Atest whining again [New Articla Added]

[fgrep15]

Lord have mercy......

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/w ... /16/notes/

In this month's issue of SLAM Magazine, Pacers forward Ron Artest says he should have been MVP. "We had the best record and I was the best player on the team. I felt that I should have at least been talked about for it."

[John-John Joe]

Yeah, fg, I caught that interview in the latest SLAM. You have to understand, I love Ron-Ron the Rotweiler, I really do. But he's a sandwich short of a picnic if he thinks he deserved the MVP over the likes of KG, Duncan or Shaq. You have to take everything he says with a grain of salt man, but what do you expect from a cat from Queensbridge projects? (Only NYC residents would be able to relate).

[Matt]

MVP my ass, JO was MVP on Indiana. And for a so called "MVP" he kind of failed to show up against Detroit. No MVP candidate in my memory has failed to show up in a huge series like that was. KG brings it, TD brings it, Shaq brings it

[Andrew]

I guess you have to respect the fact that he's willing to speak his mind, but I personally wouldn't pick him over the likes of KG or Duncan either.

[.]

I love his attitude, but he knows he aint the best player on the team.

[John-John Joe]

Hey guys, found the article. It's not printed in it's entirety but here goes:

Ron Artest :: Beautiful Mind

By Lang Whitaker

Wearing a beautifully tailored brown suit and suede loafers, Ron Artest steps up to the microphone at a midtown Manhattan restaurant and speaks eloquently about the Wheelchair Classic. The annual NYC charity basketball game benefits Wheelchair Charities, Inc., a New York-based organization that provides wheelchairs and other supplies to patients in need, and Artest has been involved with the charity since he was a kid growing up in Queensbridge.

Now that he’s got a name that can attract fans and donations, he’s not ashamed to flex that power, as he’s doing on this August afternoon. For his first five NBA seasons, Artest was a raw defensive specialist perhaps best known for his short fuse. But last season, Artest put it all together, was selected an All-Star by the NBA coaches while averaging a career-high 18.3 points per game and won the Defensive Player of the Year award. Maybe most importantly, he cut down on the technical fouls and shenanigans that had previously marked his career.


Offcourt, Artest remains as unique and colorful as ever, the same fun-loving dude from around the way who once applied for a part-time job at Circuit City while with the Bulls, who wore four different shoes during the ’04 All-Star Game, who admits to writing poetry for his wife. The man former teammate Charles Oakley calls “Ron Ron the Rottweiler” is coming into his own. Whether you’re ready or not.

SLAM:The Pacers had the best record in the NBA last season, but you guys weren’t able to get past the Eastern Conference Finals. How do you improve this season?

RA: I think we just gotta be able to play throughout the whole playoffs, be strong throughout. We wasn’t consistent. But every game was close—with the exception of the blowout we gave the Pistons. We lost games by like 4, 6, stuff like that.

SLAM: For a team with the best record in the League, the Pacers have had a lot of turnover this summer.

RA: Yeah, we already lost Al Harrington, and we lost one of our best point guards in Jamison Brewer. Stephen Jackson can shoot, he averaged 18 points last year, now we just gotta see where his defense is at. Guys are getting better and more experienced.

SLAM: Your name came up this summer in trade talks with the Kings for Peja Stojakovic. Do you take that as a compliment, that people mention you in the same class as the guy who finished third in the MVP voting?

RA: That’s a good thing, because they didn’t have me down for MVP, but they want to trade me for Peja? I thought that I was the MVP last year because we had the best record and I was the best player on the team. So I felt that I should have at least been talked about for it.

SLAM: Do you want to stay with Indiana?

RA: I think these days, with these general managers that want to win, you’ve just got to worry about yourself and worry about winning, and when or if that time comes, if you get traded, then whatever happens, happens.

SLAM: Would you have wanted to play for the Olympic team?

