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A Fateful Laker Decision: Artest or Ariza?

Artest Ariza

November 18, 2009 – Matt Anaya

Matt graduated from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale in May of 2007 majoring in TV Production. Matt is currently a writer at StaticMultimedia.com, TheBleacherReport.com, NationalSportsNation.com, SportsMixed.com, FanFever.com, Filmcatcher.com, 2 Much Swag, and TheHoopDoctors.com. Matt will provide you with insightful wit and an eager eye for sports.

Last season Trevor Ariza was one of the most important reasons why the Los Angeles Lakers won the NBA title.

Yes, the 2009 Lake show was immensely deep with Kobe, Pau, Bynum, and Odom, among a cast of others but Ariza brought his hardhat and lunch pail to work everyday and did the things (diving on the floor, guarding the opposition’s best player, taking charges, making the extra pass, and being offensively opportunistic and not selfish) the stars on the team did not want to.

Ariza was all over the court, as a 23-year-old kid should be. He averaged only nine ppg, four rpg, and nearly two apg and spg but he clearly stepped his game up in the post season.

In seven more minutes per game, Ariza improved his ppg, bpg, apg, and knocked down three pointers at a 47% clip. Without Ariza the Los Angeles Lakers lose to the Orlando Magic in the 2009 NBA Finals, and maybe to the Denver Nuggets in the Conference Finals.

This off-season Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak had a decision to make, either resign potential All Star Trevor Ariza or sign the aging free agent Ron Artest.

The Lakers GM decided to take a huge gamble and sign the over the hill Ron Artest instead of a player that fits in any system, knows his role, and is a potential 2010 All Star.

Although Kupchak is in control of all player personal decisions, this one might have been Kobe’s call. Kobe and Ron are friends, or frenemies, and everyone knows about the infamous “Ron Artest came into the Lakers shower to tell Kobe he wants to play for them” story and I believe Kobe really wanted Ron, for some odd reason.

Kupchak is one of the best in the business and rarely makes a mistake (although signing Luke Walton and Sasha Vujacic to lucrative long-term deals are mistakes) and I cannot believe he would have made this decision. Artest is six years older than Ariza and Artest cannot do the things he used to do.

Both players signed the exact same contract last off-season, 5 years worth $33 million.

It was clearly a situation where Kupchak had to make a decision: Ariza or Artest and he chose the older, slower, more volatile player that has never won on any level.

The days of Ron Artest guarding the opposing team’s best player, like Ariza did, are over. Kobe will now guard the opposition’s best player because he can actually stop them and probably injured his groin defending because that is what happens when you are older and trying to defend 23 year olds.

Artest is still a good defender but he can guard a PF better than he can a SF/SG.

Ariza’s best asset is when he gave Kobe rest, as he defended Carmelo Anthony and Rashard Lewis. Ron Artest cannot keep up with those kids any longer and it was a total mistake by the Lakers to not resign one of the best young players in the NBA.

Currently 11th in the NBA in mpg at 38.2, Ariza is averaging 18 ppg, 2 spg, 5 rpg, and 4 apg and although he would not come close to averaging those numbers on the Lakers, he would be one of their best players (Kobe, Pau, Bynum/Ariza) and still might be an All Star this season.

On the other hand, Ron Artest has struggled in his first three weeks with the Champs. Averaging only 12 ppg, his lowest since 2002, and his rebounding and steal numbers are also down.

He is clearly not the same player he used to be and although Ariza would have similar numbers on the Lakers, Kobe is already doing too much work, hence the injured groin.

The Lakers would not be 7-3 with Trevor Ariza and there would still be chatter of 70 wins in LA LA land. But without Ariza and with Artest, the Lakers are struggling with little help from their bench.

Whoever’s idea that was to sign Artest over Ariza (Kobe or Kupchak) is looking foolish and might look even sillier when Ariza makes this year’s All Star Team. This season was supposed to be a nice smooth ride to a repeat but with a sluggish start, injuries to Pau, Kobe, and Walton, this season has started on treacherous waters.

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Comments

  • Nathan

    “The Lakers GM decided to take a huge gamble and sign the over the hill Ron Artest instead of a player that fits in any system”
    A player that fits in any system? Very good player that fit well in L.A., Yes, But any system. Lets rewind the Ariza tapes. 04-05 NYK, 05-06 ORL, 05-06 NYK, 06-07 ORL, 07-08 LAL, 07-08 ORL, & in 08-09 LAL he averages 9 PPG., 2 Stls, 2 Ast, & four rebounds and he fits on ANY team. Ya feel what Im sayin?

  • Cher

    if anybody made a fatal mistake, it was Trevor Ariza for not taking the deal when he had a chance. He proved to everyone, that he was dumb*ss for listening to his agent.

    But honestly, why are people still writing articles about this? whats done is done.
    At the end of the day, Ariza’s on a losing team and Artest is on a winning team.

  • Brandon

    So…how much did Ariza pay you to write this? You pretty much said the Artest is garbage and Ariza is gonna be the next Kobe. Sure Ariza is a good player but you said he could guard Melo and Lewis come on all they do is just post him because they have to much size on him but they can’t do that to Artest, and they’ve only played a few games with each of there teams lets not stat calling it some fatal mistake when there not even 1/8 of the way through the season. Plus Ariza is shooting 38% because he has to lead that team, you can put in Artest in to lead the team for a while and he’ll play great Ariza can’t.

  • Jeff

    @cher – I agree with you. be careful though about saying artest on winning team and ariza on losing team now. cause even though its early neither team is doing all that good or bad. Lakers are 4th and houston 6th in west.

    HOw bout steve nash though? MVP season man. Phoenix leading the west. who would have thought that.

  • Matt

    Steve Nash is playing great but there are so many other players still playing at an elite level it is hard for me to give it to Nash.

    Trevor Ariza is a possible All Star, received an invite from Team USA, is the best player on a playoff team, and is better than Ron Artest.

    It makes no sense for the Lakers to sign Artest over him. I did more research and Ariza was insulted the team he sacrificed so much for would not give him what he wanted, which was $7 mil a year contract.

  • Steve

    Remember WAY back in the mid-late ’80s sometime when the Lakers came very close to trading James Worthy to the Mavericks for Mark Aguirre??? Remember how owner Laker Jerry Buss was trying to keep “GM at the time Jerry West” OUT of the loop,, as he had a handshake deal with Mavs Owner (at the time) Don Carter? Remember how Jerry West threatened to resign if it happened, the trade did NOT happen back then, and Worthy stayed with the Lakers??? Anyway,, the Lakers trading Ariza for Ron Artest is on about the same,, “lame-brain” scale as that “would’ve been trade” of Worthy for Mark Aguire! Yes,, that is how you can compare THIS (Ariza for Ron Artest) trade! It’s too bad that Jerry West is not still GM.

  • Cher

    Also to add. This guy seems to be the only person on earth who thinks Artest is NOT doing a great job so far for the Lakers.

    @ Jeff. yeah, its early to say, but come on, the Lakers are held to this expectation by the world. Houston is not.

  • Cher

    @ Matt. If he was insulted, why did he sign the Rockets contract for the same amount? I know why: stupidity and greed.

    I think its way too early in Ariza’s career for him to be making demands to an organization like the Lakers. I’d rather be insulted, then play for the Rockets. He has more work to put in before proving and solifying that he is indeed better than Ron Artest and worth more than what he was offered.