The Precious

[fnordius]

the "promise" of Ron Artest has always outshone the reality. He can be a shutdown defender. He can be a go-to scorer. He can be a leader who rallies players around him to rise to the challenge. But how often does he do all of that consistently? A little like fool's gold in a way.

I tend to agree. It's not so much that Ron is a liability to the team, as that we look at Ron's best and want him to always be like that, so we end up regularly disappointed. Much like good and bad Cisco, but scarier. Worst case for Cisco is an idiotic play. Worst case for Ron would make the front page of most newspapers.

As for Pacers fans, they have been an unhappy bunch for a while now, and I doubt that their agonizing over why their team isn't going anywhere is going to produce useful answers. Ron is, to them, about like "Indian burial ground" is to us. It's kind of a dark and gloomy religion you can turn to when no rational answers will explain the mess you're in. He was a bad thing for them, yes. If they have not recovered in the intervening years, only their managers are to blame.

 

[VF21]

As for Pacers fans, they have been an unhappy bunch for a while now, and I doubt that their agonizing over why their team isn't going anywhere is going to produce useful answers. Ron is, to them, about like "Indian burial ground" is to us. It's kind of a dark and gloomy religion you can turn to when no rational answers will explain the mess you're in. He was a bad thing for them, yes. If they have not recovered in the intervening years, only their managers are to blame.

I think you're getting the wrong impression. It was I who solicited the comments from Hicks via a PM. I've been commiserating with him as he, as a Pacer fan, has gone through what I think I"m going through now. Pacer fans have not interjected their opinions unasked... and most of them have, in fact, long since quit talking about Artest. It was I who brought it up, as I said, in a PM to Hicks.

 

[fnordius]

Fair enough.

Too bad Ron's not more like The Precious. It would be nice to have Indiana and Chicago begging to get him back.

 

[Entity]

I'll have to admit I wouldn't mind seeing him go. BUT when he is on his game we are unstoppable. Now with Miami having almost the worst record in the league if we could take a first round pick from them for Artest I would be all over it.

 

[Oscar]

FYI - From this day forward, I shall be using the term "the Precious" to refer to the enigma that is Ron Artest.

Ron Ron's been getting into some nasty "hobbits" lately.

 

[VF21]

Ron Ron's been getting into some nasty "hobbits" lately.

And Oscar wins the thread...

 

[Purple Reign]

I think now may be the time to cut bait with Ron. I am a fan of his, he is interesting and fun to watch, but i believe it is better to cut ties a little to early than a little too late.

 

[=LarryLegend=]

Larry Legend sits atop that throne

dont hate! lol

 

[kennadog]

IEven if he gets in a fight and gets suspended or banned. He does not hurt the organization. As I said before, he will get suspended or banned, the Kings don't have to pay him because of that, and Salmons gets to start. Where is the damage to the organization itself?

If he acts poorly, he damages only himself at this point.

I think the damage could be with the team's image and with the fans here in Sacramento. The Kings are at a delicate point with the fans right now, at least until folks know whether the team will be here in the future. A Ron blow-up would not help things at all.

 

[KingsFan93]

For someone who hasn’t ruined anything on this team and actually helped it win quite a few games, there’s actually a lot of talk about the what if’s and the what-not.

 

[Fear the Putin]

For some reason whenever I hear the word "precious" I suddenly have a flashback to the South Park episode where Butters starts calling the porn movie he saw "Preeeeecious".

 

[Glenn]

I think now may be the time to cut bait with Ron. I am a fan of his, he is interesting and fun to watch, but i believe it is better to cut ties a little to early than a little too late.

WE CAN'T!!!!!!

I will say this over and over. Ron cannot be traded with the option to leave at the end of the season. Who'd want that? There is too much uncertainty because if you want him BECAUSE he is going to leave and he doesn't, you are on the hook for Ron and his $8.5 mil salary next year.

You cannot simply dump someone. This is not the NFL. Ron has a valid contract that gives him all the options and the absolute right to earn the money he has signed on for. He cannot be cut.

Tell me how you think we can cut bait. Please. I understand people don't understand the ins and outs of the salary cap rules but rule #1 is that the player is in the driver's seat!

We have an investment and I hope everything is being done to protect our asset from not only becoming worthless but from being a negative force. So far he is neither of the above and on an average day, he is our best ball player. Someone go back over Brick's grades and see what King has the highest grade average. I have not done so but would put up money on a bet that Artest is our best based on Brick's grades.

The amazing thing about Ron is not so much that he can implode but that he can be a better player if he buys into Theus' style. He can be better! I won't bet that he does it but it is possible.



ps: I don't mean to be disrespectful.

 

[VF21]

Ron could be traded. If nothing else he could be signed to an extension and traded. Ironically, he came to the Kings in trade for a player who was in the exact situation he (Artest) is in now, remember?

 

[Glenn]

Ron could be traded. If nothing else he could be signed to an extension and traded. Ironically, he came to the Kings in trade for a player who was in the exact situation he (Artest) is in now, remember?

He could be traded in a sign and trade, yes. Any buyers? I would love to hear a reasonable guess as to a team that would take on Ron with a multiple year contract that probably would be bigger than Martin's.

Peja is not Ron. There was no risk in taking on Peja unless, of course, he got injured.

This was what I call a "Chris Webber trade." Take a stable player and trade for a more skilled but emotionally damaged player like Chris and Bonzi.

 

[piksi]

He could be traded in a sign and trade, yes. Any buyers? I would love to hear a reasonable guess as to a corps that would take on Ron with a multiple year contract that probably would be bigger than Martin's.

Peja is not Ron. There was no risk in taking on Peja unless, of course, he got injured.

This was what I call a "Chris Webber trade." Take a stable player and trade for a more skilled but emotionally damaged player like Chris and Bonzi.

Webber was physically damaged and Bonzi just left. Neither player was "emotionally" damaged.

Pedja was starting to fall apart and risk was there but it was much less risk than taking Ron.

 

[VF21]

Webber was physically damaged and Bonzi just left. Neither player was "emotionally" damaged.

Actually Bonzi was a little sketchy... but not nutso.

Pedja was starting to fall apart and risk was there but it was much less risk than taking Ron.

The REAL risk with Peja was the overriding fear by a lot of us that Petrie would be tempted to give him a huge contract, you know something like 5 years and $63 million.

(And I just realized that you were talking about the risk from Indiana's point of view, so I'd have to modify the above and change "Petrie" to "Bird.")

 

[VF21]

Glenn - Ron can still be traded, even with his option. If a team wants to take a chance on him and get him on a trial basis, this would be the perfect opportunity for them to do so. At the most, they'd have him for a year+ if he didn't exercise the option. The whole problem is in finding a team who is willing to even consider that much. My guess would be the offers might only come in right around the trade deadline and then only from a small handful of teams who are willing to take the risk and pray he doesn't go postal until AFTER the playoffs.

 

[piksi]

Actually Bonzi was a little sketchy... but not nutso.

good enough to kill the Spurs - good enough for me

 

[piksi]

Glenn - Ron can still be traded, even with his option. If a team wants to take a chance on him and get him on a trial basis, this would be the perfect opportunity for them to do so. At the most, they'd have him for a year+ if he didn't exercise the option. The whole problem is in finding a team who is willing to even consider that much. My guess would be the offers might only come in right around the trade deadline and then only from a small handful of teams who are willing to take the risk and pray he doesn't go postal until AFTER the playoffs.

or a team that has another "Kenny Thomas" to get rid of

 

[Fear the Putin]

or a team that has another "Kenny Thomas" to get rid of

one man's "Kenny Thomas" is another's treasure

so...you never know