ICMTM wrote:I don't think Ron held anyone down. Guys like Cisco, Douby had their own confidence issues. Ron doesn't play as uptempo as Cisco, Beno, or Salmons so when Ron's on the floor you don't see the ball move as much. HOWEVER Ron can draw a double and the defense reacts to him much differently than anyone else we have.
I think Ron has done a great job this year trying to integrate his style with other players on this team and as their play gets better I really don't see Artest coming back disruptive. IMO add all three injured guys and that's where the hiccups will come in.
I still contend that the other two fit in better with the personnel we have though. On paper of course. Bibby will still crunch just as much as Ron.
Ron has done a great job this year period. He has really come into his own as a legit scoring option and a person that will draw that consistent double team. I also agree that he has done his best to fit in and I was very impressed when I heard that Ron was the first one out the door to calm Salmons after his mini-meltdown in Minny. I am not using any of that as reasons why I don't think he fits in when looking at the whole picture.
Ron still plays minutes at spots where someone gets crunched that really shouldn't be crunched regardless. I don't think Ron does ANYTHING to put himself in the limelight on purpose, or that he plays in an a$$hole/ballhog fashion. He is the kind of player that would kill for his teammates, just look at him on the bench. He is still the unquestioned #1 guy by even his coach, and while he is on the floor I can't disagree with that. Once again though, I don't think he fits into the direction this team or franchise is heading in. If they want to build this team around Ron Artest then they need to move in that direction instead, and it is a different direction. I am not opposed to that but I am opposed to keeping things "as is" and hoping for the best.
The way this team is playing compared to the gap in success created between the two circumstances with Ron in the lineup and Ron not is so insignificant that I don't see the point in it. It's like saying, "well, we can either be a 35 win team or a 30 win team".
We are barely getting out of the era of being attached to personnel that we had no real use for other than them being "pieces". Now the dynamic is shifting roster wise from being mostly made up of "salvaged value" pieces to forming a team of KINGS CHOSEN draft picks and KINGS CHOSEN free agents. Ron is a great player but he still is mainly us trying to salvage value for Peja Stojakovic. (and yes, it was an absolute steal
if we don't lose him for nothing or re-sign him at contract not befitting of our current roster situation and potential success). Bottom line is, as currently constructed with some nice young talent and a stacked back court full of multi-position players, I don't think Ron Artest is as important to US as he may be someone else. This team and franchise is still stuck in that transition phase. Thankfully it may be nearing it's end however, it's time that they pick a direction and go in it without half-assing it.
Like I said, we'll see what happens.