Webber was 25 when he showed up in Sacto (Ron is 28), and no Webb's problems (mostly those of immaturity) were nothing at all like those of Ron Artest, who is just...strange. Strange does not denote evil, and I have stressed that distinction ever since Ron arrived. But it does mean strange. We have all known, or in some cases been, an immature college age person who likes to party too much, smokes pot, stays out too late, and clashes with authority. Those of us who have lived past that age have also seen (or been) that person who then grows up into true adulthood. Very few of us have known (or hopefully been) a queer duck like Ron. There is a screw loose up there, and you don't grow out of that. Get a kick of the revisionist history around here, with Ron "maturing" through a year last year when he fought with his coach, screamed at his teammates, was arrested twice, suspended for much of a month while the domestic violence charge was being worked over, emailed everyone that he was going to retire, then rescinded, and has alreayd missed 7 of our 10 games this season via a suspension. Quite the cornerstone.
I've mentioned before that any structure you try to build for the futrue depending on Ron as a major cog will be prone at any time, any day, any month, of suddenly and explosively coming to an end. Boom. So much for all your work. And the probelm grows acute very very soon now, as not only can Ron ditch us for no compensation, but in order to keep him (even if we could) we would have to dump a big long term guaranteed contract on him, whihc could make hima complete crippler for the franchise for years if he goes sour on you, but not so sour as to get kicked out of the league. Once he's got a long term deal, he is one incident from completely unmoveable.
You make a deal like the New York to protect the franchise. We are years and years from a point where Ron Artest could possibly be the tipping player for us to do anything significant. You are not only asking Ron to hold it together and be clean for 6 months, like a potential contender might as a trading partner, you are asking him to hold it together for years until he is into his 30s and perhaps getting ready to slow down anyway. Its a silly risk to take in our position. If we are talking title THIS year? Sure. Cross your fingers. You are talking try to put together another contender 4 or 5 years from now? No.