RA: I was surprised that the Defensive Player of the Year didn’t get an invite, didn’t get a call. You know, I would’ve been a ballboy, I would’ve done anything to be down there. I would’ve gotten all the guys water. I’d go down there right now and I’d be the ballboy. I’d get all the guys water, I’d stretch them out, give massages. I’d even give the coach a massage. I’d even be the defensive coordinator. Just get me a flight.

SLAM: You mentioned that you’ve watched some of the games. Would your defense have made a difference for the US?


RA: It’s hard to point it out when it’s so frustrating not being there, not getting an invite. After the one year I had when I got in so much trouble, last year was kind of a nice little turnaround. And after all the guys turned it down…I was one of the top 15 players in the NBA this year.

I made third-team All-NBA, was an All-Star, was the Defensive Player of the Year, averaged a lot of points. With all the top guys not playing—[Jermaine] O’Neal, Garnett, Shaq, Kobe, Kidd—there’s room for me. An opportunity like that comes once every four years. Now I gotta wait another four years. Some guys on the team didn’t even want to play.

I was one of the guys that wanted to be down there. If somebody would’ve let a bomb go off, I’d have been good! I would’ve got away from the bomb and I would’ve played the next day.

SLAM: Do you think people are still stuck on the season you had two years ago, when you got all the technicals and got in trouble?

RA: They probably are. But nobody called me. My agent told me that David Stern and Stu Jackson said that I might do something stupid if I was to go down there, which is…that don’t make sense, because this year was a good year for me. But things happen, you know what I’m saying? Things happen, and then you move on.

SLAM: You’ve been to Greece before, haven’t you? Didn’t you record a hip-hop album there a few years ago?

RA: Yeah. I know a lot of people in Greece. It would’ve been great.

SLAM: How did that happen, the album in Greece?


RA: These rappers and producers from Greece heard that I did music, so they came to me—that’s when I was with Chicago—they came to me and said they wanted to produce an album on me, so I said, Why not? So I went out there and I was, like, in the ’hood out there. It was cool. The food was good, the family I was staying with was nice. But I was just down there doing music. I was strictly in the studio.

SLAM: So you stayed with a family out there?

RA: Yeah, with the producers and stuff. Only two of ’em was English, too.

SLAM: That sounds pretty crazy.

RA: Yeah, it was. I was there for, like, two weeks. I’m going back. I liked doing it, it was fun.

SLAM: And I heard you’re doing or you did a country song with some older woman back in Indy?

RA: Oh yeah, I did it already. There was this lady who’s been singing for 53 years, she’s 78 years old. Her name is Doris. She’s my neighbor. My producer did the track. It’s like a country-hop, country/hip-hop song. I’m not rapping, I’m like, singing, but really like, screaming, like, “The pain…” and stuff. It was just like one of those days when you’re in the studio and you just go after it, you know what I’m saying? She was in there and she was singing, and the track came out real hot.

SLAM: So how did you meet Doris?

RA: One day a couple of months ago, she came over to my house and rang my doorbell. Ever since then we just stayed in contact, you know. She needs something, I help her out.

SLAM: Do you think the Eastern Conference is coming back up?

RA: Hey, the East won the Championship, so we’re back. But then, after all that troubles we had two seasons ago, we still finished third in the East. We had 48 wins and first place had 51 wins, so we could’ve been on top two years in a row. So we know we have to get it together as a team if we want to win. We gotta be real tight as a team.

For more on Ron Artest, look out for SLAM 82

http://slamonline.com/magazine/features/Artest82/

[Bill Russell]

Artest top SF in the league?

[John-John Joe]

Artest top SF in the league?

IMHO, absolutely. Before I tell you how I rank them understand that Vincent and Paul are two guards in my book and Dirk is a four. Spree who plays both the threee and the two is a small forward in my mind:

1. Ron Artest
2. Andrei Kirilenko
3. Peja Stojakovic
4. Shawn Marion
5. Carmelo Anthony
6. Lamar Odom (He's a three to me)
7. Latrell Sprewell
8. Richard Jefferson
9. Corey Maggette
10. Jamaal Mashburn

[Stevan]

I was one of the guys that wanted to be down there. If somebody would’ve let a bomb go off, I’d have been good! I would’ve got away from the bomb and I would’ve played the next day.

