Artest does OK vs. LeBron
LOS ANGELES – Amid three hours of MVP debates, statistical comparisons and holiday-themed puppet commercials, there was one subtle detail that seemed to escape the NBA’s marketing machine during Friday’s broadcast.
The man who actually guarded LeBron James almost every possession was not Kobe Bryant but Ron Artest.
in his first matchup against James since the Lakers acquired him to defend the NBA’s bigger small forwards, Artest had mixed results. he mostly lived up to his reputation as one of the league’s top one-on-one defenders on the perimeter but surrendered a handful of easy buckets when James shook free via off-ball screens or backdoor cuts.
Artest fouled out with 5:01 left when he double-teamed Anderson Varejao after an offensive board underneath the basket. James finished with 26 points on 9-for-19 shooting and nine assists, hardly his flashiest performance but enough to leave his mark on the game.
Asked about how hard Artest worked guarding him, James pointed out, “I’m a hard worker, too. I control my own tempo, but he’s a very good defender.”
Although Trevor Ariza earned a reputation as a defensive stopper last year, the Lakers felt replacing him with Artest would lighten the burden on Bryant. Listed at 6-foot-7, 260 pounds, Artest outweighs Ariza by 50 pounds and is more capable of guarding bigger small forwards like James, Carmelo Anthony and Paul Pierce, allowing Bryant to focus almost exclusively on offense.
“I’ve never had a problem guarding anybody, from the worst player to the best player,” said Artest, who had 13 points and seven rebounds. “I play everybody the same way because I let my defense dictate.”
bench a liability
The Lakers bench has been a source of concern for much of the season, but perhaps never more than after being outscored 20-2 in the first three quarters.
Phil Jackson didn’t have much patience with his reserve guards, yanking Shannon Brown in favor of Sasha Vujacic after just three second-quarter minutes and reinserting Derek Fisher in place of Jordan Farmar earlier than he typically does.
“I didn’t think they were aggressive out there,” Jackson said. “They needed to come out there and play with energy. we didn’t get much out of our bench today.”
bynum ineffective
Andrew Bynum’s slump continued with a quiet four points and six rebounds in 26 minutes. he is averaging 9.7 points and 4.3 rebounds in his past seven games.
“I’ve got to be more efficient and more effective,” Bynum said. “That’s going to enable me to stay on the court because right now I feel like I have a short leash. I feel like I’m coming out if I don’t make a shot or if I’m not effective.”
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