Like Fisher, Ariza became a lock-down defender. At 6’8” tall, his gumby-arms allowed him to guard the player who was usually the other team’s best. Carmelo Anthony, Ron Artest, and Manu Ginobili all had to work harder. Ariza could expend all his energy on the defensive end while filling the lane on fast breaks and spotting up for 3-pointers. Ariza was the only player on the Lakers who could match the athleticism of anyone the Lakers played against.

During the 2009 off-season, something happened between Ariza and the Lakers. To hear it told now, Ariza’s agent didn’t respond to an initial Lakers offer, so they went elsewhere. To most Lakers fans, Ron Artest’s talent and star power was an improvement over the mild-mannered role player that Ariza had become.

Everyone knows what happened next. Artest made a conscious effort to defer to his teammates during the 2009-10 season – almost to a fault. His ever-dynamic role on the Lakers culminated last year in a game-clinching 3-pointer and a second straight championship for Kobe and the Lakers.

When people are perplexed by how the Hornets can stay with the Lakers (series tied 2-2 as this article is being written), they need to know two things:

1) Chris Paul is as good or better than you think

2) The Hornets have put more good players who fit into roles around Paul than anyone realizes.

With Okafor and Landry playing amazing interior defense, Bellineli and Ariza knocking down shorts, and Ariza locking down Kobe in Battier-like fashion, the Hornets have made this first-round series more than interesting.

So back to my earlier question – Why was Ron Artest better for the Lakers than Ariza. As I sit writing this, Ariza is lighting the Lakers up. He is a solid contributor and while not a name like Paul, Bryant, Gasol, or even Artest, he remains as important a part of the outcome as any of those players. He has clearly, in less than one year, figured out his role on the Hornets better than Artest has figured out his role on the Lakers in two years.

Artest will be 32 years old this year. Ariza is 25. Artest is a stalky, strong, and at-times slow 6’7”. Ariza is a long, athletic 6’8”  Ariza is averaging 14 points and 8 rebounds vs. the Lakers going into Tuesday night’s game. Artest has had a good series too; averaging 14 points and 6 rebounds.

I hate to question moves that the Lakers make. They have made all the right moves over the past few years. A team who wins two championships shouldn’t be questioned too much. But I think it’s a fair question for Lakers fans to ask for the remainder of Artest’s contract and for the remainder of Ariza’s career. Did the Lakers make the right move? For now, you can’t argue with Larry O’Brien trophies, can you?

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The Lakers are winning and are looking like they’ll pull away but two thoughts about this game: 1) Chris Paul is AMAZING and 2) The Hornets aren’t getting any help from the refs tonight. The Lakers will definitely not get any in game 6.

On Sunday afternoon, the Dodgers pitching again held up their end. Chad Billingsley didn’t allow any runs through eight innings. Unfortunately, the scene was all-too familiar. Including the game in Colorado, I had seen the Dodgers score exactly zero runs through the first 17 innings I watched live this year.

I saw Juan Uribe swing at pitches I quit swinging at when I was 11 years old. I saw Matt Kemp thrown out trying to steal on Yadier Molina. I watched horrible at-bats from Rafael Furcal, Tony Gwynn, and even Andre Ethier. A few guys got to third base. Rod Barajas’ 400 foot foul ball in Colorado was the highlight through almost two games.

In the top of the ninth inning on Sunday, Jonathan Broxton brought my Dodgers happiness to rock-bottom. I hadn’t been high on them (in case you haven’t noticed), but I was about to reach a new low in watching them get shut out 3-0 and 1-0 in consecutive games I’d seen in-person.

Then Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp brought me back from the brink. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Ethier led off with a double. Not trying to do too much with the ball, Ethier drove it into the right field corner and hustled to second base. After a pitching change, Kemp continued his patient approach. After working the count in his favor, Kemp drove a pitch over the left-center field wall. All my frustration with the Dodgers, momentarily at least, vanished. I jumped around in circles in the aisles at Dodger Stadium and screamed like a girl. One swing. And all was well again.

And it was as hot as it looks...

It was as hot as it looks....

As Kemp came to the plate, the thought did cross my mind to take out my Droid and start videotaping the at-bat. I have done that in the past with no positive effect on what happened in the game. Instead of doing so, I put myself in the moment. Too often I’ve tried to record things only to have them come out worse than expected. And then I’m left with a compromised fan experience.

So I watched as Kemp hit his home run. And I wasn’t any less excited that I couldn’t show it to my readers- sorry folks. I’m sure you can see the highlight on MLB.com if you really want to. It was pretty awesome.

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But enough about the Dodgers. We are in my FAVORITE sports time of the year. March through the beginning of June. March Madness, the start of baseball season (with the promise of Spring), 40 games in 40 nights, the Kentucky Derby, the Indianapolis 500, the Masters, the NHL Playoffs, the beginning of MLS, and so many other great sporting events dominate evenings and weekend days.

Especially when you’re on the Central Coast, the option is always there to stay outside all day in the sun and then spend the evening relaxing with a cold beverage and enjoying some of the best sports times of the year. And I’m loving every minute of it. I’ll say it again- what a great time to be a sports fan.