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I can't figure out instant messaging, so I'm asking here. Did Luke Walton ask Phil to insert Ariza into the starting lineup in the 2009 season? It's part of a discussion I'm having on my home board.

If I can remember correctly, yeah that's what happened.

Not sure if you can rely on this source below, but it pretty much tells it...

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2107 ... the-lakers

Yeah Luke went to Phil. It was a great move in the long run because Ariza was great for us in the starting lineup. He was one of my favorite players during his time here.

Thanks for your help, guys.

J the Drafter wrote:I can't figure out instant messaging, so I'm asking here. Did Luke Walton ask Phil to insert Ariza into the starting lineup in the 2009 season? It's part of a discussion I'm having on my home board.

Yes at one point Luke was starting over Ariza and Ariza mentioned at first that he didn't want to start.

Hard to believe that Luke was our starter and Radmonvich was our 6th man on a Finals team. No wonder we lost.

Mamba Venom wrote:Hard to believe that Luke was our starter and Radmonvich was our 6th man on a Finals team. No wonder we lost.

Facing a boston team with three future hall of famers didn't help.

Man I miss Ariza he was really developing into exactly what the Lakers needed. Super young made big plays, cutter, and hit the three well for us. The whole Ron Artest and Ariza's agent sitatuon was really messed up. Cant believe it.

Good ol Luke, always sacrificing for the team.

Mamba Venom wrote:Hard to believe that Luke was our starter and Radmonvich was our 6th man on a Finals team. No wonder we lost.

man, I re-watched that finals this off-season (except the last game, I swear I don't remember anything about that game lol) and at first I didn't remembered how much radscrubivic sucked. HOLY MOTHER OF GOD. That guy was amazingly bad on both ends of the floor.

Also, how that boston scrub, powe, won a game (he was the difference) in that game and how boston 3pt shooters off the bench destroyed us because when they went small we couldn't make them pay with odom/radscrubivic

Btw, I rewatched the game 7 against boston at the same time and damn! I never realized how much Farmar contributed when Fisher had to go to the locker room to check some injury late in the 3rd quarter.

He didn't put the stats, but he played really really well for a bench player. I didn't notice his play watching live due to the adrenaline but he had so many deflections, defended the pnr well, fought thru screens to stop allen, and created some baskets in the off. end, when at the time we couldn't get anything going..

I just confirmed to myself that at the end of the day the role players stepping up (or not) are the ones that make the difference in a close series and thus win the trophy for you...

Radmanovic is still in the NBA though right? bastard

eablinksum wrote:

Mamba Venom wrote:Hard to believe that Luke was our starter and Radmonvich was our 6th man on a Finals team. No wonder we lost.

Facing a boston team with three future hall of famers didn't help.

Still could have gone either way, game 2 was downright rigged, and you don't dig yourself out of a 2-0 hole in the finals against a team that good. The collapse in game 4 was all on the Lakers though.

Guys, Ariza was one of my favourite players, but was he an upgrade over Artest?

Groove wrote:Guys, Ariza was one of my favourite players, but was he an upgrade over Artest?

Short term no, long term possibly. Artest defended Durant and Pierce extremely well and I honestly believe Ariza would not have been able to defend either as well as Ron did, just not physical enough...

When LA was down in games, Odom and Ariza created that 1-2 punch to create that special spark...

Groove wrote:Guys, Ariza was one of my favourite players, but was he an upgrade over Artest?

Hell no. Ariza is massively overrated by Lakers fans.

BlunnTashiz wrote:Good ol Luke, always sacrificing for the team.

At 5mil a year!

World Peace wrote:

Groove wrote:Guys, Ariza was one of my favourite players, but was he an upgrade over Artest?

Hell no. Ariza is massively overrated by Lakers fans.

I think Ron has been a much better investment than Ariza, but I feel like Ariza may have continued his growth here more-so than in Houston/New Orleans because of his role. When he went to Houston, he was expected to replace Ron's production (MWP was Houston's top scorer or close too it after Yao). Ariza also went to a team with oft-injured McGrady and Yao so his role was even more important, and that's not Ariza's game. I think he'd have continued to excel in LA where he'd remain the 4th or lower option and could essentially slash/cut at will because we didn't have anyone else that could other than Odom (not counting Kobe b/c of his hands on ball playmaking role) and Odom chose not to do that much.

So yes, while Lakers fans over rate him, it is not without merit. No one expected him to become an unstoppable force on either end of the ball, but he was exciting to watch and filled a need on the team. Of course Ron's defense was invaluable in the championship runs so it was a necessary separation in my opinion.