Paul Pierce unlike Vlad or Odom. Buss wants him, Mitch wants him, I want him, and most of laker nation wants him so bring him in Mitch. We follow cause we believe
Love the article. Why try to fix something that’s not broken. I say a team that finishes first in the hardest western conference in years and gets to the NBA finals without their starting center should not be touched. If Lakers get Artest it should be in the free agency next season.
Peace lol ;]
I’m fine with keeping Odom as long as everyone is cool with not winning another championship within the next 5 years.
Otherwise Artest is a must.
I understand what you are saying… it’s a gamble.
But one that could not bring us within 2 wins away, but 2 wins above the other team that will give us the title and not the Celtics.
That being said, the ball is in our court, we need to make the better deal IF they decide to do this. I’m not crazy about trading Odom, but Artest puts us as the best in the LEAGUE in my opinion.
You make it sound like we weren’t even close. Talk about a spoiled fan. The best team in the western conference shouldn’t make a trade just to make a trade. geez
we can really do no wrong here. if we dont get artest, odom’s contract will come off the books next season and he will either leave a gaping whole to sign a free agent or sign for less and pick up more veteran help.
If we get artest, then we dont have to wait until next year.
You know who would of gave of those 2 wins? Our starting center. We got first seed without him and got the finals so how can anyone say that we won’t win with him in the lineup?
yes artest would be great..but wat bout after next season??? is he gonna resign with us if we dont give him 10+ mil a yr???? wat if he thinks hes the best player on the lakers????i would artest but sooo many quesions bout him,and to top it all of we gotta give up LO and take a bad contract… idk if it gets us a ring good but i want more than just one ring….
i will say it over and over again until everyone comprehends. Defense wins championships not offense. San Antonio did it. So did Boston. Artest brings defense to the table. Odom doesn’t. ‘Nuff said.
xtro, we beat San Antonio! without Artest. Sorry this whole thing gets me a little frustrated.
I hear what you are saying. But Artest answers all of our questions at the “3″ position. We need DEFENSE as a team if we want to win. Artest brings lock down defense.
I hate losing Odom, but man, Ron Artest would really help us.
I’m saying with Bynum, Odom, and Gasol in the front court teams would get no offensive rebounds at all. Bynum brings back the defense that we were missing against the Celtics in the first place. My point is to wait and see if bynum odom gasol odom kobe and fisher win the title next year. If they don’t then bring in Artest. By the way i think they’ll not only win the title with that lineup but break the bulls win record in a season :]
ohh and one more thing as for u knocking on stephen jackson thats not cool he went into crowd to protect and help his teammates beat up people…lol.. wats wrong with his tattoo??? ohhh but yes LO is versatile but umm how much that help us in the finals when LO was gettin thrown to the floor???? ohh the versatility really helped there… im just sayin if lo is the guy that will help us bring ships back to LA then keep him if u think for one second that he is not then u get rid of him for artest or prince
god DAMN you are smart!
who knew?
Dear Brittnay,
We lost to the hated Celtics because we did not have answer against Paul Pierce. We lost to the hated Celtics because they played defense. We did not win the championship because we did not play DEFENSE.
“and not just because there are 50 Circuit City stores in the Greater Los Angeles area.”
I lol’d.
Freakin Ron Artest is stupid for not opting out -.-
I wouldn’t trade him for Lamar Odom, but definitely Luke + Vlad.
the lakers lost in the finals to the celtics because they blew a 20+ point lead at home in game 4 and because they fell apart down the stretch in game 1 and fell short of a miraculous comeback in game 2.
those are issues of maturity and poise…not defense.
if anything, the lakers inability to defend a BASIC play like a high screen and roll ultimately led to their demise. they struggled with it against EVERY opponent, yet, the celtics were making their shots consistently so it killed them.
acquiring ron artest will not solve any problems, only create new ones.
Its nice to know Mitch is trying to ship Odoms azz out. Unrealized talent dont count for crap!!! I dont which is worse… dealing with ADD+Drugs or Schizophrenic, both are bad if you ask me.
