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Originally Posted by Jeremiah
He loves to play defense. He plays defense. He plays defense better than anyone else in the league. Or, at least on the wing.
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That's exactly it. In a league dominated by the PF position - Artest is a SF, a big one, but a SF nonetheless. He is a perimeter defender who doesn't have the size to shut down Dirk or Duncan or Garnett or Brand or Gasol or O'Neal or Bosh or...well, you get my point. Compound that with the fact that he isn't fast enough to guard Parker or Nash or Paul. And do you really think Artest is going to keep the elite swingmen of the league like Bryant, McGrady, Pierce, Wade from scoring 25+ night-in, night-out? You're kidding yourself. So what you've really got by drafting Artest second...
Second (goodness)...is, well, not a whole lot. And I don't think I need to tell you that an elite defensive squad doesn't start from the perimeter - it starts from the post.
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I think that in this league, a GM can always get a guy that can score 20 per night, and wants to score 20 per night. A bit harder to get, but certainly still feasible, is one who can get 25/night. Scorers are a dime a dozen. Guys who can and will defend like Artest are few and far between. Does his great defense inspire others to play defense when they would not otherwise? I think so. I'm not sure, but I think so.
Plus, he can score too. He's not a great scorer, but he's a pretty good scorer.
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Scorers, indeed, are a dime-a-dozen. Efficient scorers, however, are few and far between. Legitimate #1 options? Even more vintage. Artest is neither of those things - in terms of scorers, he is just the sort of offensive threat you describe: dime-a-dozen. He's not
bad by any means, but his offensive capabilities are grossly overrated and he is by no stretch of the imagination a #1 option. If Ron Artest is leading your team in points - a swingman with no outside shot and and who hits the ones he does take at a rim-rattling 40% clip - then you sir, are in deep trouble.
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I don't think this makes him the second best player in the league, but if I get to pick second, I pick him. Then I probably get someone like Brand or Pierce, who'd most assuredly be around, in the second round.
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If we were both GMs, and you had the 2nd pick, I'd want you to pick Artest too. I would then offer to trade you Kwame Brown for your next pick.