LA Linked

In the summer of 2009, the Los Angeles Lakers had a relatively simple decision to make. They had just defeated the Orlando Magic in five games to reclaim the Larry O'Brien trophy. In that series, starting small forward, Trevor Ariza averaged 11.3 points a game, while shooting 49.7% from the field, including 47.6% from three.

Ariza broke through as the Lakers starting small forward with his defensive length and an above average three point shot. The hometown product was in his fifth year in the league and already on his third NBA team. He spent one year at UCLA before being drafted in the second round by the New York Knicks. He was then traded to the Magic, who ultimately traded him to the Lakers. With his stellar finals performance, Ariza proved he could withstand the bright lights of the post-season as well as the pressures of playing alongside Kobe Bryant. Ariza had officially mesmerized Lakers nation, having them believe he would soon develop into a Scottie Pippen-type player to Kobe's Michael Jordan.

With his contract up, it was widely assumed Ariza would take whatever offer was on the Laker table, sign with his hometown team and continue to grow into Kobe's strong-armed sidekick. Negotiations stalled. Ariza asked for 7-8 million a year. The Lakers offered 5-years, $33.7 million or about $5.8 million a season. Ariza had other teams interested, including the Cleveland Cavaliers and Houston Rockets. The Lakers number would go up, he thought. He had LeBron James recruiting him via text, for God's sake. He had the leverage.

But he didn't. The Lakers are big business and they're good at it.

The Lakers offered the same deal to Ron Artest. He accepted.

The Lakers didn't need a Pippen-type player. They had Lamar Odom and arguably the best big man in the game in Pau Gasol, plus a still developing 7-foot center in Andrew Bynum. The knock on Pau and the Lakers team was they were soft. They needed to get bigger, stronger...meaner. With the Artest signing, the Lakers got what they were looking for in spades.

And with that, Trevor Ariza was on the move once again. This time to Houston where he would replace Artest, essentially signing the same deal the Lakers were offering - five years, $33.9 million.

The free agent small forward swap between the Rockets and the Lakers has forever linked Ron Artest to Trevor Ariza and vice versa. The statistics will be compared. The question, "did the Lakers make the right decision?" will be repeatedly asked.

"Of course I was upset, but there is nothing I can do about," Ariza was quoted as saying to the LA Times.

Although the Lakers ultimately chose Artest over him, Ariza held no ill feelings toward Ron. In fact, it was Artest who had the difficult time shaking Trevor Ariza's shadow, routinely mentioning Ariza in post-game interviews. There was also Artest's bizarre tossing of Ariza's shoe in his first game back to LA. Artest even admitted to the LA Times before the 2010 playoffs that he "can't compare" to Ariza and that "he's a better player."

Still, common sense (of which Artest has little) says the Lakers made the right call, having won a championship last year in large part to Artest's defensive prowess on Kevin Durant in the first round and Paul Pierce in the Finals. It was Artest's 20 point outburst in game 7 against the Celtics that sealed the Lakers back to back championships.

Houston quickly soured on Ariza and his poor shooting percentages and traded him to New Orleans in the off-season where he partnered with another great player, Chris Paul.

This season, both players underperformed with similarly disappointing stat lines. Artest's inability to grasp the triangle had worn on Laker faithful. Rumors of Lakers management making Ron available via trade coincided with the rumors Artest asked for a trade. Both rumors were denied. Ariza got off to a hot start for the Hornets pacing New Orleans to an 11-1 start. But as the season progressed, his shot continued to look worse. Both players seemingly were not living up to their identical salary of $6,322,320.

The post season, however has brought Artest and Ariza back together, which has surprisingly brought out the best in both players.

Regular season:
Artest: 8.5 pts 39.7% fg, 35% from three, 3.3 rbs., 2.1 asts., 1.5 stls.
Ariza: 11.0 pts. 39.8% fg, 30.3% from three, 5.4 rbs, 2.2 asts, 1.6 stls.

Post-season:
Artest: 13.4 pts., 52% fg, 43.8% from three, 5.0 rbs., 2.1 asts., .8 stls.
Ariza: 16.2 pts., 41% fg, 38.9% from three, 6.8 rbs. 3.0 asts., 1.6 stls.

On the court at the same time (Post-season): via StatsCube
Artest: 14.4 pts. 55% fg, 50% from three, 5.3 rbs, 1.3 asts.
Ariza:  17.9 pts. 45% fg, 44% from three, 5.5 rbs., 2.5 asts.

Like everyone else, I fell for it. I fell for the comparisons. I wondered if the Lakers made the right decision. Truthfully, I still wonder. Count me as one of the Lakers fans who thought losing Ariza was a major step back. I was obviously wrong. Watching Ariza now, something is just off. He is a tremendous talent, but the confidence needed to be great just doesn't seem to be there.

