Dallas-Mavs.com Forums - View Single Post - Artest is one of the two best players in the NBA... according to himself.

orangedays · 05-02-2006, 02:32 PM

I wouldn't think that anecdotal game evidence is an accurate metric by which to measure Artest's defensive prowess (I presume I could find just as many examples of games where he effectively guarded the opposing #1 option). We don't know how much time he spent defending each of the players you are listing, what kind of playing time he received, or other pertinent factors.

Looking purely at the +/- figures (an admittedly imperfect metric, especially considering the drop-off from Artest to the next-best-player at his position) I would argue that he has been a serious defensive presence, particularly in his time with the Kings.

I would be very interested to see what the data has to say about opposing player performance while being defended by Artest. EDIT: for this season.

05-02-2006, 02:32 PM	#136
orangedays Platinum Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: New York City Posts: 2,938	I wouldn't think that anecdotal game evidence is an accurate metric by which to measure Artest's defensive prowess (I presume I could find just as many examples of games where he effectively guarded the opposing #1 option). We don't know how much time he spent defending each of the players you are listing, what kind of playing time he received, or other pertinent factors. Looking purely at the +/- figures (an admittedly imperfect metric, especially considering the drop-off from Artest to the next-best-player at his position) I would argue that he has been a serious defensive presence, particularly in his time with the Kings. I would be very interested to see what the data has to say about opposing player performance while being defended by Artest. EDIT: for this season. Last edited by orangedays; 05-02-2006 at 02:36 PM.