LOL. How cool is this guy! I wish he was still on the Bulls.

[Fresh8]

hmmm.. Artest and his personality providing he doesnt cuss too much will make as much money and publicity for the league as Kobe and his rape case...

oh yeah... Indiana IMO didnt have an MVP... JO and Artest together are great but really... Indiana did well as a team... not by those two individually. I mean did Artest score 40 points at all during the season?

[Riot]

oh yeah... Indiana IMO didnt have an MVP... JO and Artest together are great but really... Indiana did well as a team... not by those two individually. I mean did Artest score 40 points at all during the season?

All of a sudden you have to score 40+ points to be a MVP?

[fgrep15]

Artest top SF in the league?

IMHO, absolutely. Before I tell you how I rank them understand that Vincent and Paul are two guards in my book and Dirk is a four. Spree who plays both the threee and the two is a small forward in my mind:

1. Ron Artest
2. Andrei Kirilenko
3. Peja Stojakovic
4. Shawn Marion
5. Carmelo Anthony
6. Lamar Odom (He's a three to me)
7. Latrell Sprewell
8. Richard Jefferson
9. Corey Maggette
10. Jamaal Mashburn

Shawn Marion > Peja
Odom > Carmelo
RJ > Carmelo [for now] and Maggette > Spreewell [he's a SG]
Rashard Lewis > someone

1a) Ron Artset
1b) Shawn Marion
3) Andrei Kirilenko
4) Peja Stojakovic
5) Lamar Odom
6) Richard Jefferson
7) Antawn Jamison
8) Lebron James
9) Corey Maggette
10) Carmelo Anthony

Pierce is really a SF, he'd be at no1 too.

[NNpF]

Odom > Carmelo
RJ > Carmelo [for now]

I don't really think it is for now. I'm really starting to think Carmelo will be no where near as good as LeBron in the near future. I bought a basketball mag today and it says that Carmelo will not be a great player if he doesn't learn to play team ball. We'll just have to wait and see.

[air gordon]

good read thanks. reminds me i need to renew my subscription... artest's always good for a sound bit.

artest is the best SF in game imho until marion starts asserting himself on the offensive end

[fgrep15]

Odom > Carmelo
RJ > Carmelo [for now]

I don't really think it is for now. I'm really starting to think Carmelo will be no where near as good as LeBron in the near future. I bought a basketball mag today and it says that Carmelo will not be a great player if he doesn't learn to play team ball. We'll just have to wait and see.

That's RJ not LJ

good read thanks. reminds me i need to renew my subscription... artest's always good for a sound bit.

artest is the best SF in game imho until marion starts asserting himself on the offensive end

Marion last 3 years:

19.1 PPG - 46.9%
21.2 PPG - 45.2%
19.0 PPG - 44.0%
Olympics: 9.9 PPG - 19.4 MPG, 53% FG, 40% 3PT

Artest [this year]:
18.3 PPG - 42.1%

[air gordon]

did phoenix ever run a play for marion in crunchtime? i'm not talking about lobs

could marion carry the team on both sides of ball while the team's best player was out?

sure marion is a fantasy stud statistically. but we've had this conversation about marion's repetoire, or lack of, on offense

[NNpF]

-|NN|-[pF]- wrote:
Quote:
Odom > Carmelo
RJ > Carmelo [for now]


I don't really think it is for now. I'm really starting to think Carmelo will be no where near as good as LeBron in the near future. I bought a basketball mag today and it says that Carmelo will not be a great player if he doesn't learn to play team ball. We'll just have to wait and see.

That's RJ not LJ

lol...sorry . Well Jefferson and LeBron will always be better than Melo. He's just not a team player.