Come on UNI-bomber!!!! LO is not the once in a life time talent we can’t do without. At best he will be our 4th option this year at worse he will be the unenthused LO we all know and hate and disapears for stretches of the season. If we can get artest and thomas for only LO its a no brainer if they want farmar then you have to consider it…
The question is not trading Odom.
The question is if we can dump Walton/Vlad in a deal. Walton’s contract & Vlad’s contract BOTH make me cringe. I’ll can live if it means getting rid of one of those two contracts.
the correct spelling is “unabomber”
not in a million bajilion years.
luke walton and vladimir radmanovic are not moveable pieces.
does anyone understand the salary cap here!?!??!?!
My bad
Who was guarding Pierce the entire series? Is that LO’s fault? He’s not better defender as Artest but I would stay with his double-double anytime. Plus if you avg 11 rebounds and almost a block per game I think that’s good defense.
Here are my feelings from a poster from LG.net:
kMOW WHAT IT DOESNT MATTER CAUSE RON RON AND LAMAR ARE GONNA GET INJURED, AND ARIZA WILL BE OUR STARTING FORWARD, STOP WOORING BOUT TRADES WORRY BOUT RESIGNING FARMER, ARIZA, BYNUM, AND KOBE
BRITTANY IS BURNING YOU GUYS ALIVE, LMAO, THIS IS FUNNY
There’s a giant breach in your reasoning here. Odom wasn’t guarding Pierce! Odom had his hands full down low with the Celtics front line, leaving Luke Walton and Vlad on Pierce, who naturally abused them.
Odom’s length would bother pierce and any other three. A front line of Bynum, Pau, and Lamar would be a nightmare for opposing teams. I think any added defensive intensity Artest brings is far outweighed by the questions about his personality and track record.
Worse than the 2004 NBA Finals?
isnt jerry west the guy who said the trades are the ones thats arent made or something like???? but i want artest if he gonna sign extension with us… i dont want to be a one yr thing and then he gone…
Good Article
But Risks Should Be Taken.
This is a Risk, But The Highest Rewards Can be Obtained with It
How Many more Years do We Have Left Of Kobes Prime??
The Odom Experiment Is Just Not Worked.
And With Odom At the 3 He becomes expendable.
Artest Brings That Toughness For L.A.
With Bynum in The Paint, And Artest in The Perimeter
Laker’s Defense Improves Significantly, One Of Their Weaknesses
Get Artest.
Backed 100%
Fantastic story, my friend.
Thank you Freshh,i agree with you completley. I like Odom, but he jsut hasnt been able to completley put it together ina laker uniform. He’sgood when u dont have to depend on him, but once you rely on him he almost always comes up short. I just think Artest would be a better fit over all. We need some tough players on this team and you have to give up something to gain something. I think the risk is well worth the reward. Think of it like when Dennis rodman came to the bulls. Same kinda deal.
your right its a gamble but Ron-Artest has changed he is not that crazy dude , and some times we need some body like him. He can bring ToughNess to our team, man evey player fights with lakers and pusshed them around, even VLad was about to get his ass beaten by Changler, i want to see Artest in a laker unifourm, and he will back up every one and be TOUGH< GET ARTEST
Oh,and to the people who hype up Odom’s rebounding. He rarley get important rebounds. I give credit to averaging 10+ a game, that is impressive. But we’ll have 8 in the first have and 2 to 3 in the whole second. He’s a disappearing act.
I like the combo of KB/The Matrix better because Artest is more of a Defensive threat(Marion is too)and can be pesty and in your but I feel the athleticism that Marion has counters Artest’s defensive prowess,plus I wouldn’t trade LO for’em,NO!
Lakers breed atheleticism, meaning, we need guys that can jump out the gym and attack when shots are missed,this the ONLY thing LO doesn’t do and the thing Marion does.
I would love to get Artest and he would solve 1 out many problems The Lakers have but Marion can help us MAINTAIN our 20 plus advantages that we have squandered(Hornets by 30 and Boston 24,etc.).Defensively he’s waaaaay underrated.
