***Offical 08/09 NBA thread!***

[quest51210 10+ year member]

i do see ariza as a potential horry type of player. big shots, linger around for the perfect steal or block, pretty basic player that finds themselves making big plays in pressure situations.

definitely not going to score 20ppg or grab a bunch of boards, but may be able to round out a roster with a bunch of intangibles which dont show up on a statistic.

 

[newusername 10+ year member]

Artest >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Ariza.

Really not even a question.

Kobe took Ron Ron out for dinner and around the town. He wanted Artest there. I consider Artest to be a highly valuable player, and the fact that he took the MLE makes him even better.

 

[JAZN 5,000+ posts]

I was listening to the LA radio station today and here's the lowdown:

Artest has wanted to come to LA for a few years now. When he was suspended/not in the playoffs, he would come watch Laker games quite often. He was in attendance for game 6 of the finals of LA vs. Boston (when LA lost the series) and after the game he came into the Lakers locker room and told Phil Jackson that he could help the Lakers win a championship. Phil was like yeah thats great blah blah. So Ron goes up to Kobe while he's in the shower and tells him the same thing. Pretty amusing story.

As for the Ariza situation, Lakers offered him MLE and Ariza and his agent felt like that was an insult. Ariza's agent then shopped around and realized a monster contract wasn't out there so they came back to LA. LA's decision was then Ariza or Artest for the same amount of money. Ariza seemed pretty down during the interview today, too.

 

[bigbangtheory 5,000+ posts]

Artest averaged 17 points a game a 1.5 steals and 5 rebounds last year. Ariza averaged 9 points 1.7 steals and 4 rebounds last year. Artest can make his own offense as well as play garbage man. Ariza has always played the garbage man role. On first team or secod team the Lakers can and will run offense for and through Artest which is a plus. Ariza's age is a plus but it doesn't mean he will automatically be a 20+ point a game scorer like Artest. Artest is also a very good defender in MANY ways that does not show up on a stat sheet.

You are comparing starter numbers to a bench player/sport starter in Ariza who played 24 minutes a game.

Give him the same type of time Artest got and he would put up similar if not better numbers than Artest.........only thing I don't see him doing as well as Artest is rebounding, besides that he is on par and just as good on defense.

You really can't even compare the two till Ariza plays a full season as a starter and gets 33-35 minutes a game and then we will see.

And I am not saying this will kill the Lakers, as I am sure they will be back next year making another run, but they had awesome chemistry last year.

Only time will tell I suppose. I wish Cleveand would had took Ariza. Seems a lot of people don't want to come to Clevland besides Shaq due to LeBrons expiring contract in 2010. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif

I think this may be the last year as will for Bron if we don't win it all and we need more help and we are getting no where fast with the free agents.

 

[dragnix 5,000+ posts]

Lebron to the Clippers //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/fyi.gif.9f1f679348da7204ce960cfc74bca8e0.gif

j/k, don't get crazy guys.

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/fyi.gif.9f1f679348da7204ce960cfc74bca8e0.gif

 

[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

You are comparing starter numbers to a bench player/sport starter in Ariza who played 24 minutes a game.
Give him the same type of time Artest got and he would put up similar if not better numbers than Artest.........only thing I don't see him doing as well as Artest is rebounding, besides that he is on par and just as good on defense.

You really can't even compare the two till Ariza plays a full season as a starter and gets 33-35 minutes a game and then we will see.

And I am not saying this will kill the Lakers, as I am sure they will be back next year making another run, but they had awesome chemistry last year.

Only time will tell I suppose. I wish Cleveand would had took Ariza. Seems a lot of people don't want to come to Clevland besides Shaq due to LeBrons expiring contract in 2010. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif

I think this may be the last year as will for Bron if we don't win it all and we need more help and we are getting no where fast with the free agents.

Ariza played 24 minutes a game and Artest averaged about 35 minutes a game. Simple fact is Artest has had plays ran for him through him on SEVERAL TEAMS he has been a 20ppg player before Ariza is just a hustle/garbage man on offense. Watch the Laker second unit with Artest on the floor won't be as weak.

