Jump to content

Indiana @ L.A. Lakers


Recommended Posts

  • 6 months later...
  • Owner

Artest is amazing.

I know I was pissed because LeBron dominated him, but looking at everyone else who Artest has defended...he's got to be right there with Dwight Howard as the best defender in the league.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was just reading the recap from nba.com and this was kind of interesting.

 

"LOS ANGELES (NBA.com exclusive) -- After road games following the All-Star break, Ron Artest found himself awake until 3 a.m.

 

Artest was up jogging in the hotel gym, trying to shed a few pounds. Couple his late-night routine with his weight-loss regimen of not eating past 9 p.m., Artest has re-sculpted himself.

 

The results have shown in not only his play, but also the Lakers, who despite a slow first half cruised past the Pacers 122-99 Tuesday at Staples Center.

 

"I sensed that everyone was making so many trades, and we didn't make any trades [this season]," said Artest, who is now 255 pounds down from 268. "So, I wanted to make sure I was a whole new person after the trade. Kind of like a new trade. [Getting] Ron Artest twice, hell of a deal."

 

There's no coincidence that the Lakers (46-15) have upped their play recently with quality wins over the Celtics and Nuggets. The common thread -- Artest's ability to shut down the opposing team's best player.

 

Artest held Denver's Carmelo Anthony to 7-for-19 shooting and eight turnovers. He closed out Boston's Paul Pierce to 11 points. Against Indiana, Artest held Danny Granger, who came in averaging 23 points, to nine on 2-for-9 shooting.

 

"I want to make it really difficult for anyone to score at all," said Artest, who had 11 points and five steals, all in the third quarter. "I feel like I'm getting in a rhythm defensively. I'm feeling very comfortable.

 

Added Kobe Bryant, who finished with a game-high 24 points: "He puts guys in a straight jacket."

 

 

 

It really shows that his defense has improved and he knows what his role is on this team.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...