This past year we saw a Laker team that played together as a team. Everyone close to the team said that this year Kobe was a part of the team on and off the court. I think this is called team chemistry. The Lakers did well bcause they got along and accepted the team concept of Phil Jackson more so than any other of the recent Laker teams. The Lakers overall talent was not head and shoulders above the competition. This next year Ronny probably won’t be on the team and maybe Sasha won’t be either. How their absence will affect the team is to be seen. Now their is talk that Lamar will not be there either.
I know that Ron Artest is a great player, but why make these changes before it is really known what the Lakers will be once Bynum gets back and is intergrated into the team with Pau and Lamar. Bynum’s absence meant the Lamar was not guarding Pierce. I don’t know what Lamar could do on Pierce and I don’t know what a team of Bynum, Pau, Lamar, Kobe, and Fisher would do. I hope I get a chance to find out.
If Miami would take Famar, Luke, Vlade, and a draft pick for Marion, I like that trade a lot better. Marion is more versatile than Artest and is a good offensive rebounder.
Nothing we say here is going to influence the Laker Front Office and thats the way it should be. The more this trade is talked about the more I think it won’t happen.
Any major move that is made this summer will have a huge affect on the cap structure of the Lakers for years to come. Therefore, any moves of a major variety better make the Lakers better for a long time.
(1)lamar and mihm… for mikki moore and ARTEST
(2) v.rad… for garbajosa….
(3) sign posey and kwame brown
GET IT DONE!… end of this crap….
artest is consistent and hugs kobe’s you know what, when he truly holds someone in the high of regard he will not be of nuisance… BOOK IT!
Line Up:
fisher/farmar/yue
kobe/posey/carl
artest/ariza/walton
gasol/garbajosa
bynum/moore/kwame
Sounds Good Shaq.
I DIIIIIIIG IT!
True words.
it has been 4 years and LO still have to play at high level CONSISTENTLY. He does it in spurts, like 5 straight games and everybody gets excite and possibilities are endless, but then he goes to the old LO, scared, confused and pot head, then the whole thing falls apart once again.
Just tired of living with this problem. Time to move on.
Bring Artest!
Ah but was is really that the lakers got along so well that they played better? or was it because they played so well that THAT’S why they got along as they did?
the only other thing i can add is that lamars rebound is no longer as crucial with bynum returning and as far as people wanting to find out how lamar does at guarding SFs? why even take that risk? what if he sucks horribly at it? trading him after the season starts only makes it tougher on the new guy to integrate into the triangle. that process is better served to begin at training camp or even earlier. we KNOW what ron can guard 3’s why even bother finding out if lamar could? lamar will always lack consistency and fire. what could lamar possibly do better now that rebounds aren’t so much a priority?
nothing.
Brittanay is clever and beautiful! U shouls be a Laker girl!
what everyone fails to realize is that MJ didnt win anything alone..he had pippen guarding the best offensive player on the other team. kobe does that for us making him spend more energy throughout the game. we need a top defender like artest or marion if we can get him but id put more money on artest right now being traded. if only artest woulda opted out we wouldnt have this convo cuz we coulda had odom and artest but o well i say lets add ron ron and garbajosa we need more size
Daryl Imfhoff,you are RIGHT ON THE MONEY!Maybe we need to see how this team will be once AB gets back,I just know Riley wants LO more than he wants Beasley,though he likes Luke too(must be that Florida pot),plus he’s an ex-Laker coach so he knows what we need ,probably more than Mitch.
DF/KB/Matrix or LO/Pau/”The Game” AB,THE NEW DYNASTY!
I’m just dreamin’ but OMG wouldn’t that be special.
we’re not getting marion people……..
Lakersforlife,
Don’t ruin the pipe dream.
laker fans of all people
should realize after getting pau for what we got him for.
Anything is possible.
Why is everyone sold Lamar Odom??? First off he is versatile! But to be honest his biggest strength is rebounding!! You have to question if he will even be in a position to get rebounds next season??? The paint will be occupied next season by two 7 footers!! Will he even be in the game when he picks up his 3rd foul in 5 minutes???
