HOOPLOG: Ron Artest

David Stern on Ron Artest

Wed, 03 May 2006 11:29:40 -0800

This is more than two weeks old, but I just ran across it and thought it was worth publishing now... not only is it a good example of the league at least giving lip service to supporting one of the...

3/21/06 Box Score: Sonics 96 Kings 105

Wed, 22 Mar 2006 09:17:22 -0800

The unofficial box score from tonight’s game and PopcornMachine’s GameFlow.


	1	2	3	4	Total

Seattle	29	31	22	14	96	Final

Sacramento	23	35	30	17	105	ss="yspscores">

Seattle
Name	Min	FG	3Pt	FT	Off	Reb	Ast	TO	Stl	Blk	PF	Pts
R. Lewis	33	5-12	1-4	4-4	0	4	2	3	2	1	2	15
C. Wilcox	39	7-12	0-0	2-2	5	19	1	3	2	0	2	16
J. Petro	21	3-9	0-0	1-3	3	5	0	3	1	0	4	7
R. Allen	41	8-19	3-10	4-4	0	7	5	4	1	2	2	23
L. Ridnour	33	2-10	0-3	2-2	0	1	10	1	0	1	4	6
M. Wilks	15	0-4	0-0	6-8	0	1	2	1	1	0	1	6
D. Wilkins	12	2-6	0-1	1-1	1	2	0	0	0	0	3	5
R. Swift	23	6-7	0-0	1-2	4	9	0	2	0	0	2	13
N. Felix	5	1-2	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	1	0	2	2
M. Moore	10	1-2	0-0	1-1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	3
N. Collison	DNP - Coach’s Decision
M. Fizer	DNP - Coach’s Decision
D. Fortson	DNP - Coach’s Decision
E. Watson	DNP - Throat Injury

Totals	232	35-83	4-18	22-27	13	48	20	17	8	4	23	96
Percentages:		.422	.222	.815		Team Rebounds: 6

Sacramento
Name	Min	FG	3Pt	FT	Off	Reb	Ast	TO	Stl	Blk	PF	Pts
R. Artest	42	10-18	3-4	11-15	3	8	6	3	1	2	1	34
K. Thomas	33	5-8	0-0	1-1	3	11	4	2	2	1	2	11
B. Miller	40	4-12	0-1	0-2	1	14	1	2	1	0	3	8
K. Martin	19	2-10	0-4	2-2	0	2	1	2	1	1	4	6
M. Bibby	39	9-20	5-10	7-7	2	4	8	2	2	0	5	30
S. Abdur-Rahim	15	2-4	0-0	0-0	1	1	3	1	1	0	2	4
J. Hart	1	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
F. Garcia	8	1-3	0-2	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2
B. Wells	22	4-12	0-1	2-2	3	6	3	2	2	0	4	10
S. Monia	DNP - Coach’s Decision
V. Potapenko	DNP - Coach’s Decision
R. Price	DNP - Coach’s Decision
J. Sampson	DNP - Coach’s Decision
C. Williamson	DNP - Coach’s Decision

Totals	219	37-87	8-22	23-29	13	46	26	14	10	4	22	105
Percentages:		.425	.364	.793		Team Rebounds: 9

Game Info

Technical Fouls:
Seattle - C. Wilcox 1, M. Moore 1
Officials: Bob Delaney, Tommy Nunez, Tony Brothers

_____________________________________________________

PopcornMachine’s GameFlow (not yet available)

Plus/Minus
The Good: Mike Wilks +8, Damien Wilkins +5, and Robert Swift +2. The Bad: Mikki Moore -1, Noel Felix -2. The Ugly: Chris Wilcox -8, Rashard Lewis -10, Johan Petro and Ray Allen -11, and Luke Ridnour -17.

Help Value (hv=Reb+Ast+Blk+Stl-TO)
Wilcox led the team with a very strong +19 on the back of his rebounding. Ray Allen and Luke Ridnour were both +11.

Swift/Petro line of the night: 44 minutes, 20 points, 14 boards (7 offensive), 6 fouls.

Sonics: 20 assists, 17 turn overs.

