Ron Ron
Ron Artest is heading to Houston and this could be just what T-Mac and Yao need to finally experience the second round of the playoffs... if Ron Ron can gel with the rest of the team. (And, of course, if Yao and T-Mac can stay healthy.) Let's stay positive and look at the best case scenario. The Rockets run with Rafer Alston, T-Mac, Artest, Battier/Landry/Scola, and Yao. Alston is serviceable and his shooting percentages theoretically should rise with the increased offense around him. T-Mac is still their #1 guy (if only by virtue of the fact that it's easier to get him the ball than Yao) and he is still an elite, if injury prone, superstar. Artest averaged 20/6/3.5 last year and, in my humble opinion, he is the best defender in the league. I watched a ton of Kings games this past season just to watch him play defense and it's criminal that he didn't make the All-Defensive team even considering he only played in 57 games. (As much as I love Chris Paul he isn't even in the same league defensively as Ron.) At power forward the Rockets have Luis Scola and, if they can sign him, Carl Landry who both can finish and rebound. Round this team out with Yao up front and Houston could be dominant, especially on the defensive end of the floor.
Artest is really the guy who can make or break this whole scheme. Great chemistry allowed the Rockets to reel off a 22 game win streak last year (the last six games without Yao) and no one has ever described Ron Ron as a "chemistry guy". Off the court distractions aside, Artest tended to force shots in Sac-town as the first (if you ask him) or second (if you ask anyone else) option but that won't be necessary with Yao and McGrady on the floor. Will the troubled St. John's product finally put it all together with Houston?
I think he will. Artest, McGrady, and Yao all have their legacies at stake here and they know it. This is probably the most talented team either of them will ever play on and they need to at least make the conference finals if they want to start shaking the "can't win the big one" labels already hovering above them. Artest will have to sacrifice shots and glory if this team is going to make a run in the playoffs and Queensbridge's finest isn't stupid. Ok, granted, he's done stupid stuff over the course of his career - a lot of stupid stuff - but he knows the game and he's definitely capable of working well with these teammates. Rockets-Hornets conference finals... it's not possible, is it?
Yao Ming with the most real and honest take on the whole situation
Artest singing to Pierce
artest mix and another
ron ron rapping
Artest is really the guy who can make or break this whole scheme. Great chemistry allowed the Rockets to reel off a 22 game win streak last year (the last six games without Yao) and no one has ever described Ron Ron as a "chemistry guy". Off the court distractions aside, Artest tended to force shots in Sac-town as the first (if you ask him) or second (if you ask anyone else) option but that won't be necessary with Yao and McGrady on the floor. Will the troubled St. John's product finally put it all together with Houston?
I think he will. Artest, McGrady, and Yao all have their legacies at stake here and they know it. This is probably the most talented team either of them will ever play on and they need to at least make the conference finals if they want to start shaking the "can't win the big one" labels already hovering above them. Artest will have to sacrifice shots and glory if this team is going to make a run in the playoffs and Queensbridge's finest isn't stupid. Ok, granted, he's done stupid stuff over the course of his career - a lot of stupid stuff - but he knows the game and he's definitely capable of working well with these teammates. Rockets-Hornets conference finals... it's not possible, is it?
Yao Ming with the most real and honest take on the whole situation
Artest singing to Pierce
artest mix and another
ron ron rapping
posted by Gen at
10:48 PM
5 Comments:
Here's worst case: Artest isn't much of an upgrade defensively over Battier (who is?) and Ron Ron putting up 15-20 shots a game means even fewer touches for Houston's most efficient offensive player (Yao) further miring a pedestrian and unimaginative offense.
Definitely. If Artest jacks up shots the team might as well forget advancing in the playoffs.
That said, Artest is an upgrade over Battier (as good as Shane is) and having two defensive stoppers who can both also put the ball in the hoop is better than one, right?
This site needs an editor. You can't be either one of three things. See, it sounds dumb even explaining how dumb it is.
Also, Artest and Battier on the floor at the same time would be a painfully small lineup, especially in the West.
It's a blog... not a scientific journal. Get over the grammatical errors. Yao, Artest, Battier, Mcgrady, Rafer... that lineup can't run together? It's an impossibility? Teams are not allowed to ever go small? What if the other team goes small?
Stick to proofreading and leave the basketball talk to people who don't dismiss a lineup of 6'2, 6'8, 6'8, 6'7 and 7'6 as "painfully small".
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