Artest labels Kings as favorites against Spurs

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Artest labels Kings as favorites against Spurs


http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/5524330


SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - Ron Artest stayed in the Sacramento Kings' practice complex long after his teammates left Thursday, firing jumper after jumper with his injured right thumb heavily wrapped.
After watching most of the last 1 1/2 NBA seasons from his couch, Artest is more than ready for his return to the playoffs - and he seems completely unworried to see the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs across the court, playing outstanding basketball and coming off their best regular season in franchise history.
In fact, Artest thinks the Spurs should be worried about the eighth-seeded Kings.
"I don't even think we're the underdogs any more," Artest said. "I think we're the team to beat, just by how we've been playing."
In the opening game of the series on Saturday, the Spurs will begin the pursuit of their fourth title in eight seasons. The Kings are just at the start of their journey, with most of their core expected back next season to build on the tumultuous adventures of this season.
After a dismal start in which coach Rick Adelman questioned his own job security, the Kings surged to a 25-11 finish shortly after Artest joined the team in a trade with Indiana for Peja Stojakovic. They hit the playoffs in full stride, winning nine of their last 11 games - including a 97-87 victory at San Antonio on April 5.
But the improvement wasn't enough to avoid the top-seeded Spurs in the longtime Western Conference powers' first postseason meeting. Artest predicted the Kings would make the playoffs back in January during the height of their disarray, and he now says he expects Sacramento to leave the postseason "No. 1. They're No. 1 now, but I think we'll leave No. 1."
Bold words from a bold player - but don't mistake Artest's bravado for a lack of respect for his opponents. Artest speaks in glowing terms of the Spurs' defensive intensity, and he relishes being on the road in hostile arenas during his first postseason in the Western Conference.
"There are going to be a lot of road games coming up," Artest said. "I'm sure San Antonio is going to be ready for us, so we've got to come in there with a lot of energy and confidence. We're on the road this whole playoffs, so that's where we've got to win. We've got to make it our home away from home."
Artest's ebullience stands out on a roster full of quiet players who prefer to lead by example when they lead at all. The Kings have taken on much of Artest's personality since he joined them - no-excuses defense coupled with bursts of outstanding offensive play and a general swagger that was missing earlier in the season.
The Spurs have plenty of swagger after winning two titles in the last three seasons - and the Kings aren't fooled by their victory at the AT&T Center earlier in the month. That game was the second half of back-to-back contests for the Spurs, who had the NBA's second-best record at 63-19.
[FONT=&quot]"It's not going to be the same team we saw in there last time," Adelman said. "Other than [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Detroit[/FONT][FONT=&quot], they were the most consistent team in the league this year on a game-by-game basis. That's how they got to where they are."
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Rome said:
and the Kings aren't fooled by their victory at the AT&T Center earlier in the month. That game was the second half of back-to-back contests for the Spurs, who had the NBA's second-best record at 63-19.
The media keeps making that excuse for the Spurs while ignoring the fact that it was the second game of a back-to-back for the Kings, too. And the Kings were the ones on the road in that game. I'm not disrespecting the Spurs, they are a great team, but c'mon, fair is fair.:mad:

While I'm not so sure whether its good for Artest to talk out loud like this, I am hoping the rest of the team has close to this amount of confidence inside themselves. And they are right, Artest is almost always very complimentary about other players. He just thinks he's as good as any of the very best in the league. That's been good for us so far. (Altho I hope he doesn't jack up to many questionable shots.)
 
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Denver said something very similar when the Spurs played them in the first round last season.

They won 1 game.
 
kennadog said:
The media keeps making that excuse for the Spurs while ignoring the fact that it was the second game of a back-to-back for the Kings, too. And the Kings were the ones on the road in that game. I'm not disrespecting the Spurs, they are a great team, but c'mon, fair is fair.:mad:

While I'm not so sure whether its good for Artest to talk out loud like this, I am hoping the rest of the team has close to this amount of confidence inside themselves. And they are right, Artest is almost always very complimentary about other players. He just thinks he's as good as any of the very best in the league. That's been good for us so far. (Altho I hope he doesn't jack up to many questionable shots.)

yeah, and didnt we get blown out by the mavs the night before??
 
startingtohurt said:
yeah, and didnt we get blown out by the mavs the night before??
Exactly...we had every reason to go in their with our tails tucked between our legs. There were a lot more reasons why the Kings should have lost that game.
 
