Debate in the Paint: Signing Artest and Odom Make Lakers Offseason's Best

Every Tuesday this offseason, two of our NBA experts will go at it on a topic. We came up with the catchy title, Debate in the Paint. This week: Which team has had the best offseason?

The Los Angeles Lakers started this decade with three consecutive NBA titles. They will finish it by winning the last two.

Anything less would be a surprise.

Although much was made of the summertime roster additions among the top three contenders in the Eastern Conference – Boston, Cleveland, Orlando -- it was the defending champion Lakers who orchestrated the most significant moves in the off-season.

The best team only got better.

The NBA hasn't had a repeat champion since the Lakers won in 2000, '01 and '02, because San Antonio, Detroit, Miami and Boston all either suffered an emotional letdown after winning a championship, or failed to improve the roster.

The Lakers added pieces, and rest assured, there will be no letdown.

Finding a way to keep free agent Lamar Odom happy was not an easy task, but they did it by committing to a four-year, $33 million deal -- no small concession in tough economic times for a sixth man. Odom flirted seriously with Miami, which would have made him a starter, but he returned after some on-again, off-again negotiations that had the rest of the Western contenders hopeful.

His signing meant that the Lakers would return their top five scorers and top four rebounders from the team that won the 2009 title. The only real defection from that roster was free agent forward Trevor Ariza, who miscalculated his worth, which opened the door for the Lakers to sign Ron Artest: a more-talented, more battle-tested veteran in his place.

Can you say major upgrade?

Although Artest, 29, has wrestled with his demons, he has proven himself time and time again as a scorer, a defender and a competitor. If Lakers Coach Phil Jackson was able to milk the best from wacky Dennis Rodman years ago, Artest will look like a soldier falling in line by comparison.

He isn't going to a team that needs him for leadership. They just need his intensity and toughness. He respects Kobe Bryant, and he loves Odom, who has been a good friend for many years.

Like many veterans nearing the end of their peak years, Artest will be driven by the lure of a championship, giving him a chance to change his suspect reputation. Ariza had a nice second half of the season and a good playoff run, but he is nothing more than a good role player with a 6.9 points-per-game career scoring average.

The Rockets are going to be disappointed in what they just bought.

The Lakers are going to be thrilled.

With Bryant and Pau Gasol returning as the 1-2 punch, Artest gladly will take the No. 3 role. Center Andrew Bynum, who missed almost half of the season after knee surgery, should be much improved. Point guard Derek Fisher can pick his spots with an All-Star cast around him. Even long-lost Adam Morrison might even show he can play because no one will bother guarding him.

Bryant will be hungrier than ever to win his fifth title – one more than Shaq, who went to Cleveland to play with LeBron James. O'Neal will change the Cavs dramatically, but it might not be for the better. The Boston Celtics added fruitcake Rasheed Wallace, but unlike Artest, Wallace already has his championship and won't have the hunger.

The Lakers didn't need much to stay atop the NBA. They got a lot.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

8-18-2009 @ 10:47AM

henryclemente said...

you lost me at adam morrison

8-18-2009 @ 11:12AM

captain morgan said...

LAKERS WILL BE 2010 NBA CHAMPS!!

8-18-2009 @ 11:35AM

Josh said...

Did you seriously just refer to Rasheed Wallace as a "fruitcake"? You just lost all credibility with me. Congratulations.

8-18-2009 @ 9:14PM

Capt. Bleigh said...

Ah yes he did refer to Sheed a fruitcake. Wots yer problem? Wallace makes Artest look like a Navy Seal. When Sheed shows up he'll be a consideration, that's all. Jackin' up 3s from whereever over an open man...

Have fun spending the next season wondering why he has that little white spot on his head.

8-18-2009 @ 3:14PM

richcantwell109 said...

Ok,Tim, fess up, Brett really wrote this right? We have probably seen the best Odom had to offer in the finals. He has his new contract, his ring, and no incentive to be at his best anymore. That is his M.O. I posted at the beginning of the playoffs that only a Celtic team at full strength would have any chance of beating the Lakers in the finals. I feel this is still true and they (Celtics) will be better with their acquisitions. Adding Artest is always a big "?".

8-18-2009 @ 8:35PM

Giles said...

