Ballings7 wrote:Artest is a better and more accomplished and established defensive player. Artest is a much more skilled offensive player in numerous ways, and is a match-up problem in multiple ways every night on both ends of the court.
Marion's more athletic and is a better rebounder, but Ron's no slouch as a rebounder.
Stats don't really tell the story here.
While I don't see Marion every night, I've seen many games of him over the years - I'll take Ron Artest by some.
How is he a more accomplished defender? Marion has defended Sg, Sf, PF, and C all through a 9 year career and can steal and block shots with the best of them. Artest is a physical defender and is great at steals, but he doesn't have the length and athleticism of Marion. Both are great defenders.
Artest averages 5 rebounds a game for his Career, that is not good at all for a guy his size and that is a physical player. Marion has averaged over 10, gimme a break.
Marion can score in many ways as well. Alley-oops(3 a game or so), he can shoot 3s when open, He always attacks the offensive board for put backs, he can blow buy slower PFs and slam it home. He has anice runner as you are seeing tonight. Look at his career average of over 18 PPG, for 9 years what are you talkin about?
How is Artest so much more skilled on offense and he shoots 43% for his career? That is a joke too.
You say stats don't tell the story? Well I say, stats don't lie. Marion has always been an efficient player on offense and Artest is inefficient. He should not be a #1 scoring option.
Look at tonight, Marion did it all, scored, rebounded, played D, filled up the stat line without being a ball hog. Artest did nothing at all but miss shots.