Secondly, people say he is nightmare to guard because he is too quick for post players to guard and too big for guards to guard!! But has anyone seen Lamar Odom “CONSISTENTLY” abuse his defender? If he is such a nightmare why can’t he do this on a regular basis??? Consistency is key in the NBA and he is just not a consistent player!!
Thirdly, next season he obviously will be playin SF right?? This will be a nightmare FOR THE LAKERS on both ends of the court?? Offensively this forces him to the perimeter which is very scary for a small forward who has a very “INCONSISTENT” jumpshot! His biggest strength (rebounding) will then be taken away because he will not be a position to get them! Defensively, he will have to guard the likes of Paul Pierce, Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony and others!! Does he shoot well enough to hit the open jumper consistently?? Does he play defense well enough to slow (not stop) some of the premier scorers in this league??? I think we all know the answers to those questions if you answer them honestly!!
Finally, from a financial standpoint, is he worth all the money that he is being paid and will be paid?? Yes he has an expiring contract but if we go the “ODOM ROUTE” and keep him, his contract will have to be extended. Now we are talking about a player who is currently making $14 million this upcoming season which is way too high for a “4TH OPTION!” (once Bynum gets back he becomes the 4th option) But all of that aside how big of paycut do you honestly believe he will take! He wants to get paid just like everybody else!! Why would a player who is curently making 14 million take a paycut which would drop him under 10 million??? Andrew Bynum NEEDS to be resigned!! Kobe NEEDS an immediate extention and Pau is not cheap! Those four guys will eat up the majority of the cap!! You say he might take a paycut to win a championship but this past offseason proves that MONEY TALKS!!
Now I say all of that not because I don’t like Odom, but I don’t think he is the right fit for what the Lakers will need in the future! That goes for what he brings on the court and from a financial standpoint!! With that said I do like the Ron Artest trade; however, he is not the only small forward who fits the bill!! Tayshaun Prince, Gerald Wallace, and James Posey also come to mind!! I will say this though! I think if Artest becomes a Laker you won’t hear anything bad about him on or off the court as a LAKER. I am from Texas and a huge Dallas Cowboy fan and I can tell you that when given a change of scenery and playing with teamates you like (Tony Romo) and a coach you respect (Wade Phillips) the reward will be a hard working player who produces come gametime!! Terrell Owens is a prime example and I believe Jerry Jones took a good gamble on him as well as Pacman Jones!! Jerry Buss is the same type of risk taker and I think this one like some of the others will pay huge dividends!! His relationship with Kobe is a huge plus and playing under a proven coach will allow him to listen! Whatever happens I will still support my LAKERS and this “TEXAS BOY” will be behind them all the way!!!
LOL dude we’re not getting marion so whatever. I’m sick of all the butler/marion talk. Either we get artest or we keep odom, those are our options.
We don’t need Artest either,CALL RILEY UP AND THEN WE’LL SEE!
…plus Artest won’t come if LO is involved…he said it out of his own mouth…plus Marion fits better,WANNA CHALLENGE!!
Again, you guy forget how inconsitent Lamar was and is. We had the Lamar’s experiment for 4 yrs now, that is long time for him to assert into a good player. He complains on every call that is why refs. ignore him when he gets foul. One dimesional Lefty. Low basketbal IQ. Great person off court. The only thing I will miss is his rebounding. We need TOUGHNESS & DEFENSE & DRAMA. Its LA. Vlady and Fluke we are pretty much stuck unless something strange happens.
-prays-
Please trade Luke and Vlad for Artest. Lol.
Lamar at SF wont work!! Lamar is not a consistent shooter and we all know that. We need Artest’s offense and defense to win the WEST next year. I hate to see Lamar go but i just cant see him being consistent night in and night out at the SF. Artest can shoot from outside the line without hesitation and isn’t afraid to shoot the ball. Lamar’s shooting is his weakness and at times he seems to be afraid to shoot the ball and we all saw that in the playoffs and the Finals. A SF should know how to shoot and take it to the basket and Artest can do that. Forget about his personality as long as he comes in plays the way he knows how to then we’ll be fine.
