Bibby-4-Three
G-League
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/story/397542p-336933c.html
Far from N.Y.,
Artest punches clock for Sacramento
If you're a Knick fan, Ron Artest is just another reason to hate the world. Here's this substantial, active body, performing great feats at both ends of the court, playing switching defense, singlehandedly turning around the Kings' season. The guy is a New Yorker, a Queens kid. And he wanted so badly to be a Knick, he'll still tell you how much the orange-and-blue uniform would have meant.
"Everybody and their mother knows it was my first choice," Artest was saying yesterday, before Sacramento thumped the Nets at the Meadowlands, 109-84. "Isiah (Thomas) said he didn't want to give up any of his young players. You know, like Channing Frye and those guys, they're pretty good.
"The fans wanted me to come," Artest said. "A lot of people come to New York scared to fail. You're playing against the fans, until you win. I take that as a challenge. A guy like Spree (Latrell Sprewell) got a lot of heat, he was able to weather the storm."
It might not have been such an easy transaction, of course. The Pacers wanted to send Artest west, get him out of their face. The Knicks didn't exactly have a roster filled with exciting trade bait. But with the right amount of crazy, obsessive enthusiasm, it might have happened - just maybe, just possibly. Then things surely would have been better at the Garden, because they can't be worse.
The Knicks take chances on everyone out of sheer desperation. They sign gunners, malcontents, health risks, whatever.
Come one, come all.
Then came this shot at Artest, and the Knicks never really got in the chase. Either Thomas has no eye for talent or, more likely, he has his limits when it comes to trouble. Thomas coached the guy, endured the nonsense, and it would be hard for him to step up and make a hard move on a gifted player who basically made his life miserable that last season in Indiana.
So Artest got away, if that's how you want to view things. He's playing for Rick Adelman, and he's playing in one of the smallest, most obscure markets in the league.
And right now, he's happy. Happy enough. Maybe this is the best place for him, far from the maddening crowd.
"It's been good so far," he said. "My teammates, they've been welcoming me with open hands."
The Kings are 11-7 since acquiring Artest, closing in on the Lakers for that eighth playoff spot. Much of this has been Artest, who was averaging 17.4 points before last night for the Kings, while performing his magic on defense. He held LeBron James to three points in the second half of a recent game. Opponents' average scores against Sacramento had dropped from 100.2 points per game, pre-Artest, to 93.9, post-Artest.
On Sunday in Washington, Artest had 30 points and five assists. He also had two more steals and three blocks, an all-court effort. Last night, playing with a hip pointer and clearly not at his best, Artest struggled at first to keep up with Richard Jefferson. This would be Mike Bibby's victory, not Artest's. But he kept plugging, scored 11 points in 31 minutes, had three assists, made a big steal in the second quarter off a Jason Kidd fast break that led to a Bibby three-pointer and a decisive Sacramento surge.
"He's made a huge impact defensively," Adelman said. "He takes on the better players, makes them work. He's a great team defender. He gave us new energy."
Adelman knew all about Artest, about the suspension for rushing foolishly into the stands in Auburn Hills. Like most coaches in such a situation, he chose to ignore history and start anew.
"It's the only way you can approach it," Adelman said. "I can't deal with what went on with him and another coach."
When Artest came to the Kings in exchange for Peja Stojakovic on Feb.26, Adelman sat him down and told his new player this relationship could go in two different directions, in a hurry. The team was at a crossroads, Adelman said, just like the player.
"I told him I would put the ball in his hands, call plays for him, make him make decisions," Adelman said.
Artest has held his temper, hasn't done anything stupid. He's just played this wonderful, kinetic brand of basketball.
Garden fans demand to know: Will he ever do this for the Knicks?
"That would be something else," Artest said.
Something else, anything else, would be better.
Originally published on March 7, 2006
Far from N.Y.,
Artest punches clock for Sacramento
If you're a Knick fan, Ron Artest is just another reason to hate the world. Here's this substantial, active body, performing great feats at both ends of the court, playing switching defense, singlehandedly turning around the Kings' season. The guy is a New Yorker, a Queens kid. And he wanted so badly to be a Knick, he'll still tell you how much the orange-and-blue uniform would have meant.
"Everybody and their mother knows it was my first choice," Artest was saying yesterday, before Sacramento thumped the Nets at the Meadowlands, 109-84. "Isiah (Thomas) said he didn't want to give up any of his young players. You know, like Channing Frye and those guys, they're pretty good.
"The fans wanted me to come," Artest said. "A lot of people come to New York scared to fail. You're playing against the fans, until you win. I take that as a challenge. A guy like Spree (Latrell Sprewell) got a lot of heat, he was able to weather the storm."
It might not have been such an easy transaction, of course. The Pacers wanted to send Artest west, get him out of their face. The Knicks didn't exactly have a roster filled with exciting trade bait. But with the right amount of crazy, obsessive enthusiasm, it might have happened - just maybe, just possibly. Then things surely would have been better at the Garden, because they can't be worse.
The Knicks take chances on everyone out of sheer desperation. They sign gunners, malcontents, health risks, whatever.
Come one, come all.
Then came this shot at Artest, and the Knicks never really got in the chase. Either Thomas has no eye for talent or, more likely, he has his limits when it comes to trouble. Thomas coached the guy, endured the nonsense, and it would be hard for him to step up and make a hard move on a gifted player who basically made his life miserable that last season in Indiana.
So Artest got away, if that's how you want to view things. He's playing for Rick Adelman, and he's playing in one of the smallest, most obscure markets in the league.
And right now, he's happy. Happy enough. Maybe this is the best place for him, far from the maddening crowd.
"It's been good so far," he said. "My teammates, they've been welcoming me with open hands."
The Kings are 11-7 since acquiring Artest, closing in on the Lakers for that eighth playoff spot. Much of this has been Artest, who was averaging 17.4 points before last night for the Kings, while performing his magic on defense. He held LeBron James to three points in the second half of a recent game. Opponents' average scores against Sacramento had dropped from 100.2 points per game, pre-Artest, to 93.9, post-Artest.
On Sunday in Washington, Artest had 30 points and five assists. He also had two more steals and three blocks, an all-court effort. Last night, playing with a hip pointer and clearly not at his best, Artest struggled at first to keep up with Richard Jefferson. This would be Mike Bibby's victory, not Artest's. But he kept plugging, scored 11 points in 31 minutes, had three assists, made a big steal in the second quarter off a Jason Kidd fast break that led to a Bibby three-pointer and a decisive Sacramento surge.
"He's made a huge impact defensively," Adelman said. "He takes on the better players, makes them work. He's a great team defender. He gave us new energy."
Adelman knew all about Artest, about the suspension for rushing foolishly into the stands in Auburn Hills. Like most coaches in such a situation, he chose to ignore history and start anew.
"It's the only way you can approach it," Adelman said. "I can't deal with what went on with him and another coach."
When Artest came to the Kings in exchange for Peja Stojakovic on Feb.26, Adelman sat him down and told his new player this relationship could go in two different directions, in a hurry. The team was at a crossroads, Adelman said, just like the player.
"I told him I would put the ball in his hands, call plays for him, make him make decisions," Adelman said.
Artest has held his temper, hasn't done anything stupid. He's just played this wonderful, kinetic brand of basketball.
Garden fans demand to know: Will he ever do this for the Knicks?
"That would be something else," Artest said.
Something else, anything else, would be better.
Originally published on March 7, 2006
=P
