Ariza Out, Artest In
I was sad to see Trevor Ariza go (really I was), being that he's a local kid who went to UCLA, but I still don't think he has any reason to be mad at the Lakers. His agent blew it, plain and simple, by letting the business part of the NBA become personal. Players are ALWAYS talking about how it's a business, yet they get their feelings hurt when they sense a hint of perceived disrespect (i.e. lack of dollars). I think Ariza really will come to regret money getting in the way of what could have been a fruitful career in his hometown. Remember, you don't need to be a star in L.A. to be a star (see: Derek Fisher, Rick Fox, Robert Horry, et al). Does that make sense? It's different here. It wouldn't surprise me if Ariza just sorta faded into oblivion and became just another player on just another team. Too bad Trevor. The ball was in your court and you fumbled it out of bounds.
Meanwhile, Ron Artest looks pretty good in Laker colors:
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2 comments:
i agree, ariza will probably be a mediocre player from here on out. part of the reason for his level of play this season was the defense was concentrating on kobe, and it left him some space. also, the D had to concentrate on gasol, and when odom was playing well, him too.
i was a little surprised the lakers pulled the plug so quickly on him though. you'd think they may have done some negotiating since there is something to be said for chemistry and his contributions this past season.
I agree with the last comment on here, that maybe the Lakers jumped a little too soon to replace Ariza. But then again, we don't know how the whole thing went down, so who the hell knows.
Whatever the case, I also agree with JB that Ariza will probably just fade in to another small-name player. He could have really made a name for himself with the Lakers, but now he will be just another struggling player on a struggling team without their big man, without their big scorer, and without a key defensive guy.
Heck, what's left for him there? Oh yah, a bigger paycheck. Gotcha Ariza. Hopefully all that money will be able to buy you happiness, because I doubt playing for the Rockets will be able to provide you with it!
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