Yeah, that's an excellent article. The Lakers defense will be a nightmare for any team next season. I can see it already. _________________ If you meet the Buddha in the lane, feed him the ball. ~Phil Jackson
The group then walked down the street to Mr. Chow’s, where Ron Artest was waiting — no doubt pen in hand — and signed the foward to a five-year deal worth $34 million to $35 million.
So Artest went with the 5 year MLE deal it seems _________________ To Be a Work in Progress, You Must Work to Progress -
The group then walked down the street to Mr. Chow’s, where Ron Artest was waiting — no doubt pen in hand — and signed the foward to a five-year deal worth $34 million to $35 million.
So Artest went with the 5 year MLE deal it seems
3 years with player option for additional 2 years.
Actually, I want to keep Luke Walton. He played good basketball for us on both ends of the court this post season. He did his job well. It's time fans stopped living in the past by trashing him. He has earned his props and I'm fine with him on this team. He brings his own unique talents to this team and legitimately contributed to our title run. Can't ask for more than that from an "average salary" player.
That's great, but he is drastically overpaid for his level of production.
Guys that can put up 5 pts per game on 42% shooting are easily replaceable. His shooting percentage has dropped 3 years running also.
It is pretty comical that so many here want to run Jordan Farmar out of town yet think Luke is valuable. Really?
Bottom line even if you like Luke is he produces like a minimum contract player, yet is paid 3 times that. Not good in any estimation, particularly if contracts like his cost us signing the far more critical and effective Lamar Odom. _________________ Love, Laker Lanny
Now, I don't think it will happen "as much" because he won't have the ball as much....but there will definitely be some "what the hell are you doing shooting that Ron" moments. All part of the package....
We Lakers fans are used to those moments.
Usually they come in the form of a Lamar Odom charge into a stationary post player. "Where were you going LO?" Occasionally it is a Jordan Farmar jumper. "Really? You couldn't have got a better shot for one of your teammates? Really?"
I can handle Ron jacking up the occasional step-back three point heave as long as he plays within the offense the rest of the time. _________________ “This goes far beyond paychecks”
Actually, I want to keep Luke Walton. He played good basketball for us on both ends of the court this post season. He did his job well. It's time fans stopped living in the past by trashing him. He has earned his props and I'm fine with him on this team. He brings his own unique talents to this team and legitimately contributed to our title run. Can't ask for more than that from an "average salary" player.
That's great, but he is drastically overpaid for his level of production.
Guys that can put up 5 pts per game on 42% shooting are easily replaceable. His shooting percentage has dropped 3 years running also.
It is pretty comical that so many here want to run Jordan Farmar out of town yet think Luke is valuable. Really?
Bottom line even if you like Luke is he produces like a minimum contract player, yet is paid 3 times that. Not good in any estimation, particularly if contracts like his cost us signing the far more critical and effective Lamar Odom.
The difference between Jordan and Luke is that Luke makes the guys around him better and Jordan makes them worse.
Luke runs the offense, makes great passes, tries to get his bigs easy scores at the basket, passes up his own shot to get a better one for a teammate, etc.
Jordan hunts for shots, and on the rare occasion he tries to set someone else up for a shot, half the time he ends up throwing the ball away and then tries to blame the turnover on his teammate.
Bottom line, he may be a little over-paid but Luke is a valuable role player and worth way more than a minimum contract. _________________ “This goes far beyond paychecks”
Meanwhile, it looked more evident that owner Jerry Buss and his son, Jim, were the ones to fuel the signing of Artest, with Coach Phil Jackson and minority owner Magic Johnson also part of the recruiting process.
Buss has gambled often in his 30-year ownership of the team, and this is no different. Buss dined with Artest a few hours before they agreed to contract terms of five years and $34 million last Thursday. Artest can opt out of the final year of his new contract, which was originally believed to be only three years in length.
Buss wouldn't have green-lighted the decision to acquire Artest if he didn't like the sometimes enigmatic player. Jackson, for his part, seemed intrigued by Artest's possibilities on defense. Artest was an NBA second-team All-Defensive selection last season and has finished among the league's top three in steals in five of the last eight seasons.
"Ron is a talented defender," Jackson said in an e-mail to The Times. "He has a nose for the ball. He will have to relearn the triangle offense, but has been on a team that used that offense in the early part of his career. We have a genuine admiration for his talent, especially his desire to compete.
"Sometimes that desire has taken an unusual course of action on the court, but Ron has quieted most critiques the past season with his steady play in Houston."
Joined: 16 Apr 2001 Posts: 6725 Location: New Mexico
Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 6:00 am Post subject:
That's some damn fine writing. _________________ "It’s like going to the Getty and standing in front of Van Gogh’s Irises while some schmuck next to you critiques individual brush strokes. Just shut up already. The more you talk, the more you embarrass yourself."
Joined: 02 May 2005 Posts: 90316 Location: Formerly Known As 24
Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 10:21 am Post subject:
I hate to even say this, but given how thing have gone for Yao and TMac, and with the karma gods hating David Lee right now, should Ariza be at all worried about that foot? _________________ “We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” ― Elie Wiesel
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