The great players in this league are 50, 40, 90 guys -  they shoot 50% from the field, 40% from 3 and 90% from the line. In my mind, Ariza had the tools to be that player. Instead he has regressed from the 2009 Finals. This season he shot 39% from the field, 30% from 3 and 65% from the line. 39, 30, 65 is no where close to his ability. That's just a lack of confidence - five teams in seven seasons will do that to a man.

In the coming days, the Lakers will likely defeat the Hornets in the first round and a new storyline will emerge. But for Ron Artest and Trevor Ariza, the link between them will never fade.

Lakers Season In Ron's Hands

Ron Artest will cost the Lakers a third straight NBA title.

I can see it.

Kobe will be double-teamed in the fourth quarter of a series clinching playoff game. Time is running down. 10...9...He will survey the court, elbows flailing, pivot foot barely attached to the floor as two defenders surround him without fouling. He will see a wide open man at the top of the key. 8...Kobe will pass him the ball contingent on the fact that he will break the double-team and get the ball right back. 7...Kobe passes, breaks it and immediately demands the ball. He's got the shot. But he won't get the ball back. In a panic, the open man will heave a 28-footer. It's game 7 all over again, they will say. He's going to do it again! But not this time. With time still on the clock, Ron Artest will shoot an airball and the Lakers will lose. Lightning won't strike a third time.

Trust me, this scenario scares the hell out of Laker fans. They may not show it now, but when a crucial playoff game comes down to a single possession, and believe me at some point it will, they will be petrfied at the thought of Ron Artest having the 2010-2011 season in his hands.

But for at least one night, Ron Artest could do no wrong. He blew kisses to the fans like an Oscar winner, he flexed his arms, showing off his obscenely large, linebackeresque left and right biceps and even did a little dance after hitting a key off-balance 15-footer in the Lakers 139-137 three overtime thriller against the Suns.

Artest shot 7-14 for 18 points, five of which came in the final two minutes of the third overtime. He shot 3-5 from three and had a key steal and dunk to help seal the victory.

The Lakers have been unstoppable since the all-star break, winning 13 of their first 14 games. They are winning with defense giving up over 100 points only twice in that span and both of those games went into overtime.

Last week, I wrote that all is well in Hollywood. Despite a loss to Miami, everything is still good in Lakerland. Today, ESPN ran a feature by Ramona Shelburne that discussed how Artest is slowly coming out of his funk. The feature described how players and Laker management tried to communicate to Artest his importance to the team and a championship run, despite his struggles earlier in the season.

The feature says his stats have inched up since the all-star break and the trade deadline, and maybe some have. But some have not. Excuse me for thinking that the Lakers still have work to do. Consider the fact that Ron Artest made news the other night against the Suns for finally playing a solid game. In March, Artest is shooting 37.2% from the field (down from 42% in February), and only 32% from 3-point range. His true shooting percentage of 48% is a full 3% worse than last season's.

What happens if Kobe duplicates his 6-24 performance in a game 7, like he did in last year's NBA finals? Artest was heroic that night, putting up 20 points 5 rebounds and 5 steals. This season, Artest has eclipsed 20 points one time and that was in a February 23 overtime victory against the Trailblazers, when he scored 24.

Granted, when playing alongside Kobe Bryant, the odds of even getting enough looks to reach 20 points is slim - just ask Pau Gasol - but can Ron repeat that Finals performance when the Lakers need him? He's averaging career lows in nearly every category and his defense has been uneven at times.

Artest swarmed Kevin Durant for six straight games in last year's first round, holding him to only 35% shooting and 25 points a game. In game 6 and 7 of the Finals, he held Paul Pierce to 37% from the field. Slightly above the NBA average defensively won't get it done in the post-season for Artest. If he can't contribute on offense, he has to duplicate his defensive prowess of last year's post-season.

Teams in the playoffs will hound Kobe and try to rough up Gasol. So who will step up? Andrew Bynum has been playing better basketball since coming off numerous knee injuries. But as a young center with a history of knee trouble, he is bound to have up and down games in the post-season. The interior play of Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol could determine how the west shakes out. Pau Gasol has been his usual 20 and 10 but it is the play of Lamar Odom this season that has Kobe saying after the Suns game that L.O. is "sixth man of the year. Hands down."

Along with the improved play of Odom, the Laker bench is deeper than last season's squad. The addition of Matt Barnes may hide some of Artest's warts, but come crunch time, odds are Phil Jackson will likely have Artest on the floor for defensive purposes.

Last postseason, Artest had the game winning put back in game five of the Western Conference Finals against the Suns, instinctively placing himself in the perfectly right place at exactly the right moment. He had Game 7 against the Celtics. Lightning struck twice. I can't see it happening again.