Only if they realize they have a Ferrari in their garage that needs to be let out and driven to red-line.
Sure, Ron Artest’s defense has come on strong in the last twenty plus games of the season, but that was to be expected. Naturally, it took Artest some time to find his rhythm on his new team. That’s why Ron Ron started slowly with the Lakers, adjusting both to the Triangle offense as well as a new supporting role.
After years of being one of the main men on each of his teams, Artest with the Lakers is an entirely different role for him. But, he’s delivered on defense. And, I expect him to continue to lock-down opposing scorers, at least making their lives difficult. But, that isn’t enough, not for Artest, and definitely not for the Lakers.
If the Lakers are serious about repeating, they have to use Artest on offense. And, I’m not talking about spot up threes. That was Trevor Ariza’s role last season which he mastered. Sure, Artest can hit the open ones too, but he needs more latitude in the triangle.
Here are the reasons why:
The Lakers are predictable. With a injury plagued and slowed down Kobe Bryant, the Lakers aren’t as dynamic on offense as in the last two years. The flow of the triangle is not there and they now settle for shots that they didn’t take in their title run last year.
On top of the litany of injuries, they are simply out of sync. It is challenging to even view the Lakers in this light, since for the past few years, specifically since the Pau Gasol trade, offense has not been LA’s issue. They were deemed soft, not a great defensive team but offense never was a problem. Until now. They really struggle. This...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
