Where Artest will end up

[Reality]

Reggie Miller in interview yesterday said Donnie Walsh will make sure Artest goes to a losing situation, ie ATL, Toronto.

While of course Walsh and the Pacers should not send him to any team that is going to help that team beat the Pacers, ie an EC playoff team, I also think Walsh/Pacers should get the best return possible for Artest.  Not overdo the revenge-punishment factor.

ATLs abysmal looking future could get brighter if Walsh overdoes the revenge and lets him go for a song.

[ziggy]

Well if all this is true then Ronnie boy in Portland is the logical situation.  We suck just as much as Atlanta (I doubt we can take out the Spurs), or Toronto.  Plus we are in the other conference, we have only one other player that can actually make a basket so lots of scoring for Ronnie, and Indiana owes us one for the whole Jermaine deal.  Sounds like a done deal if there ever was one.

[Reality]

Well if all this is true then Ronnie boy in Portland is the logical situation.  We suck just as much as Atlanta (I doubt we can take out the Spurs), or Toronto.  Plus we are in the other conference, we have only one other player that can actually make a basket so lots of scoring for Ronnie, and Indiana owes us one for the whole Jermaine deal.  Sounds like a done deal if there ever was one.

You are correct about the Portland status, I'm sorry to say. :drunk:
That is a definite possibility.

Who would Blazer management send back to Indy?

[Joe Vancil]

Ruben Patterson!

No - seriously - Patterson and Miles for Artest.  Portland has a lot of SF's, and I can't help but think they'd love to get rid of two head cases for the price of one.

 

[Skandery]

Miles AND Patterson?  Why would Indy do that to themselves.  

I think that the Portland situation is ripe with the exception of not having any good players to send back to Indy.  With the oft-injured, severely lacking in talent pool of Centers (David Harrison, Scot Pollard, and Jeff Foster) Indy has, maybe Portland could dangle Pryzbilla coupled with one of the headcases.  Then again Ziggy, as a Blazer fan, would you want a Ron for Pryz + Miles trade?

I think Sacto, Toronto, Atlanta, Orlando, and Charlotte have much more enticing offers for Indy.

[Joe Vancil]

Indy is in the championship chase, though.  Sacramento, I agree, because they could send back Stojakovic.  Who is Atlanta going to send who is ready to step in at the small forward spot?  Ditto with Orlando.  Ditto with Charlotte.

If I'm Portland, I don't offer the farm to get a headcase ("the farm," in this case, being Przybilla);  I offer up two headcases and throw in some sort of draft pick or something.  If I'm going to offer up a center, it'll be Ratliff I offer up, and keep my young(er) center.

Would the Clippers offer up a Maggette?

Would the Celtics offer up either Pierce or Davis in a multi-player deal?

Would Denver consider Carmelo Anthony for Artest and an Indiana big?

Could Dallas offer up Howard and a couple of others and get someone who could actually put the "D" in "Dallas"?

 

[Rolando Blackman]

Hey Reality!

Ron Artest is the NBA version of Terrell Owens - just even more over-the-top, if one can imagine that!  I cannot believe that any NBA GM would seriously consider adding him to his team's roster, despite his obvious superior skills...Artest's tendencies along the lines of auto-combustion are simply too daunting, IMHO.  

I know this is probably beating a dead horse here, but his jaunt into the stands to take on fans was 'Reality' (LOL) TV at its finest/basest - somehow, Stern needs to add this element into the mix on a regular basis and bring the NBA into the 'modern' era.  Sadly, although I am jesting at this point, you know this is coming...dang.

-RB
Shaq #1

P.S. - Hey Joe V.!

[ziggy]

Not a chance that Artest is coming to Portland, but if just to keep the discussion going this is what I would offer.

Miles
Patterson
Travis Outlaw
Detroit's #1 pick this year

for

Artest
Fred Jones
Scot Pollard

[Lurker]

Joe....Indy doesn't need a SF in return.  Jackson can play that spot if needed.  And then plug Jasikevicius in at SG.  I heard that Indy is looking for youth and picks.

But having said that....the interesting rumor I read was Minny offering Wally World in exchange for Artest.    

[Joe Vancil]

Hey, Skander - Artest is yours in the fantasy league.  Where do you think he'd do the most good?  Where would you like to see him go?

An interesting idea, in my opinion, would be GOLDEN STATE.  This is a team that could use some toughness and defense.  Add him to that team for Dunleavy, and that's an interesting deal.  It's good for Indy, it's good for Golden State, it's good for Dunleavy, and it's potentially good for Artest.

 

[Skandery]

Who is Atlanta going to send who is ready to step in at the small forward spot? Ditto with Orlando. Ditto with Charlotte.