Lakers and Celts won the last two chmapionships, and if the question were merely which had the better off season between the two, that would be fine. But best offeason in the league? Nope. Neither team rates best in their conference in the off season. Lakers didn`t need to. They were champions. So far, they`ve kept everyone but Ariza, and added Artest, effectively in a free agent swap. The main need they had to address was replacing Fisher. They haven`t done it yet. That`s a great off season? The Celts got lucky. They didn`t lose Glen Big Gentleman Davis when they brought in Mr. T., Rasheed Wallace. Bringing in the record holder for most technical fouls is a big improvement? Only if you like putting fannies in the seats with negative publicity, instead of quality basketball. Trying to out do the Lakers in adding headcases. But there are so many cases in the nba, I`m not sure Artest is even in the top two with Wallace. I mean, Iverson, Marbury, both of whom are still unemployed, and can still play. When it comes to head cases, they must rank fairly highly, too. Maybe the Lakers will sign both, Iverson to start ahead of Fisher, Marbury to just be the team`s official public weed taster? San Antonio stayed small, Duncan is their biggest guy, but got better. He made a great wing man one all star game with Yao and O`Neal (Shaq!) in the posts, Garnett at the other wing, in a victory. Started his career at center on offense, wing forward on defense, with two other starting centers, Robinson and Purdue. Can`t see big line ups like that anymore. A shame. CleveLand not winning the Championship this year, against Lakers in the Championship round, would not be a shock, they still need more perimeter shooting up front, but would be a surprise. Poor Adam. I hope he makes a team, Lakers or other, and hope he`s better after his knee injury and plays reasonably well (being in the top maybe 8 or so on his team would be a surprise, being a starter would be a shock). Odom was only a sixth man in the regular season, when they didn`t need him. In the playsoffs, Bynum whined he wanted the ball, so his mommy gave him one to play with on the sidelines, but he didn`t play much because he didn`t play much defense, and Odom was the third option, after Bryant and Gasol.

8-18-2009 @ 10:01PM

blblbl3 said...

Here is why Morrison was mentioned.
Morrison is a great shooter. He didn't get open looks in the past because he was playing on teams that didn't have to double on Kobe or Gasol. Morrison has had to work through many injuries but he is now healthy and having a great shooting summer. He is going to come in and get tons of open looks and will have the freedom to shoot just like when he was in college.
Farmar is going to be that much better this year.
Same with Brown.
Bynum and Walton were hurt last year.
Sasha had an off year and will bounce back.
Jackson knows how to handle Artest. He is going to be a huge step up from Ariza, with his experience and defense.
This is going to be a great year.

8-18-2009 @ 10:49PM

ostellgriggs said...

the lakers made a big mistake in not signing ariza

8-20-2009 @ 11:27AM

5thStFreddie said...

Discussions should be free of partisanship, as far as I'm concerned. I'm a Laker's fan, but both the Celtics and Cavaliers made substantial upgrades. With Garnett healthy -- there is no one like him when he is -- Rasheed becomes a very valuable player, because now the opponents two biggest men have to defend them way out on the floor. Sheed rebounds, blocks shots and passes -- as a 3rd or 4th option, he will have found a niche that's perfect. If he's a 'fruitcake", there's a dozen teams who would like to order one. The question with the Celtics is whether age will be hard on Ray Allen and Pierce: they have a lot of miles on them. If Shaq keeps the weight off, shows up in shape, his presence in Cleveland can tip the scales significantly, as can the Cavs other pick ups. The Lakers lost more with the Ariza departure than most people realize: his quickness to the basket, and his quickness and smart defense were amazing. He was the perfect 'shadow' player, a guy who thrived while the big guns were being covered. Artest is not as quick, he's 5 years older, and although he's significantly stronger, I don't know how much more agressive and mentally committed he is than Ariza. Ariza will regret going to Houston. The big factors with the Lakers are: can Bynum play a full season, at the level he usually attains by December. Last year, when he went down, he was the Western Conference "Player of the Week" and was showing all the smarts, all the moves and all the agression he was capable of. Luke Walton is a wash out: a mediocre shooter, terrible defender whose only skill is passing the ball. And Vujacic adds little: if he's not gunning the ball in an unnecessary situation, he has no clue what to do. The next big upgrade: Shannon Brown at point guard, with Fisher as back up. Brown is strong, agressive, the best shooter, overall, at that position, and the best defender by far. And Morrison is the sleeper: this past summer, he tore up the Summer League, regaining his shooting touch, rebounding and agression. Look for him to work past Lucas and Vujacic. Should be fun: Cavs and Lakers in the NBA Finals...