Ron Artest has been talking a lot about winning lately for one reason: it puts a positive spin on his reduced role in the team's offense. How else can he explain why his scoring, shooting percentage and playing time are all significantly down this season?
Promoting the basis behind his new strategy this weekend, Ron Ron lectured members of the press on how his declining significance is merely due to 'Guys getting better. Shannon Brown got much better. It's his time to shine. Steve Blake is averaging more than Jordan Farmar last year and then Matt Barnes is probably averaging more than Luke Walton. So if you take all those points, those are points I probably could have had. But those are team points. The sun comes out when it's going to come out. You can't just force it. I could go maybe eight for 15 every game or something like that, and take away shots from other guys. I'd rather have two points and everyone else score. I'd rather win.'
Well, the first half of Artest's plan is going swimmingly. This season Ron is successfully averaging a career low 8.2 points a game and playing less minutes than ever. He recently orchestrated a masterful two-point performance against Sacramento, chipped in an effective four points against Houston and had nine points against Washington last night.
Except the Lakers aren't really winning that many games. They've lost four of their last six and LA is now tied for fifth place in the league and ranks a paltry forth in the relatively weak Western Conference. Artest's argument that offensive basketball is a zero-sum game is a cop out. Points aren't spread around, they're made.
If the Laker's start really winning and make the playoff run everyone's expecting, we'll reassess the the validity of Ron Ron the strategist. Until then, Artest should stop talking about pursuing a professional football/boxing career, stop masquerading as Houston Rocket's Luis Scola on radio shows and start playing basketball.
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