http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/13981782p-14815445c.html
Ailene Voisin: Kings don't need this guy Artest
By Ailene Voisin -- Bee Sports Columnist
Published 2:15 am PST Thursday, December 15, 2005
Ron Artest is dangling out there on a tree limb, as appealing as a turkey dinner during the holidays. His dynamic physical presence is impossible to ignore. His talent alone provokes conversation. But after this latest display of absurd behavior, where he griped about his scoring opportunities, ripped his coach and completely alienated the Indiana Pacers organization - including his own Brawl Brothers - the guy has become pure poison.
Go ahead. Take a shot. Trade for Artest.
Become a loser.
Become the Portland Trail Blazers.
Surely some franchise will make the move, though fortunately, Kings president Geoff Petrie refuses to join the discussions for the troublesome, if immensely gifted small forward. One gamble (Bonzi Wells) per season is plenty for Petrie. And anyone who has ever championed an Artest-Peja Stojakovic swap should closely scrutinize the chaos that has seized Conseco Fieldhouse mere months after the suspension-depleted Pacers produced one of the more inspiring postseason runs in recent memory.
How fragile it all is. Winning and losing. Without raising a fist or railing at a referee, Artest, 26, has shoved a classy franchise onto its back. In the most recent example of the Sports Illustrated jinx - be featured on the magazine cover and then prepare for the worst - Artest, who was photographed alongside Pacers general manager and Hall of Fame forward Larry Bird for this year's NBA Preview edition, has transformed a legitimate contender into a franchise desperate to trade one of of the game's top 10 players.
Larry Bird. Donnie Walsh. Jermaine O'Neal. Anthony Johnson. The resilient Rick Carlisle. The ghosts of Reggie Miller. The Hoosiers and their history. All deserve better, and certainly have done nothing to warrant the most recent outburst by Artest, who is demanding a trade for reasons suggesting his personal demons will forever damage his professional career.
Even before provoking the Nov. 19, 2004, brawl at the Palace of Auburn Hills - the incident that involved several teammates, resulted in the largest suspension and arguably the most negative publicity in NBA history, and effectively disrupted any thoughts of a Pacers championship run - Artest was a wild card whose brilliance compensated for his idiosyncracies. His defense is exceptional, his impact on a game's outcome immense, often intangible.
But eccentricity has its limits. At least Dennis Rodman owned a pair of championship rings before crossing the line into complete wackiness. Artest has earned nothing of the sort, except perhaps, sympathy from those concerned about his seeming instability. His musings about retiring and making music sounded downright pathetic. His candor about his anger often struck a forgiving, compelling chord.
But he isn't getting enough touches? He doesn't like his coach? He wants to play elsewhere, preferably in his native New York?
Can you imagine Artest with the angst-ridden Larry Brown?
With teams allowed Wednesday to begin trading free agents they signed last summer, several executives are said to be intrigued, with Isiah Thomas undoubtedly observing closely. Still, Zeke is no fool. The risks are as out there as Artest, the rewards historically precious and few. Seldom does one team's major problem become another team's solution.
As an exception, Bonzi Wells immediately comes to mind. Though he had issues in Portland - doesn't everyone these days? - and last season fell out of favor with coach Mike Fratello in Memphis, the veteran shooting guard has been the Kings' most productive player. Not only has he minded his manners while pursuing rebounds, working the low post, and otherwise scrapping for leftovers, he has injected a semblance of personality into an impassive starting lineup; indeed, vanilla is the flavor of choice only for teams that make a habit of collecting trophies (see Spurs and Detroit Pistons).
But in a game that more than any other requires interdependence and selflessness for collective achievement, Artest, by contrast, has become an individualist, a man apart.
And now he has to be traded. He has left the Pacers no option, their tolerance exhausted. He appears to have forgotten how his teammates raced to his side during the brawl, and later, how Bird and Walsh pleaded with NBA Commissioner David Stern on behalf of their young star - often angrily at times, according to sources in the league office.
"You read about the old great coaches," noted Petrie, "and a good portion say that once their teams reach the championship-caliber level in terms of talent, it comes down to how their players got along, what the level of sacrifice was, the degree of camaraderie. That's when all that stuff comes into play."
The team that acquires Artest?
Remember the Blazers.
Who needs that?
About the writer: Ailene Voisin can be reached at (916) 321-1208 or avoisin@sacbee.com.