Nothing fits forever

Wed, 08 Mar 2006 21:49:48 -0800

It would seem that last night’s infernal burst of Gilbertology might truly need no comment from ours truly. As in, we live in heaven, he lives alone, our souls are intertwined and the moment need not be soiled by explanation. The more and more I gazed upon that fascinating still—one as destined for iconic status as Tiger with the fist pump or Yao’s scream of antiquity—the more brutally apparent it becomes to me that Arenas, far from being an oddball, is the living, breathing god of my favorite kind of NBA player: the kind you watch, instead of just view. What Iverson, Kobe, Nash, and a handful of others I go out of my way to see play have in common is this ability to not merely produce on any given night, but to casually redefine themselves through masterstrokes of basketball impressionism.

Let me put briefly put aside the strained fire and brimstone that guides this site long enough to admit, as I did last week, that this is by and large a league of consistency. Unlike baseball and football, where one can be violently up and down from one game to the next but still get recognized overall as a fantastic contributor, to be a credible contributor a guy’s got to come with steady output. Freaks and streaks can be profound, but no player’s a recognizable force (or definite failure) in this league until he can be counted on; to scrape the ridges of Mount Dunkmore, he’d better be guaranteed to account for a serious percentage of his team’s production, both in the box score and as a reliable force when the ball hits his hands. Until then, he will always get saddled with the p-word, no matter how impressive he is in spurts.

When you reach the rarified air of superlative hoops accomplishment, there are at least three kind of consistency. Most obviously, there are the rock-solid bequeathers, under-appreciated and often big men like Duncan, Brand, Bosh, Dirk, Jamison, Kidd, Ray Ray and Redd. These folks give it their all with frightening regularity, churning it out from the opening bell and expected to operate as if to a rhythmic tick. I want to stop short of saying that you can intuit them from looking at a box score, but by and large there is no dramatic arc to their in-game performances. Professional, workmanlike, whatever you want to call them, these are consummate anchors of an offense, the given you pencil in at most moments during the season’s onslaught.

In the next category, you find explosive players with a tendency toward predictable outcomes, who ebb and flow over the course of a game, occasionally make you doubt, and ultimately bring you right back to who you always knew they were. I’m talking about Garnett, Pierce, Wade, Vince, Billups, Bibby, Gasol, Melo, Richardson, Jefferson, Sheed, Marion, and Artest himself—unquestioned experts who sometimes lull, sometimes soar, but never have to redeem themselves and are constantly working within their own limits and images. This isn’t a knock on any of these fine, hurling turtles; merely to point out that if you turn on the television to see them play, you know what you’re getting and will be accordingly excited. Each game reinforces their , with ups and downs that end in a pointed reminder of yeah, that’s him.

Gilbert and his gang, as I will now aptly dub them, rest upon their own set of shaggy shoulders. To return to last week’s trope of half-assed existentialism, All-American and yet bleakly Continental, they are players constantly exceeding themselves, or at least engaging in what feels for all the world like a motherfucking statement game. It can LeBron or Amare exerting and expanding their dominance, Kirilenko or Gerald Wallace twisting up the parameters of a box score, Nash working his conductor-ly magic, or Kobe, Iverson or McGrady scoring not only at will, but as if it’s unnatural for them to miss—or even repeat themselves out on the floor. Arenas is a must-see, not only because he’s likely to put on a show, but for what each and every game can do to your sense of him as a player and personality. If Wade proves with each big game that he’s still Wade, still proud, then Gilbert does it up in a way that’s not only unpredictable; with each of these self-transcending events, he also manages to seem unlikely all anew. As does Kobe, Bron, et al. In the crucible of the game, their legend is broken down and created anew, surprising you not only with this most recent installment but, in its reconstitution of the player’s most basic essence, shock you yet again they exist at all, that anything they do has ever happened in the glare of man’s senses.

This may seem like two-bit metaphysics for those of you not in tune with my lifelong education on this planet (or anyone merely taking issue with my late night sloppiness). But next time you find yourself up past bedtime watching one of these aforementioned idols, think about whether or not you feel you’re seeing them for the first time, whether you’re transfixed partly out of the fear that you’re witnessing a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. Not just a good game from your favorite NBA player, or one of those “instant classics” this blog will reference two years from now; I mean one of those performances where, in some ways, you feel like you’re discovering the sport again for the very first time.

