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Artest already providing Kings with shot in the arm
By Daniel Dullum February 5, 2006 |
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The early returns are in concerning last week’s Peja Stojakovic for Ron Artest deal, so far, it’s something of a wash, with the Sacramento Kings holding a slight edge. Eventually, Stojakovic, sharp shooting will help the injury-riddled Indiana Pacers, even if his approach to defense leaves something to be desired (in fairness, Peja’s been playing with a nagging back problem and deserves credit for that). As for Artest, there’s some obvious rust, but the veteran forward is showing signs of his old on-court self, which is what the Kings were looking for. Understandably, it will be a while before Artest is in NBA game shape. When he is, he should help Sacramento win a few more games and take a legitimate run at the eighth playoff spot in the Western Conference. Artest, of course, was on the shelf for most of this season, being suspended by Indiana for an alleged combination of bad behavior, bad attitude, bad manners, bad karma, and anything else he could absorb the blame for. However, Artest insists that the trade to Sacramento will be a new lease on life for him. In limited minutes, he has already given the Kings a low post presence and attitude they haven’t seen in a couple of years. The Maloofs are so happy they’re sporting their own No. 93 jerseys at the arena. Stojakovic, on the other hand was (and still is) one of the most overrated players in the league – Mel Counts with better range. He’s not a franchise-type of player, but can certainly fit in to enhance a talented lineup. In time, he’ll help the Pacers. It hasn’t taken Artest long to make his presence felt, as his 19 points and seven boards helped the Kings knock off Denver at Arco Arena on Thursday. With Bonzi Wells adding 14 rebounds in his return from a groin pull, and Mike Bibby contributing solid and consistent play at the point, Kings fans have good reason to look forward to the second half of the season. Now, if the Kings (19-28 through Feb. 3) could just stay healthy. Center Brad Miller, who has had a solid season to date, suffered a non-displaced fracture of the distal phalanx on his right thumb during Sacramento’s overtime loss in Toronto last Sunday. Miller, who is averaging 15 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists per game, sat out the game against Denver and is listed as day-to-day. Daniel Dullum, an award-winning sportswriter based in Sacramento, offers commentary on the Sacramento Kings and Major League Baseball for SportsTalk and Sports Radio Service. |
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