For Lakers, the jury is still out on Artest, Bynum and even Ariza
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By Kevin Ding
The Orange County Register
(MCT)
HOUSTON — They stand to be the difference makers in this Lakers season, as far as we can tell right now.
We're going to find out just how much greater good the Lakers get out of letting Trevor Ariza go and bringing Ron Artest aboard — and simply how much greater Andrew Bynum can become.
On Wednesday night in Houston, we got an early peek at the candidates: All three had their moments — particularly when Ariza answered Artest's go-ahead 3-pointer in the final seconds of regulation — but Bynum was the biggest man, and the Lakers won in overtime.
At least until yet another injury (sprained right elbow) befell him and had him talking to himself after the game: "Wow, that's really sore." Bynum was optimistic it wasn't a major injury at the very least, he should be able to dodge Friday night against Memphis, against whom he has seriously hurt himself the past two years but he said an MRI on Thursday is scheduled.
For now, he could be in good spirits because he helped win the game with a free throw despite the pain after he helped win the game the night before by getting a hand up in help defense against Kevin Durant. Asked how hard it was to make that second foul shot with a bum elbow, Bynum laughed and said: "(Expletive) hard!"
Bynum showed more stamina than ever before in logging 49 and 45 minutes on consecutive road nights.
And he was able to keep his head in the game despite a heated exchange with Phil Jackson after being pulled in the second quarter.
It was actually Artest who moved Adam Morrison out of the way to sit down next to Bynum and calm the 21-year-old down. Artest also threw an arm over Bynum's shoulders in the next timeout huddle to make sure Bynum was staying involved with the team.
But Artest nearly wasn't around to calm Bynum down. Artest said his former Rockets teammates were "definitely trying to get me ejected" by throwing elbows at him, and he acknowledged he might've indulged the notion if not for a little NBA commissioner/angel appearing on his shoulder.
A jolt from Ariza just minutes into the game after Artest said Luis Scola already threw one — nearly sent Artest, suspended 72 games by Stern in 2004, back into arrest.
"I wanted to (choke Ariza) because he hit me with the elbow," Artest said. "But then I thought about David Stern, and I thought I wasn't going to do this. I got hit with three or four elbows. It's just not fair. I don't want to fight."
Did I clearly articulate that Artest did think about it, though? Let me clarify: He mentioned that he thought in the moment how certain he was that he was stronger than Ariza and contemplated his interest in making someone his "punching bag."
Yet with Kobe Bryant interceding and shepherding Artest away, the match didn't light and Artest was able to joke (I think he was joking) about it all. He basically invited anyone else to come hit him and said: "I'm not fighting anymore. I'm tired. I give up. I'm not fighting anymore."
Maybe he'll take up "skate dancing," which he said he has never tried but felt like he was doing on the court as he celebrated his tiebreaking 3-pointer Wednesday night. Artest looked up around at
Houston's players and fans and made a timeout signal at center court.
"I was advising them to call timeout," he explained sensibly, perhaps just to throw us off.
Artest did make some sense before the game also when he noted that Houston letting him go cost him "maybe $20 million" by losing his Bird rights for greater salary, even though he's otherwise happy to be a Laker.
He should be happy to be getting open 3-point shots because opponents are double-teaming Bryant.
Those are the shots Ariza was drilling for the Lakers in Orlando just five months ago. Those shots are why Artest said he wasn't surprised to see Ariza nail a 3-pointer to answer his and force overtime.
But Ariza shot 5 for 21 from the field. And the game ended with Ariza losing the ball to Derek Fisher while trying to slip past Bryant.
"Ariza tried to go through three people," one fan could be heard explaining in the stands.
Such is Ariza's new plight without the Lakers, although Bryant still keeps in regular contact to advise and encourage his friend. Ariza will keep trying to spread his wings and become a complete player at both ends, just as Artest already has and Bynum is beginning to prove.
Jackson even praised Bynum's pick-and-roll defense after this game. If the MRI is similarly kind, Bynum seems to be on his way.
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(c) 2009, The Orange County Register (Santa Ana, Calif.).
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