Bibby, Artest KO Bulls

Wed, 15 Feb 2006 09:32:52 -0800

Sacramento 105, Bulls 101, OT * Mike Bibby and Ron Artest combined for 58 of the Kings' points CHICAGO Mike Bibby scored 31 points and Ron Artest added 27 and 14 rebounds to lead the Sacramento Kings to a ...

The Crazy Trading Season Continues

Sat, 04 Feb 2006 12:41:02 -0800

Anna Benson and Ron Artest have already found new homes, and now Kendra Davis joins in the fun, as the Knicks sent her and her husband back to Toronto in exchange for Jalen Rose and a first-round pick.

If you're into conspiracy theories, consider that there's been a little bit of friction reported between legendary head coach Larry Brown and far-less-than-legendary GM Isiah Thomas. Antonio Davis, who will do things like play defense and rebound, was a Larry Brown favorite, while the guy they get in return, Jalen Rose, feels about defense how Stephen A. Smith feels about understated subtlety.

So the Raptors get back Antonio Davis, and for his purposes in this trade, he might as well be referred to as "Cap Room." No word on what Mrs. Cap Room thinks of the deal, but I have a theory that they agreed to include the first round pick if the Knicks agreed to chain Kendra Davis to a park bench in New York and not let her get anywhere near Toronto.

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Peja Stojakovic Gets Pacers Rolling

Thu, 02 Feb 2006 10:19:27 -0800

Feb 2, 2006 -- Peja Stojakovic provided the offense, and all of the Pacers took care of Ron Artest's defense.

Scary in Sacramento, PLUS Dishevelment in Boston

Fri, 27 Jan 2006 07:59:33 -0800

People afraid of Artest coming to town need to refocus their apprehension towards this lady:

It was especially hard for Tara Holait of Woodland, who treated the Stojakovic trade news like a death in the family. She said she abruptly left her work as a mail carrier, hurried home, sobbing, packaged all of her Kings garb and threw it out, about $2,000 worth. She said the trade left her "feeling betrayed."

"I'm heartbroken," she said by phone. "Peja's done so much for us. I'm a foreigner like he was, from India. He means everything to people like me."

an effigy of Gavin Maloof hanging from a streetlamp in front of Morrison's, we should probably get the police involved.

Meanwhile, tonight's opponent may have bigger problems than us right now, as Ricky Davis, Mark Blount, Marcus Banks and Justin Reed is off to Minnsota for Wally Sczerbiak, Stockton's Best #1 Overall Pick Michael Olowokandi and D-leaguer Dwayne Jones. Picks were also exchanged.

I doubt Wally-World or Kandi-Man will be ready tonight, so it should be Artestamento verus Paul and the Kids. This could end up being a real ugly, sloppy game.

But who cares? I haven't been this excited for a game since... last week's Laker game.

Artest Drama Major

Wed, 25 Jan 2006 13:35:19 -0800

Link: ESPN.com - Pacers talk to Artest; Stojakovic feels disrespected

Well, don't look now, the trade between Sacramento and Indiana is back on? Maybe? Who knows.

I just need this thing over with. Time for Artest to bring his own brand of crazy to a whole new city. Pumpin his brand of under-marketed tunes out the back of his Lexus, letting us all know that he's not only the best defender in the league, that no one can stop him when he puts his mind to it and then run off and become the biggest music producer known to man.

Now... Why would Peja Stojakovic feel "disrespected"? This is the same player that demanded a trade out of Sacramento last season when his good friend wasn't signed as a free agent and ended up on the Lakers bench for the year.

This is the business. Who these days, expects their names not to be floated in the media and discussed in the next Peter Vecsey article?

C'mon Peja, grow up, buy a travel bag and pack it up. This is the NBA, not the Serbian leagues.

What Now?

Wed, 25 Jan 2006 13:34:58 -0800

Update [2006-1-25 13:43:39 by TZ]: Forgive me if quotes like this make me less than thrilled about the new possibility of The Ron Artest Era:

Ron Artest did not want to be traded to Sacramento weeks ago, and he does not want to be traded to Sacramento now, (Artest agent Mark) Stevens said.