Everyone here is crazy!!!!! If we had Bynum in the Finals nobody would be here talking about trading LO.
With Bynum returning there will be no need to move anyone, and no way we trade for Prince, Butler, Marion, or Jefferson!!! Lamar is better than all those guys and fits with our system better than those guys. Also if people are worrying about the 3 spot well remember Lakers will also have Ariza back at full strength as well.
No need to move anyone!!!!!
Official Energy Drink of the Phoenix Suns!
http://TheVerveNerve.com
we need a true SF on defense and offense, lamar cant shoot and he often causes us defensive 3 seconds and offensive fouls when he barrels down the court out of control
Hey guys, I posted this same comment/suggestion on the Turiaf section, but thought it would be more fitting to put it under this article since we’re talking about Artest.
Don’t get wrong, I love Artest’s game, but he does indeed carry a certain unquestionable ‘baggage’ factor with him. We can’t be guaranteed that if he does come to the Lakers that everything’s going to be alright. Certainly maybe coming to championship contending team will “change” him or “straighten” him out per se. But again, it’s that big IF factor along with his baggage that some may not like the idea of this potential trade.
So I was thinking….are there any ALTERNATIVES besides Artest? What do you guys think about exploring some trade scenarios with the Detroit Pistons. They’ve got some tough, defensive-minded players and can also put up some quality offensive numbers as well. It’s no secret that Joe Dumars want to make some “major” changes to the roster. He went on to say this publicly after they fired Flip Saunders. Plus there are already some T-Mac or Melo trade rumors to Detroit for like Billups & Prince (or some variation of).
Obviously, if we want to acquire some quality talent, we gotta give up talent. Unless we can find another team that’s willing to pull a “Memphis Grizzlies” type trade, it’s not gonna happen. So any deal the Lakers would be involved in for good talent would certainly have to include Lamar in it. So what would you guys think of a Lamar and Luke Walton (AND/OR Vlad Rad) deal for any 2 (or 3) player combination from Detroit? Guys that are are available would be Billups, McDyess, Prince, and Hamilton (probably not available, but are willing to listen).
FYI: Here are the salary figures (in millions) for each:
Lakers: Odom ($14.1), Vlad Rad ($6.0), Walton ($4.4)
Detroit: Billups ($11.9), Hamilton ($10), Prince ($9.5), McDyess ($6.8)
ALL THIS CRAP DOESNT MATTER, LAST YEAR WAS TECHNICALY ARIZAS ROOKIE YEAR, AND ARIZA WILL BE THE NEXT ARTEST, SO JUST RESIGN ARIZA
WHEN I SAY LAST YEAR WAS ARIZA ROOKIE YEAR, I MEAN IT AS THIS YEAR WOULD BE ANDREW BYNUMS ROOKIE YEAR
Okay people!! Bynum coming back will help our team dramatically on defense but that still does not excuse Odom’s inconsistent play and jumpshot! I’ll forget the fact that his defense one-on-one is below average and he needs an interior defender to cover for his mistakes! But that doesn’t solve our problems offensively! When Kobe has an off game and Bynum is in foul trouble and Pau is too soft to get something accomplished then we need someone to step up! Can Odom get the job? I think not!! How about earlier this season when he airballed an open three pointer at the end of game which could have given the lakers the win? Or in the Boston series when he totally dissappeared? Oh wait he wasn’t in the game due to foul trouble!! How about after the Shaq trade and he played beside Kobe for a couple of years before Pau arrived? Where was he??? Nowhere to be found! He had and still has the easiest job because he is playing besides the best player in the WORLD!! And he still fails to produce on a “CONSISTENT” basis!! He is not an aggressive player relying too much on his “INCONSISTENT” jumper!! I think it is time for Mitch and Co. and everybody else for that matter to realize that the “Lamar Odom Experiment” has not and will not work! He is just not what the Lakers need!! Nothing personal against the guy but he is not what the Lakers need!! We are not talking about who is better than who (which I believe it is no comparison between him and Marion, Butler, Prince, Wallace, or Artest! STATS DON’T LIE) but rather who fits within our system with the personnel we have!