 

[bigbangtheory 5,000+ posts]

Ariza played 24 minutes a game and Artest averaged about 35 minutes a game. Simple fact is Artest has had plays ran for him through him on SEVERAL TEAMS he has been a 20ppg player before Ariza is just a hustle/garbage man on offense. Watch the Laker second unit with Artest on the floor won't be as weak.

So you are saying that Ariza won't do much better than he did last year?

Ariza is still very young and has plenty of time to make something of himself. Artest is getting up there and yeah he will still do well, but Ariza is going to make a name for himself.........if you can't see that, then I don't know what to tell you. He has a huge upside to him and will put up good numbers in Houston.

Also Artest only put up 20ppg twice in his career and averaged 16 a game through out his career.

I have no doubt in my mind that Ariza will come close to 16ppg.......I eaisly see him 16ppg/4rbds/3assists/ and 1 and half steals a game. Might even be better than that.

I am thinking you think Ariza is going to Houston as the same type of player he was in LA, which he isn't. He will start there.

 

[bigbangtheory 5,000+ posts]

Lebron to the Clippers //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/fyi.gif.9f1f679348da7204ce960cfc74bca8e0.gif

j/k, don't get crazy guys.

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/fyi.gif.9f1f679348da7204ce960cfc74bca8e0.gif

It is nice to have big dreams. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

 

[Lugnutz 10+ year member]

So you are saying that Ariza won't do much better than he did last year?
Ariza is still very young and has plenty of time to make something of himself. Artest is getting up there and yeah he will still do well, but Ariza is going to make a name for himself.........if you can't see that, then I don't know what to tell you. He has a huge upside to him and will put up good numbers in Houston.

Also Artest only put up 20ppg twice in his career and averaged 16 a game through out his career.

I have no doubt in my mind that Ariza will come close to 16ppg.......I eaisly see him 16ppg/4rbds/3assists/ and 1 and half steals a game. Might even be better than that.

I am thinking you think Ariza is going to Houston as the same type of player he was in LA, which he isn't. He will start there.

LOL

This post is wrong on so many levels, I can't even conjure up a response right now.

 

[Lugnutz 10+ year member]

And the Pistons hired Kuesters from Cleveland. reading Cleveland boards, he seems to be well liked there. I wanted Tom Thibodeau but meh.

 

[quest51210 10+ year member]

BBT...you are truly blinded by bullshit this time around pal.

 

[Masta Ace 10+ year member]

BBT...you are truly blinded by bullshit this time around pal.

I love Ariza, but I have to agree.

 

[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

http://msn.foxsports.com/cbk/story/9784408/Nike-takes-tapes-after-collegian-jams-on-LeBron

Updated: July 8, 2009, 4:16 PM EDT

Apparently, we are not all witnesses.

In fact, only a lucky few can say they saw LeBron James, reigning NBA MVP and the leading heir apparent to Michael Jordan's throne, on the receiving end of a dunk courtesy of Xavier sophomore Jordan Crawford.

That's because a Nike official confiscated tapes from a pair of cameramen who were shooting games involving James and several college players Monday night at the LeBron James Skills Academy.

One of them was freelancer Ryan Miller, who had been filming for roughly 15 minutes — including footage of the high school prospects attending the camp — when Crawford dunked on James. Miller told FOXSports.com he was approached by Nike basketball senior director Lynn Merritt shortly after the play and asked to relinquish his tape.

"The worst part is I'm not even sure I had the shot of the dunk," Miller said. "They might have taken it for no reason."

 

[quest51210 10+ year member]

who cares?

 

[rtillaree 10+ year member]

And the Pistons hired Kuesters from Cleveland. reading Cleveland boards, he seems to be well liked there. I wanted Tom Thibodeau but meh.

I wonder what Cleveland is going to do now that their REAL head coach is headed to Detroit...

Brown is scrambling...