Basketball is Ron Artests passion. In order for Ron to fully demonstrate his natural skills and abilities, to the best of his abilities, he not only must be in an environment that is conducive to his growth an development as a player, he must also ensure that his family is happy and content as well. Ron does not believe that will be the case if he were in Sacramento. Period.

ep this updated.

----------------------------------------

This thing could still happen.

ESPN is reporting that Ron Artest and agent Mark Stevens will meet with Larry Bird and Donnie Walsh this morning in Indy to figure out what the hell is going on.

The Indianapolis Star says that the meeting was scheduled for 10 a.m. Eastern, which means we could start hearing things any time now.

The Bee is reporting that it could still happen, though Geoff Petrie hasn't been able to be reached.

I have little doubt that Ron-Ron will come out and say that he wants to play anywhere, including Sacramento. I have zero doubt that Indiana still wants to do this deal.

It would seem the only stumbling block would be Geoff Petrie and the Maloofs. Is he still confident in his apparent decision? If he didn't like the deal in the first place, did the Maloofs force his hand? Why did it take until Jan. 20 to get something going on this?

I believe that if Petrie really wanted to ship Peja out for Artest, this could've been done a month ago. You have to assume the Maloofs pressured him to do something with this sinking ship.

If this is the case, was Petrie just looking for a way out? And when the agent called - and who knows what the guy said - did Petrie just throw up his hands, secretly thrilled it didn't go down?

After all, it was the Maloofs essentially breaking the news on ESPNews Tuesday afternoon, not Petrie (who has been silent).

If this a Maloof deal and not a Petrie deal, we could lose our G.M. at some point.

The question right now is, do Petrie and the Maloofs still think Artest in Sacramento works? Whichever one pushed for the trade - the GM or the owners - do they still believe in their gut that this is the right deal?

We should find out sometime today.

Hello, Sacramento!

Wed, 25 Jan 2006 13:34:35 -0800

ESPN/HBO/NBC/Basement Somewhere In New Jersey's Jim Gray has come up for air enough to report that Ron Artest has accepted the trade to the Sacramento Kings. We wish the city of Sacramento all kinds of luck; have fun, you crazy kids. There has to be some sort of Schwarzenegger angle here, doesn't there?

Go Sell Crazy Someplace Else [Deadspin]

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Mike Lupica: Stop Crying Foul, Antonio

Sat, 21 Jan 2006 10:01:27 -0800

Mike Lupica of the NEW YORK DAILY NEWS writes, Antonio Davis doesn't get it. Maybe the league should give him five more games, or 10 more games, just for that. Davis could have made a bad situation worse on Wednesday night in Chicago by becoming the first NBA player to use the press table as a launching pad since Ron Artest. Now he officially makes the situation worse by not accepting a proper suspension and moving on. "I'm not apologizing to anybody for anything," he said on a conference call yesterday afternoon. "I don't think I did anything wrong or my wife did anything wrong." Of course once Davis made the decision - or Billy Hunter of the NBA Players Association made it for him - to appeal his five-game suspension and file a grievance, he couldn't apologize, or dispute his wife's version of events, or even suggest that maybe he didn't see what he thought he saw from the court, where he was a lot more focused on what was happening in the stands than he was on a ballgame the Knicks were trying to win.

Rockets Throw In for Artest

Sat, 14 Jan 2006 11:03:00 -0800

The Houston Rockets appear to have moved to the head of the class in the Ron Artest Sweepstakes. Who's will it take to land the hottest name in the NBA right now? Check it out!

Pacers Want Ike

Sun, 08 Jan 2006 10:55:52 -0800

New York Daily News- Rings of conflict

Golden State wants Ron Artest, even if he looks like a questionable fit with coach Mike Montgomery in only his second NBA season and the Warriors lacking strong personalities in the locker room to keep Artest in place. So far, the Warriors haven't been amenable to including rookie Ike Diogu in a package to the Pacers.
In considering some slim pickings being offered for Artest, the Pacers have been firm in their demands for a young player with lots of potential. They like Diogu, a 6-8 forward taken ninth overall last June. But the Warriors are reluctant to deal him, since he is one of their few players who can play in the post.
Indiana seems to be more enamored with Diogu than Troy Murphy, whose outside shooting would be a perfect fit with Jermaine O'Neal. The Pacers are said to be against taking Murphy's remaining contract (five years, $50 million). They've told potential suitors that they want to shed contracts and lower their luxury tax. That's why they're looking to package what they consider bad contracts when they move Artest.