MistiLynn said:
Denver said something very similar when the Spurs played them in the first round last season.

They won 1 game.
Undoubtedly irrelvant. Don't talk about any McNuggets around here. They just rolled over and got fried last season. Now, these Kings are gonna give the Spurs all they can handle. Let's see how the defending champs hold up.
 
MistiLynn said:
Denver said something very similar when the Spurs played them in the first round last season.

They won 1 game.
Well its one Kings player talking, not the team. I really don't pay that much attention to Ron's grandiose predictions. But I do like the confidence. If the Kings are to have any chance at all in this series, they have to first believe they can win it. Once doubt starts creeping in, a team is doomed.

(EDIT: Don't think I'm unrealistic here. I know what the odds are, but as I said elsewhere, I'm gonna believe until I can't anymore. :))
 
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I hope Artest doesn't take so many jumpers in the series against SA. He should look to punish their guards with his size and body advantage.
 
Rome said:
I hope Artest doesn't take so many jumpers in the series against SA. He should look to punish their guards with his size and body advantage.
I do too. Some Pacers fans think Ron shot them out of the playoffs and cost them a championship. And their broadcaster said if Ron has a weakness, its the tendency to start shooting too much, trying to be "the man." We've seen a bit of that. I hope he's more comfortable in the Kings offense, so maybe that won't be a problem. I hate that he's got that huge thumb bandage, tho.
 
MistiLynn said:
Denver said something very similar when the Spurs played them in the first round last season.

They won 1 game.

Denver didn't have any outside shooting. All they depended on was fast breaks and dunks/layups. They have no halfcourt game.

Kings have shooters that spread the floor really well. Bibby is capable of draining down the jumpers all day and Brad will light it up from outside if you don't pay attention and guard him (which happens a lot because of Bibby driving in/ Ron Artest or Bonzi posting up)
 
Rome said:
I hope Artest doesn't take so many jumpers in the series against SA. He should look to punish their guards with his size and body advantage.
Exactly - I hope he dominates the paint!
 
I never compared the Kings style of play to the Nuggets style of play, I just simply said that saying that you're the favorite to win doesn't mean that you are. There's just no way that the defending champions with a 63-win season are the underdogs. But hey, that's Artest for you.
 
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MistiLynn said:
I never compared the Kings style of play to the Nuggets style of play, I just simply said that saying that you're the favorite to win doesn't mean that you are. There's just no way that the defending championships with a 63-win season are the underdogs. But hey, that's Artest for you.

There's also no way any team can simply run over a club that went 19-8 in their last 27 games.
 
Lets just hope the other members of the team at least somewhat feel the way Ron Artest does. If not, we'll get swept.

I believe. Underdog or not!
 
what is ron supposed to say? hes our vocal leader and id be pissed if he said "yeah were gonna get the sh*t beat out of us"
 
kingkung said:
There's also no way any team can simply run over a club that went 19-8 in their last 27 games.
Denver went 24-4 after the all-star break last year, and still lost in 5.
 
MistiLynn said:
Denver went 24-4 after the all-star break last year, and still lost in 5.


You just got finished saying that you were not comparing us with Denver, and yet you continue to do so.

Look, there is absolutely no point in playing the Spurs is we already know we are going to lose. There is a reasons that the games get played. Anything can happen. If Ron and his teammates don't believe they are good enough to compete, then they may as well just pack up now for their summer vacation. I, for one, would like to see them play the games. It's what they worked hard for after a dismal start this season.
 
kingkung said:
There's also no way any team can simply run over a club that went 19-8 in their last 27 games.

Unless the other team went 20-7 in their last 27 games... ?
 
kingkung said:
There's also no way any team can simply run over a club that went 19-8 in their last 27 games.