Ailene Voisin: Kings don't need this guy Artest
By Ailene Voisin -- Bee Sports Columnist
Published 2:15 am PST Thursday, December 15, 2005
Ron Artest is dangling out there on a tree limb, as appealing as a turkey dinner during the holidays. His dynamic physical presence is impossible to ignore. His talent alone provokes conversation. But after this latest display of absurd behavior, where he griped about his scoring opportunities, ripped his coach and completely alienated the Indiana Pacers organization - including his own Brawl Brothers - the guy has become pure poison.
Go ahead. Take a shot. Trade for Artest.
Become a loser.
Become the Portland Trail Blazers.
Surely some franchise will make the move, though fortunately, Kings president Geoff Petrie refuses to join the discussions for the troublesome, if immensely gifted small forward. One gamble (Bonzi Wells) per season is plenty for Petrie. And anyone who has ever championed an Artest-Peja Stojakovic swap should closely scrutinize the chaos that has seized Conseco Fieldhouse mere months after the suspension-depleted Pacers produced one of the more inspiring postseason runs in recent memory.
How fragile it all is. Winning and losing. Without raising a fist or railing at a referee, Artest, 26, has shoved a classy franchise onto its back. In the most recent example of the Sports Illustrated jinx - be featured on the magazine cover and then prepare for the worst - Artest, who was photographed alongside Pacers general manager and Hall of Fame forward Larry Bird for this year's NBA Preview edition, has transformed a legitimate contender into a franchise desperate to trade one of of the game's top 10 players.
Larry Bird. Donnie Walsh. Jermaine O'Neal. Anthony Johnson. The resilient Rick Carlisle. The ghosts of Reggie Miller. The Hoosiers and their history. All deserve better, and certainly have done nothing to warrant the most recent outburst by Artest, who is demanding a trade for reasons suggesting his personal demons will forever damage his professional career.
Even before provoking the Nov. 19, 2004, brawl at the Palace of Auburn Hills - the incident that involved several teammates, resulted in the largest suspension and arguably the most negative publicity in NBA history, and effectively disrupted any thoughts of a Pacers championship run - Artest was a wild card whose brilliance compensated for his idiosyncracies. His defense is exceptional, his impact on a game's outcome immense, often intangible.
But eccentricity has its limits. At least Dennis Rodman owned a pair of championship rings before crossing the line into complete wackiness. Artest has earned nothing of the sort, except perhaps, sympathy from those concerned about his seeming instability. His musings about retiring and making music sounded downright pathetic. His candor about his anger often struck a forgiving, compelling chord.
But he isn't getting enough touches? He doesn't like his coach? He wants to play elsewhere, preferably in his native New York?
Can you imagine Artest with the angst-ridden Larry Brown?
With teams allowed Wednesday to begin trading free agents they signed last summer, several executives are said to be intrigued, with Isiah Thomas undoubtedly observing closely. Still, Zeke is no fool. The risks are as out there as Artest, the rewards historically precious and few. Seldom does one team's major problem become another team's solution.
As an exception, Bonzi Wells immediately comes to mind. Though he had issues in Portland - doesn't everyone these days? - and last season fell out of favor with coach Mike Fratello in Memphis, the veteran shooting guard has been the Kings' most productive player. Not only has he minded his manners while pursuing rebounds, working the low post, and otherwise scrapping for leftovers, he has injected a semblance of personality into an impassive starting lineup; indeed, vanilla is the flavor of choice only for teams that make a habit of collecting trophies (see Spurs and Detroit Pistons).
But in a game that more than any other requires interdependence and selflessness for collective achievement, Artest, by contrast, has become an individualist, a man apart.
And now he has to be traded. He has left the Pacers no option, their tolerance exhausted. He appears to have forgotten how his teammates raced to his side during the brawl, and later, how Bird and Walsh pleaded with NBA Commissioner David Stern on behalf of their young star - often angrily at times, according to sources in the league office.
"You read about the old great coaches," noted Petrie, "and a good portion say that once their teams reach the championship-caliber level in terms of talent, it comes down to how their players got along, what the level of sacrifice was, the degree of camaraderie. That's when all that stuff comes into play."
The team that acquires Artest?
Remember the Blazers.
Who needs that?
About the writer: Ailene Voisin can be reached at (916) 321-1208 or avoisin@sacbee.com.