[fgrep15]

did phoenix ever run a play for marion in crunchtime? i'm not talking about lobs

could marion carry the team on both sides of ball while the team's best player was out?

sure marion is a fantasy stud statistically. but we've had this conversation about marion's repetoire, or lack of, on offense

I knew you would say this , and I know what you mean exactly, but I'm just saying, Artest is no stud on offense himself, one of the ugliest offensive players, and he seems to commit a lot of TO's too.

[Sauru]

lol...sorry . Well Jefferson and LeBron will always be better than Melo. He's just not a team player.

this is wrong to say if you ask me. you cant base a guys career on 1 season. he is very young and like he said, he has always been the go to guy his entire life. maybe this was a learning experience for him and maybe not, either way we cant say this yet.

[Matt]

I'd place Kirilenko at #1. Check out the job he did on Duncan, Garnett, Malone etc.....Artest cant shut down the cream of the crop like Kirilenko.

[Fresh8]

All of a sudden you have to score 40+ points to be a MVP?

If this guy reakons he is the MVP on his team... wat has he done to prove it? In theory, if he is the most valuable player on his team- this guys will have needed to do everything or a huge bulk of something which helped the team. I'm merely pointing out something which he could have done... eg. scoring 40 point... which he hasnt done. Obviously 40 points isnt important... the W is.

But I'm just saying- wat has he done which has been more than JO?

[fgrep15]

I'd place Kirilenko at #1. Check out the job he did on Duncan, Garnett, Malone etc.....Artest cant shut down the cream of the crop like Kirilenko.

Oops, actually I meant to put Andrei over Peja, I'd take him over Peja anyday. Him and Marion can also guard the 4 as well as the 2 and 3, and Kirilenko is the best overall defender out of all the SF's.

[air gordon]

did phoenix ever run a play for marion in crunchtime? i'm not talking about lobs

could marion carry the team on both sides of ball while the team's best player was out?

sure marion is a fantasy stud statistically. but we've had this conversation about marion's repetoire, or lack of, on offense

I knew you would say this , and I know what you mean exactly, but I'm just saying, Artest is no stud on offense himself, one of the ugliest offensive players, and he seems to commit a lot of TO's too.

yeh artest is far from from graceful. which is worse- his ruggedness on offense or marion's jump shot?

[fgrep15]

did phoenix ever run a play for marion in crunchtime? i'm not talking about lobs

could marion carry the team on both sides of ball while the team's best player was out?

sure marion is a fantasy stud statistically. but we've had this conversation about marion's repetoire, or lack of, on offense

I knew you would say this , and I know what you mean exactly, but I'm just saying, Artest is no stud on offense himself, one of the ugliest offensive players, and he seems to commit a lot of TO's too.

yeh artest is far from from graceful. which is worse- his ruggedness on offense or marion's jump shot?

Oh man that's hard
Wow, I mean Artest has some ugly offense, but Marion's shot's pretty bad

[Steve04]

did phoenix ever run a play for marion in crunchtime? i'm not talking about lobs

could marion carry the team on both sides of ball while the team's best player was out?

sure marion is a fantasy stud statistically. but we've had this conversation about marion's repetoire, or lack of, on offense

I knew you would say this , and I know what you mean exactly, but I'm just saying, Artest is no stud on offense himself, one of the ugliest offensive players, and he seems to commit a lot of TO's too.

yeh artest is far from from graceful. which is worse- his ruggedness on offense or marion's jump shot?

Oh man that's hard
Wow, I mean Artest has some ugly offense, but Marion's shot's pretty bad

I'll take Artest's rugged old school(as in playground), unpolished offensive game. Marion's shot made me shudder every time I saw it in the Olympics. Somehow it actually made it's way through the netting. Atleast Artest can bully his way to a basket. Relying on Marion's jumpshot in the clutch is like playing the lotto. If you win, you know you were just lucky.