Atlanta - Isn't Al Harrington's natural position SF?  Baby Al + say Childress or Stoudamire.  

Orlando - I seem to remember a guy by the name of Grant Hill on Orlando whose been known to play SF.  Just get Orlando to send you any one of Jameer/Kato/Stevenson along with him.

Charlotte - GERALD WALLACE - less offense, same defense, not a headcase but oft-injured.

Would the Clippers offer up a Maggette?

Would the Celtics offer up either Pierce or Davis in a multi-player deal?

Would Denver consider Carmelo Anthony for Artest and an Indiana big?

Could Dallas offer up Howard and a couple of others and get someone who could actually put the "D" in "Dallas"?

Magette for Artest, interesting but I think Carlisle would strangle the life out of Magette, plus Magette wouldn't like how Carlisle would divy up the minutes.  

Pierce or Davis,  I'd want Pierce if I was Indy but do you really want the malcontentedness/bad attitude of Artest spoiling the youth you've got if you're Boston.  

Melo for Artest + Big.  I don't like any Indy big not named JO.  And as bad as this sounds Melo is less combustible than Artest, and that's a heckuva statement.

Dallas is the one idea you've got that makes sense except Artest might not be comfortable knowing Nowitzki (like JO) is a much better player than him.  I'm too enamored with the upside of Marquis and Josh to pull the deal on a trade that "could" put me over the top.  Meaning if I'm Dallas, its probably a trade I should do but wouldn't.      

Basically my destinations have Artest going to a dismal situation where he immediately becomes the best player at more than 40 minutes a night.  While your destinations certainly work talent and contract-wise; Artest would be dealing with well-established teams with a go-to guy and fiery, micro-managing coaches.  I think George Karl, Doc Rivers, Avery Johnson, and Mike Dunleavy would look at Artest as a high-risk, low reward proposition.  Since at best he isn't going to be appreciably better for them than who they have already and at worst he'll destroy your entire season.

Unless they con Sacto into sending Peja, Indy is going to get raped in this Artest thing.  If Indy plays their cards right, the raping won't be too painful or long-lasting, but they ain't gettin' out of being raped.  A smart GM isn't going to risk fair "on-court" value for a guy like Artest.

[Skandery]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=cnns...cnnsi&type=lgns

Here's a story about Jermaine O'Neal 2 cents on the two players he thinks would fit in well with the Indiana scheme.  Looks like me and him are seeing eye to eye on that Atlanta deal.  Though the Sacto deal he has is a little different from mine.  

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As for your question on where I'd like to see Artest go fantasy wise, if I had my wish I would have liked it if he kept his freakin' mouth shut and remained the unquestioned number 2 guy getting 38 minutes on a good team like Indy.  A players role on a team weighs in just as much as the player when I select them for my team, and ANY change usually wreaks havoc for me.  

But if I had my choice I'd want him to go New York, Toronto, Portland, Orlando,  Atlanta (if Harrington is part of the deal), and Minnesota (if Wally is part of the deal).  Those are the teams that are over-all in need of scoring punch and a high-calibre SF who demands lots of minutes.  Charlotte wouldn't be bad but I've got G-Wallace on my team and would wonder what would happen to him.  Every other team either has restrictive coaches who'll punish with minutes, deep rotations, or a well-established pecking order offensively.  

The two fantasy haven's for Artest are Toronto and Orlando IMO.  New York and Portland have coaches that could butt heads with Artest.          

[westkoast]

Skandery did I just see you say that Gerald Wallace plays the same kind of defense as Artest?!!?

NO WAY!!!

Artest is twice the defender Wallace is, although I agree Gerald can defend, he just is not close in that department IMO.  Plus Artest has the im-crazy-in-the-head intimidation factor.  Similar to what Mr. Rodman had going when he was playing that high caliber defense.

[Joe Vancil]

westkoast,

Rodman's "crazy-in-the-head" days were his *WORST* days defensively.  Aside from the "if Larry Bird was white" thing his rookie year, Rodman was reasonably normal (or at least far from psycho) until he left Detroit.

When he left Detroit, he moved off of the small forward position and into the power forward position.  From that point on, his defense was never really that good again.

 

[JoMal]

westkoast,

Rodman's "crazy-in-the-head" days were his *WORST* days defensively.  Aside from the "if Larry Bird was white" thing his rookie year, Rodman was reasonably normal (or at least far from psycho) until he left Detroit.

When he left Detroit, he moved off of the small forward position and into the power forward position.  From that point on, his defense was never really that good again.

Joe, Joe, Joe

"If Bird were white", as you quote Rodman as saying, is the same as, I don't know, saying "If polar bears were non-friendly to penguins", isn't it?