Would you move fan favorite Ike Diogu in a package for Ron Artest?

Nuggets eye Gordon?

Sun, 08 Jan 2006 10:55:38 -0800

As Denver coach George Karl spoke in glowing terms about George Artest, the Nuggets quietly sent out feelers about Chicago's disgruntled guard, Ben Gordon. Maybe that's a sign that Denver knows it can't get Artest. But as sour as things...

GAME 32/82, Vs. Indiana, Open Game Thread

Sun, 08 Jan 2006 10:55:24 -0800

I promise to come back full force on Monday. If not, I'll give you your money back.

I'm not yet ready to pronounce the Kings as back - 3 out of 4 is cool and all, but it was the Clippers twice and Boston. And we're still five games under.

Indiana is a pretty good test. They aren't the Indiana everyone thought they'd be - they're underachieving quite a bit, given the Artest Fiasco.

But that doesn't mean the Pacers aren't trouble - look at what they did to Golden State a couple days ago. Giving this team an early lead is like giving them a can of spinach - you've absolutely got to get out ahead and try to hold them off.

I'm pretty glad Donnie Walsh and Larry Bird haven't found a taker for Artest - I've been personally tormented over the question of whether I'd want him in Sacramento. When we're losing bad and looking horrible, I think, "Yeah, what do we have to lose? At least he'll be interesting."

But when our offense is playing well, when we're getting the stops we need to win games, I'm less excited. I like having a team full of sane, if not elite players. It lets me sleep at night.

Someone is going to take him, though, and I kind of hope it's not someone in the division. The Lakers with Artest is frightening. I'd be relegated to praying for Ron-Ron to go Hannibal Lector on Kobe. I wouldn't be horribly concerned if the Warriors got him - they couldn't get that motley crew together in time to make it matter. The Clippers become a lot better, even if they move Corey Maggette, because a lock-up defender is the one thing they lack.

Minnesota seems like a no-brainer; Denver is so crazy about Artest that you'd think they could make it work. If I were the Pacers, I'd give Ron-Ron his wish and work out something with the Knicks. Artest deserves nothing less than to play for the hardest coach on a horrible team in front of his people, who will no doubt refuse to put up with his crazy Hoboken bullshit.

(Can I get into a witness protection program now? Please?)

To the early morning lineups!

INDIANA
PG - Jamaal Tinsley? I really need to brush up on my Indiana Pacers.
SG - Stephen Jackson, former World Championship/Atlanta Hawk
SF - Danny Granger, heralded rookie
PF - Jermaine O'Neal, superstar
C - Jeff Foster? Again, I need to brush up.

SACTOWN
PG - Mike "Still Not An All-Star?" Bibby.
SG - Kevin "Star of the Frosh-Soph Game During All-Star Break" Martin.
SF - Peja "Three-point champion" Stojakovic.
PF - Kenny "Ha ha" Thomas.
C - Brad "Perennial All-Star" Miller.

The line: It's not up yet on Bodog, so I'm going to throw out a +2. And no, I wouldn't bet either way. Maybe an under, if the line is somewhere around 192.

Fun bet o' the night: How vehemently will Grant Napear argue against bringing Ron Artest to SAC? Your choices are a) more vehemently than his assertation that Bonzi did not call out Peja, b) more vehemently than his assertation that Bonzi did not call out Peja, or c) equally vehemently than his assertation that Bonzi did not call out Peja?

Sideshow most likely to be entertaining: Peja Stojakovic, rebounding beast. For what it's worth, Peja was very self-deprecating in talking about his 13 boards after Friday's game. He actually seemed human, as quoted by Sam Amick. But hell, he has seemed a lot more active in all aspects of the game since his last injury. Maybe something snapped inside him? Who knows.

Best matchup: Kings offense vs. Pacers defense. Can they throw up 60 in the first half and shoot over 50 percent from the field? Can Bibby get to his spots at will? Can Brad Miller explode into flames? Will KMart and Peja be able to attack the offensive glass like they did against LAC? If so, this (and probably every game) is a win.

6 p.m. start on Comcast. Watch some football, settle in for hoops. It's on!