http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/14129390p-14958337c.html
It's all up to Artest now
Since the initial jolt is over, he can concentrate on what he does best: play.
By Sam Amick -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Sunday, January 29, 2006
TORONTO - The camera count had dwindled, along with the number of notebook-toting reporters.
The Ron Artest hysteria, as it was, had a more mellow feel Saturday, when the once-gigantic group of media thinned between Boston and Canada with the trade finally in the books.
Inside the Raptors' practice facility - where locals were far more interested in how their NHL hockey team would fare Saturday night - Kings president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie joked with assistant coach Pete Carril while walking toward the Artest scrum.
"All the world's a stage, and we are merely players," he said, loosely quoting Shakespeare.
But now that the deal that sent Peja Stojakovic to Indiana and brought Artest to Sacramento is complete, Artest is the only player in this act of the Kings' show who truly matters. Petrie played his part, along with team owners Joe and Gavin Maloof and their Pacers counterparts. Artest, the leading man in purple, is just getting started.
His debut against Boston on Friday was merely a spectacle to be survived before the real work begins. Artest scored 15 points on 5-of-14 shooting, helped hold the Celtics' leading scorer, Paul Pierce, to just 18 points, grabbed four steals and made the best of a game that he played with teammates with whom he'd never practiced.
In the least surprising development, Artest - who missed 73 games last season and hadn't played in 52 days before joining the Kings - was out of game shape. He huffed and puffed early in the 84-74 loss to the Celtics, often standing alone during free throws at the opposite end of the floor to get a head start on the running game. Artest - who persevered to log 31 minutes - said reshaping his lungs is the first chore.
"I definitely was (sucking wind)," Artest said. "I tried to keep my attention, was just trying to fight through it. That's going to be my toughest challenge, fighting through fatigue."
It would be less of a fight had he been traded earlier, or if Artest had never asked to be traded at all. But after his request Dec. 10 led to his deactivation by the Pacers, Artest said he continued working out for the next few weeks. When the trade winds were hardly blowing, he eased up.
"I went off to L.A. and went on vacation," Artest said. "When I was in L.A. after (two and a half weeks) I found out there ... were some teams that were interested, I just started working out. I was in better shape a couple weeks ago, so that's why it's not going to take me that long to get in shape because I was working out. But going full court is different."
Kings coach Rick Adelman said Artest wasn't as out of shape as he had expected.
"It was much better than I thought," he said. "I probably played him too long down the stretch. That's why I played him in six-minute stints in the second half. And that's probably what I'm going to have to do, play him in shorter stints so he doesn't get so winded."
Then it's on to the next assignment: integrating the versatile Artest into Adelman's offense. In the early stages of the union, both Artest and Adelman seem to have embraced each other's styles, with Adelman acknowledging his team is much more post-up oriented now and Artest saying Friday that he's a fan of the team game played by the Kings.
Considering the past, that's a good start. In Indiana, part of Artest's discontent was with the offensive system run by Pacers coach Rick Carlisle.
"It wasn't so much the (lack of) touches (with the Pacers)," said Artest, who was second on the Pacers in shooting attempts and averaged 19.4 points this season before being deactivated. "But in the NBA, guys know how to play basketball. Being a veteran, I had learned a lot. But I just felt like I was a rookie in Indiana. I'm a veteran. I'm a pretty smart player. I just felt the offense was more like a college (offense).
"We were successful, but we also had great talent. Anytime you have me, Jermaine (O'Neal), a healthy Jeff Foster, a healthy Jamaal Tinsley, any coach can coach that group. At the same time, I still think the offense could have done better."
Adelman's style, at least after two days, is more to his liking.
"I like it here," he said. "It gives us a chance to win games. And in the playoffs, also, this style will give us a chance to win big in the playoffs. Everybody's a part of this offense."
That may soon include Bonzi Wells. The shooting guard, who has been absent since tearing his groin Dec. 19, went through his first full practice Friday, with Petrie saying Wells is "real close to playing again."
Wells is listed as day-to-day.
And despite losing four of their last five games, the Kings are only three games out of the last playoff spot, with three teams between them and the eighth spot in the Western Conference. With the Artest-era kicked off, they'll move forward one game at a time.
"He stepped right in and played aggressively as always," Kings center Brad Miller said of Artest's debut. "He was just really causing havoc - mayhem, I should say."
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at (916) 326-5582 or samick@sacbee.com.
