Ron Artest: I am happy to say I am goin' to L.A.

by ere9517 on Jul 2, 2009 7:35 PM CDT Comment 15 comments

It has been reported by ESPN the magazine's Chris Broussard that Houston F Ron Artest is set to join the Los Angeles Lakers.

Ron Artest confirmed this rumor in a text message to ESPN.com, he will reportedly receive an estimated $18 Million contract over three years, this after meeting with owner Jerry Buss and coach Phil Jackson.

This may now strongly rule out the possibility that Lakers free agent F Trevor Ariza will rejoin the team after reportedly being unsatisfied with the Lakers offer of the $5.6 million mid-level exception. Ariza is now speaking with other suitors including Cleveland as well as Houston.

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18 over 3 years...

only 6 per year?

i thought he wanted like 10-11…

by EveryHoustonTeamRox! on Jul 2, 2009 7:37 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Ariza

Would make it a virtual wash. Not as good of a defender, but still above average. Torn about who has the better offensive game, probably ron ron. But Trevor is younger, faster. This still pisses me off. ANYBODY but the f’n Lakers.

by BurnOut78 on Jul 2, 2009 7:42 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

2 things

at least trevor wont dribble ball for 18 seconds nor take 20 off balanced shots a game…

about artest to lakers…annoying but thats how it is…

by EveryHoustonTeamRox! on Jul 2, 2009 7:48 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

also

not sure Artest to LA makes a huge difference…rmbr. signing artest means likely no ariza or odom for LA…so is Artest>Ariza and Odom…its close

by EveryHoustonTeamRox! on Jul 2, 2009 7:48 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Why are you taking Odom out of the equation. 6 million is the same that they offered Ariza. So I think they’re still going for Odom. I’ll miss Ron Ron

by T-Mackin on Jul 2, 2009 8:14 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

im not sure

they wer able to sign both anyway, so now signing niether of them not sure if they will sign odom either…tho artest wants odom there too so maybe he will

by EveryHoustonTeamRox! on Jul 2, 2009 9:05 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Totally Agree

a hardnosed player that costs less and can hit threes, doesnt go nuts ever, and has a ring. Hell Yeah.

Everyone: I wouldnt have said this while Ron was in Red, but that whole Kobe-elbowGate was BS. Ron just wanted attn and he even made the sore loser comment after the series that it messed up his game. That was a lie.

I wouldnt have minded Ron on the team – he makes the games exciting; but I think Ariza is just a better fit w less drama.

by stuartallen83 on Jul 3, 2009 12:36 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Odom should be in as well.

The reason they didn’t sign ariza is because they’re going for odom.

by ere9517 on Jul 2, 2009 8:18 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

With Phil not going to away games

They will have a great time managing those egos. Anyone care to make a guess about what the difference between their home and away records are going to be?

by pj.ibi.est on Jul 2, 2009 8:34 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Phil is going to away games

That was just an idea they kicked around, Mitch quickly shot it down. Jackson will likely miss 2-4 road games max in particularly grueling stretches of the schedule. 2 – 4 games won’t make a huge difference.

by Worthy J. on Jul 2, 2009 9:33 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

ron cannot be replaced

but at least it looks like we’re in the lead to sign ariza. He may be a better defender than artest, but the problem is that with yao out, we could really use ron’s offense. Ariza isn’t near Ron-Ron offensively

by whodat21 on Jul 2, 2009 8:47 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

somehow

being nowhere near Ron-Ron offensively doesn’t feel like a bad thing.

contributing nothing substantial to your blog, since 2008!

by misterterrific on Jul 2, 2009 9:02 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

somehow

I think whodat21 got “offense” and “defense” mixed up.

Your friendly neighborhood Dream Shake mod.

by Only_A_Lad on Jul 2, 2009 9:14 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Losing Ron Artest

Does it hurt? In a lot of ways it does. He was an emotional leader, a dedicated role player, and a key piece to this team. Will he be missed? Absolutely. However, despite his strong 3-point shooting and moments of brilliance:

Ron developed a case of Stevie Franchise Syndrome, dribbling the air out of the ball before drifting to his left to shoot a 18-20 foot jumper that went in about 3/8 of the time (37.5%)

Ron played the passing lanes very well, but that’s honestly it. Yes, he gave us 1.5 steals per game, and did help out Battier on defense, but a bullish attitude was about all he really brought to the table. More often than not, Shane guarded the toughest guy out there on the floor, not Ron Ron.

Here’s the big one: Ron Artest had a huge opportunity to step up and lead in Games 4-7 of the Laker series. The result: his 4 worst playoff games, and the evolution of Scola/Battier/Landry/Lowry/Brooks as Houston’s top 5 guys out there. He didn’t step it up enough in the clutch when his guys needed him.

Good luck in LA buddy, but we got something a bit younger and growing: Ariza.

B^2
"LeBron James is just an upgraded version of Ron Artest"
(Artest after Houston pummeled the Cavaliers 93-74)

by Nitroberg on Jul 2, 2009 11:10 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

hey i like it!!!

i didnt want that guy here!!!! for everyone who acutally watches da games did this guy hold da ball to long n just shoot it bc he had to? trevor ariza is not the best passer either but hes quicker, younger can shoot the three n dunk it in ur face!!!! now i admit ron ron gave us that toughness we needed but the team has to play harder with him gone now when t-mac comes back he has to be the example of tough ness now that we lost ron but we have battier, scola, wafer ,dorsey, hayes, landry dnt tell me their not tough guys 2 play against!!!!

by luis b on Jul 3, 2009 12:09 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs