Is Ron really hurt?

[BMiller52]

Kevin's injury was verified by the team medical staff. As far as I can remember reading, Ron"s "sore foot" was a surprise to everyone.

This isn't about Kevin. It's just another chapter in the unending saga of Ron Artest. If you have to try and rationalize his behavior by comparing it to other members of the team, you've already lost the argument.

And once again, although some people still want to applaud the emperor's new clothes - this isn't new behavior for Ron. It's a return to the same type of behavior he exhibited just before the Pacers finally sat him down. Remember, he wasn't playing when he was traded for Peja. He had already more than worn out his welcome in Indiana. History repeats...

Behavior? The guy hurt his foot. Are you saying he's injuring himself now to get out of playing? This is the same guy who played while his daughter had cancer. I mean this is towards the end of the season, players are banged up, we're going nowhere this year, and it probably makes Reggie's job easier if he can just rest the vets that have injuries instead of pushing them for no reason making those injuries worse. It lets Reggie play the younger guys without worrying about playing a guy like Ron 30 minutes. This is what teams trying to improve draft position do, they give the banged up vets a couple nights off to create minutes for younger players and probable losses. Miami is considering shutting Wade down for the year-is he unstable too?

It's not fair to blame Ron for an injury IMO, especially after the year he's had and the team has had. Give the guy a break for once. Ever since he's gotten here some people just wait for their next opportunity to jump on him. Has he been perfect? No but he's gone through a lot more than other players have also. He went through the thing with his wife(where she bashed his windshield in), he was accused of dog abuse when the dog actually had a leg infection that caused it to lose weight, he played while his daughter had cancer, he was the focal point of trade discussions, I mean come on. Give the guy a break, this isn't fair to him.

 

[chelle]

First of all, I don't really think that he is injured. I think that he is upset about something and for whatever reason, does not want to play right now. Secondly, I could not care less if he is on the court or not right now.

So far there has been NO report of an injury - just that HE says that it is sore. At this point is the season, OF COURSE he is sore. I would expect each player to have an ache or two. If there is an actual injury, I'll be glad to change my tune on this specific complaint.

I have no problem with a guy not playing a game during the season because needs a night off. It happens. My problem is how Ron says that "nobody but me believes we are going to the playoffs," (Paraphrase) or goes on about how he is as good as players like Kobe, how he is so underrated, or how he plays with more intensity that everybody else -Then he does not show up to play.

I know that Ron is a spectacular defender when he chooses to be. He also says that he is the vet that invests the most in the younger players. If that is so, why do we still suck on defense as a team. It is not his responsibility to make us a good defensive team. But since that is his specialty, shouldn't we be noticeably better than we were before his arrival?

My grandmother used to say, "Anybody that has to tell the world that she is a lady, probably isn't." I'm tired of him proclaiming greatness and not delivering.

One last thing -

Ron could have been great, but he let himself get in the way. I think that is the most tragic of all.

 

[Warhawk]

First of all, I don't really think that he is injured. I think that he is upset about something and for whatever reason, does not want to play right now.

Bingo.

 

[Lurknomo]

First of all, I don't really think that he is injured. I think that he is upset about something and for whatever reason, does not want to play right now.


Like its been mentioned before, at this point of the season everyone is banged up to a certain extent. But it sure seems like he's pouting because he's still a King. His push at the trade deadline did nothing to gain enough attention for GP to move him, so he shut it down. It was in the Bee toaday that he might have been sitting because of the weaker teams we were playing (clippers/t-wolves) and that the young guys would get some time. He'll probably play tonite and pound his chest and talk about winning a ring here. Dude is loco...

 

[Big Cuz 15]

who cares? more playing time for garcia and douby

still really pissed at the management for keeping him. i would've traded him for a bag of peanuts if offered just to get rid of the headcase.

 

[hoopsfan]

In the Bee article this morning, he said he would play tonight.

 

[Jechtsphere]

He also said he could of played against the Clippers and Wolves but because they were "weaker" oppenents he decided to rest his foot >.>

 

[diggining]

People who complain that Artest is treated differently from the likes of Kevin Martin is missing the point, imo. Artest should be treated differently. No player in the NBA carries the baggage Artest does. Every player deserves the benefit of the doubt at some point in their career, but Ron Artest is way past that.

 

[BMiller52]

First of all, I don't really think that he is injured. I think that he is upset about something and for whatever reason, does not want to play right now. Secondly, I could not care less if he is on the court or not right now.

So far there has been NO report of an injury - just that HE says that it is sore. At this point is the season, OF COURSE he is sore. I would expect each player to have an ache or two. If there is an actual injury, I'll be glad to change my tune on this specific complaint.

I have no problem with a guy not playing a game during the season because needs a night off. It happens. My problem is how Ron says that "nobody but me believes we are going to the playoffs," (Paraphrase) or goes on about how he is as good as players like Kobe, how he is so underrated, or how he plays with more intensity that everybody else -Then he does not show up to play.

I know that Ron is a spectacular defender when he chooses to be. He also says that he is the vet that invests the most in the younger players. If that is so, why do we still suck on defense as a team. It is not his responsibility to make us a good defensive team. But since that is his specialty, shouldn't we be noticeably better than we were before his arrival?

My grandmother used to say, "Anybody that has to tell the world that she is a lady, probably isn't." I'm tired of him proclaiming greatness and not delivering.

One last thing -

Ron could have been great, but he let himself get in the way. I think that is the most tragic of all.

Yeah and if he really is injured he probably doesn't care whether people THINK he's injured or not. It's his body and I trust him to know whether it needs rest or not.

Well yeah of course he is sore. But the point is we are so irrelevant, we're trying to play the younger guys and stuff, so WHY SHOULD WE PLAY HIM? If he has a sore foot and we are this irrelevant at this point in the season playing against 2 teams we SHOULD beat without him why should we play him? Reggie didn't seem to be pissed at him, he seemed to be mad at the guys like Brad and Mikki who tell him they can play but then mail it in like a post office.

I mean come on, no even Ron believes we're going to the young guys anymore. In the latest Bee article he basically says how they need to get the younger guys some time and stuff. Don't you think that's a reason Reggie might not even want him playing the easier games, especially if he has a nagging injury? Yeah he says he has more intensity, but didn't he prove that when he played while his daughter had cancer for half the season? Getting on a flight from Indy to Sac just so he'd be able to play in games we probably were going to lose anyway? Guarding the other team's top scorers every night even if they were too big(Dirk, Boozer, etc.)

And he obviously does make our D a lot better. We gave up 100s of points to the Clippers and twolves without him. I don't care how bad your D is that shouldn't happen. With him that doesn't happen.

At this point I think people here just diss him cause it's the popular and cool thing to do like say "dude is loco, tragedy, etc. etc." Come on this is basketball not a movie. Nobody at my school or family members or friends say this same type of stuff. In fact almost all the Kings fans I know love the guy and that says a lot IMO.

 

[Entity]

the players that Ron works with are Garcia, Douby, and then Justin Williams. 1 of those guys are gone the other gets very little playing time and Garcia well if you can't say that Garcia is one of the best defenders on the team then you are not watching the games.

 

[VF21]

Behavior? The guy hurt his foot

When did he hurt his foot? Could you please point out anything in the media that pinpoints when it happened? I'd really like to know - and I personally think it might be a revelation to the Kings training staff, who (according to Amick and other printed stuff) didn't know anything about it until Artest announced it.

 

[BMiller52]

When did he hurt his foot? Could you please point out anything in the media that pinpoints when it happened? I'd really like to know - and I personally think it might be a revelation to the Kings training staff, who (according to Amick and other printed stuff) didn't know anything about it until Artest announced it.

He says he hurt his foot. Last year people questioned his back problems too until he saw a chiropracter(probably spelled that wrong, oh well) himself and had that fixed. I mean if he says he hurt his foot that's good enough for me. The guy returned early from elbow surgery to play. The guy played while his daughter had CANCER. If that stuff doesn't mean anything to you fans then I don't know what will. That stuff should mean SOMETHING. Maybe he lost his benefit of the doubt before but after he played while his daughter had cancer and returned early from elbow surgery don't you atleast think he deserves it back?

 

[Kingzrool]

I am completely ok with his explanation and imagine that the team is as well.

link

On his absences from the last two games...
"Before the first day, I wasn’t even going to shoot, and I just thought it’d be better if I rest my leg and rest my foot. I thought it’d be better if I just let the guys go get the win. I thought we’d be able to win still.
Then yesterday, we were playing against one of the worst teams in the league and I just thought it’d be better if I just rest my foot because we’ve got a tough schedule coming up. The games we have coming up, to me, were more important. We’ve got all the teams who are trying to get homecourt advantage (in the playoffs). It’s still an important season for them. It’s still an important season for us."

This quote is particularly relevant and maybe should have its own thread.

I’m still having a career year. I don’t really know how I ended up having a better year. Every year, I’m getting better, so I just feel real confident.

If you throw out the 7 games in 04-05, his current ppg average of 19.9 is the highest and his current rpg average of 5.7 is the second highest in his career. He really is having a career year. Funny, or not so much, that he is the only one that noticed.

 

[Elise10]

Ron (or anyone else) shouldn't have the right to pick and choose games to play based whether or not they are "weaker competition." If it's valid, what's the harm in letting the team trainer look at it?

It's admirable that he came back from elbow surgery and through his daughter's surgery: A happy Gold star from me:

But, if he knew that his foot was sore, why go through the pretense of shootaround only to wait until 90 minutes before the game to say you're not playing. Not only is that unfair to the other players, the coach, but to the fans as well. And to have a history of doing so, sorry but I'm having a hard time seeing past it.

Every year it's "oh we're getting a new Ron, a more mature Ron" I hear words, no action, and am ready to press the mute button.

 

[CruzDude]

Could he have hurt his foot by biting on it too much?? By sticking it in his mouth on the court? Sure sat on the pine a bit tonight...... all of the 4th and the Kings beat the #1 team in the west on their home court!!!