It's all up to Artest now
Since the initial jolt is over, he can concentrate on what he does best: play.
By Sam Amick -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Sunday, January 29, 2006
TORONTO - The camera count had dwindled, along with the number of notebook-toting reporters.
The Ron Artest hysteria, as it was, had a more mellow feel Saturday, when the once-gigantic group of media thinned between Boston and Canada with the trade finally in the books.
Inside the Raptors' practice facility - where locals were far more interested in how their NHL hockey team would fare Saturday night - Kings president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie joked with assistant coach Pete Carril while walking toward the Artest scrum.
"All the world's a stage, and we are merely players," he said, loosely quoting Shakespeare.
But now that the deal that sent Peja Stojakovic to Indiana and brought Artest to Sacramento is complete, Artest is the only player in this act of the Kings' show who truly matters. Petrie played his part, along with team owners Joe and Gavin Maloof and their Pacers counterparts. Artest, the leading man in purple, is just getting started.
His debut against Boston on Friday was merely a spectacle to be survived before the real work begins. Artest scored 15 points on 5-of-14 shooting, helped hold the Celtics' leading scorer, Paul Pierce, to just 18 points, grabbed four steals and made the best of a game that he played with teammates with whom he'd never practiced.
In the least surprising development, Artest - who missed 73 games last season and hadn't played in 52 days before joining the Kings - was out of game shape. He huffed and puffed early in the 84-74 loss to the Celtics, often standing alone during free throws at the opposite end of the floor to get a head start on the running game. Artest - who persevered to log 31 minutes - said reshaping his lungs is the first chore.
"I definitely was (sucking wind)," Artest said. "I tried to keep my attention, was just trying to fight through it. That's going to be my toughest challenge, fighting through fatigue."
It would be less of a fight had he been traded earlier, or if Artest had never asked to be traded at all. But after his request Dec. 10 led to his deactivation by the Pacers, Artest said he continued working out for the next few weeks. When the trade winds were hardly blowing, he eased up.
"I went off to L.A. and went on vacation," Artest said. "When I was in L.A. after (two and a half weeks) I found out there ... were some teams that were interested, I just started working out. I was in better shape a couple weeks ago, so that's why it's not going to take me that long to get in shape because I was working out. But going full court is different."
Kings coach Rick Adelman said Artest wasn't as out of shape as he had expected.
"It was much better than I thought," he said. "I probably played him too long down the stretch. That's why I played him in six-minute stints in the second half. And that's probably what I'm going to have to do, play him in shorter stints so he doesn't get so winded."
Then it's on to the next assignment: integrating the versatile Artest into Adelman's offense. In the early stages of the union, both Artest and Adelman seem to have embraced each other's styles, with Adelman acknowledging his team is much more post-up oriented now and Artest saying Friday that he's a fan of the team game played by the Kings.
Considering the past, that's a good start. In Indiana, part of Artest's discontent was with the offensive system run by Pacers coach Rick Carlisle.
"It wasn't so much the (lack of) touches (with the Pacers)," said Artest, who was second on the Pacers in shooting attempts and averaged 19.4 points this season before being deactivated. "But in the NBA, guys know how to play basketball. Being a veteran, I had learned a lot. But I just felt like I was a rookie in Indiana. I'm a veteran. I'm a pretty smart player. I just felt the offense was more like a college (offense).
"We were successful, but we also had great talent. Anytime you have me, Jermaine (O'Neal), a healthy Jeff Foster, a healthy Jamaal Tinsley, any coach can coach that group. At the same time, I still think the offense could have done better."
Adelman's style, at least after two days, is more to his liking.
"I like it here," he said. "It gives us a chance to win games. And in the playoffs, also, this style will give us a chance to win big in the playoffs. Everybody's a part of this offense."
That may soon include Bonzi Wells. The shooting guard, who has been absent since tearing his groin Dec. 19, went through his first full practice Friday, with Petrie saying Wells is "real close to playing again."
Wells is listed as day-to-day.
And despite losing four of their last five games, the Kings are only three games out of the last playoff spot, with three teams between them and the eighth spot in the Western Conference. With the Artest-era kicked off, they'll move forward one game at a time.
"He stepped right in and played aggressively as always," Kings center Brad Miller said of Artest's debut. "He was just really causing havoc - mayhem, I should say."
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at (916) 326-5582 or samick@sacbee.com.