Spurs did it to the Nuggets last year, and Nuggets finished something like 27-5 down the stretch.

Get the feeling Ron is feeling like he has to top himself with every proclamation. He should really stop here at some point before he gets around to announcing that after winning the title we are going to cure cancer.
 
jon e said:
what is ron supposed to say? hes our vocal leader and id be pissed if he said "yeah were gonna get the sh*t beat out of us"

There's a LONG way from saying the above to announcing that you are the favorites to beat the defending champs, on the road, in a season in which they've won 63 games. A LONG way. All kinds of room in between the two extremes to express confidence without looking foolish.
 
I wish Ron wasn't saying all that he's saying everytime a reporter is around. Truthfully, to me, the words Ron actually uses I take with a gigantic spoonful of salt. Its meaningless background noise. What I do like is the attitude and confidence. If you don't think you CAN reach your goal, you might as well unpack your bags and skip the trip. You've lost already.

Are the Spurs upset with what Ron's saying? I highly doubt it. They are rightfully confident they will prove Ron wrong. Does it bother the Spurs fans. Do I care? They are not going to care how we feel about anything said by them about our team. That's already clear.;)
 
This is why i love Ron. If you don't like it thats tuff Ron is Ron and this is the way its going to be until Ron is no longer here. So maybe those who don't like what Ron says should become a free agent this offseason. I mean its so obvious to say what everybody else says. "We are happy to be here its a been a long road and we are going to lay it all out there against the Spurs." That is not what inspires people and gives fans hope. But it is what is always said. Ron is not like most players you can have the sterotypical star or you can have a star that bleeds confidence and tenacity. Me i choose whats behind door #2 because #1 didn't work out.
 
kennadog said:
I wish Ron wasn't saying all that he's saying everytime a reporter is around. Truthfully, to me, the words Ron actually uses I take with a gigantic spoonful of salt. Its meaningless background noise. What I do like is the attitude and confidence. If you don't think you CAN reach your goal, you might as well unpack your bags and skip the trip. You've lost already.

Are the Spurs upset with what Ron's saying? I highly doubt it. They are rightfully confident they will prove Ron wrong. Does it bother the Spurs fans. Do I care? They are not going to care how we feel about anything said by them about our team. That's already clear.;)

Excellent.

Why should you go into a series thinking that you will lose, its better to turn on the heat on the other side and let the spurs atleast think deep down whether the kings are really that confident. offcourse they also know what ron is all about and even we all know what he is all about, yet we think that maybe the kings really do feel that way and maybe the kings are the ones to be beat.

On the other hand nba this year will not have the pistons and the spurs playing in the finals and its a matter when they want to end the spurs season, might as well make it a first round exit to create some interest in the playoffs. They are trying to show parity in the league and the best way to do that is to have upsets early and often. Watch the message from stern and it is clear that he wants legends to be born in the playoffs and what better way to create one out of ron this year. Again this is all conspiracy theory and maybe it wont happen, but i believe the nba is a business run by stern and not a real basketball championship to the core, given that i believe in what i say as well. this series has the potential to go 7 with the best team in game 7 taking it all, or maybe the kings finish of the spurs in 6.

And as pop said or even phil said in 2000, bonzi is a real challenge for any team in the post season if only bonzi can really believe in himself when the coach knows how to use him.
 
Some people are saying.."What is Ron supposed to say and what not" as if there are only two choice, he says we lose, or he says we win.

Thats not how it works people. Ron does not have to say ANYTHING, and i love his confidence but he shouldnt say anything anymore. There is no hat that you pick two sayings out of, one is we are the best, one is we are the worst. I havent really had a huge problem with him being overly boisterous, but it needs to stop somewhere.

Ill reitterate this because ive read it in nearly half of the posts on this thread.... Ron dosent have to tell the media we are "the best" to have confidence...and infact if he dosent tell the media anything, it also dosent mean that he dosent have confidence...gah...people thinking that if he dosent say we are going to win it all, that means he thinks we suck effffin frustrates me
 
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