Andre: I hope the Lakers are thinking about letting Ariza go so they can spend
their money on Artest instead

Tony: YES…that’s what I’m talking about too Dre!!!!!!!!!! However, ask any
fan what they think of him, and people want to throw up. Just adds fuel
to fire for the laker haters and doubters out there.

Andre: We know the Lakers like Artest, he’s basically Ariza a few years down
the line and stronger and scarier on D as well.  Lamar knows he will
need to take that Mid level Exception id he wants to stick around, which
leaves Artest some room if they don’t extend an offer to Ariza.  It’s
too bad the Lakers seem to be ok with Odom, I’m not

Matt: Dude, Artest playing with Kobe is a soap opera no one will be able to
resist.  Ron has become a bigger black hole every year.  Kobe will be
yelling at him every game. There’s no way they work out.  Dj Mbenga and
Chris Mihm won’t be the only guys fighting each other in practice!

Tony: If Jordan could put up with Rodman something tells me Kobe and Artest
will find some good middle ground….Wins and championships seem to be a
good cure all.

Matt: Yeah, but Rodman wasn’t a black hole on offense.

Tony: Artest will adapt…shit he’ll be on a winning team for a change.

Brian: The Pacers were a winning team, that turned out well…

Tony: Really comparing the Pacers to the Lakers?

Brian: Only in the sense he had two other guys that were stars in Jackson and
O’neal and they were winning…

Andre: Ha, you’re saying Jackson was a star 5 years ago? And seriously, I’ll
repeat Tony’s words, are you really comparing the Pacers and Lakers?
Wow.  I think teams are always in for a surprise when it comes to
Artest, but magically teams keep taking a chance… wonder why if he’s
such a ball hogging black hole on offense

Brian: He had already won a championship with the Spurs, so yes he had earned
his All star status… I’m not comparing the teams, I’m just saying that
he was on a good team and it turned out well (pun intended)…

Andre: Ok, cause I’m still thinking Stephen Jackson is NOT a star and never has
been.  At least not of the caliber your trying to compare him with.  But
that’s a different argument for a different time, who cares about
Stephen Jackson, he needs a shower

Matt: Well how about this…
O’Neal = Gasol
Jackson = Odom  (neither are all-stars)

Andre: But then you would be drawing a direct line between the Kobe and Artest,
and there’s no way even Artest would agree with that, and that’s the
point.  HE would get the picture pretty damn quick on that team.  HE has
a great basketball IQ, and he’s been made the go to guy on all of his
previous teams.  No more of that if he comes to LA

Tony: Exactly….you take a write up for a guy who was the only offensive
player at time at Houston, and want to transport the analysis over to
how he would play as a Laker?

Brian: So Artest with Yao and Oneill is suddenly different than with Gasol?

Matt: I don’t think that’s the parallel being drawn, but now that I think
about it, Gasol would prob be the most frustrated sitting down there
wide open while Ron jacks up a 24 footer

Andre: Suddenly different? You’re talking about one of the best C’s in the game in terms of being active, having great hands, a smooth jumper,  and moving up and down court like a forward and not a C.

PLUS, You’re comparing Artest with KOBE to begin with.  This thought process is flawed from the beginning.  Artest wouldn’t be the ballhogging black hole if he made all of the pressure shots that Kobe makes.  He’s not Kobe on offense by far.  Just a bull in the low post with a great jumper and lots of opportunities to miss in his career because the guys around him were his support, he was a main cog on offense.

Brian: Yeah, just try and tell Artest that. He thinks he’s the best player in the league and doesn’t need help from anyone…

Tony: Say what you will…..but being life long kings and warriors fans your
indoctrinated to look at things from the bleakest and most negative
perspectives. Its in your bloods, us laker fans come from the
perspective of winners, and we can make it work school of thought.

Brian: Yeah, and you obviously haven’t watched him play more than 100 games…

Matt: Yeah, I’ve watched Artest on the Pacers when I hated him, I watched him
on the Kings and liked him, then I watched him on Houston where I was
unbiased.  Same shit, different toilet.

Brian: I realized that the matching him with a HOF coach wasn’t really
addressed. I can already hear Kobe crying over the phone to Phil when
Artest takes 25 18 ft jumpers with a hand in his face. (Since Phil won’t
be there to do anything for half of their games, that settles that)

Matt: I’d love to hear Rambis, “um Ron, er, Mr. Artest?  Umm, do you, uh, think maybe you could not take so many off-balance 22 footers?  I mean, it’s cool if you want to keep doing that, but we have Kobe on our team too.  He’s not just a decoy.  Thanks Mr. Artest.  Don’t hurt me”

Andre: Did Artest come over and personally pee on your rug or something?  IS
Artest a carpet-pisser??

Brian: HAhaha! No, no rug pissing, he’s just been devastating to the team
concept for every franchise he’s played for, so I really can’t stand
that type of player..

Tony: I’d say Houston did just fine this year?????

Brian: Definitely a fluke, I’ve never seen him make that many shots through two
straight series…

Tony: I was talking about the team killer aspect……

Matt: Yeah, b/c much like you said, but with a different intent, the Rockets
didn’t have a kobe or gasol.  You think Shane Battier or Von Wafer are
gonna get pissed at him for shooting so much?  No.

Tony:Lets just accept the fact your going to shit on him no matter what he
does…….I get that.

Matt: I’m not saying he’s gonna turn the Lakers into a lottery team.
Remember, I’m the guy who defended him and said over and over I would
never trade him for Lamar Odom.  I still feel that way.  ALL I’M SAYING,
is that he’s gonna be a ball-hog and Kobe’s gonna get pissed at him.
Not really going out on a limb

Tony: Good let him get pissed….to alpha-dogs going after the same thing is
great. Phil is in his element with that shit.

Brian: You want Kobe to get pissed so he passes less? That doesn’t sound like a
good thing…