We talk about whether expectations have changed because of the team’s slow start, whether the Lakers are legitimate contenders or just an interesting story, and then we played a game of “who would you rather have” with six NBA forwards based in Los Angeles.

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It’s well established that Metta World Peace AKA Ron Artest AKA Ron Ron plays his best when harnessing some combination of his raw anger and at the same time manifesting that anger not in confrontation but in ferocious play, inspired defense, and an iron will.

For most of his time with the Lakers, Ron/Metta has lulled Lakers fans with uninspired play combined with a “great” attitude. It seemed as though he had finally put his demons to rest and, in doing so, became a pretty mediocre NBA player.

You can see here an important diagram of what Ron looks like at his best and worst.

For the last few months though, his game has been showing signs of life. With or without Kobe in the lineup, World Peace has ascended back to a place of importance in Los Angeles. In many recent wins, World Peace has been back in the head of his competitors and has even appeared active and engaged on the offensive end. But at what cost.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=so3TR0bcx9k

As outlined in the earlier article, there is a fine line between a Metta World Peace who is lackadaisical, smiling, and happy, a World Peace who goes into the stands in Detroit, and the great player who is somewhere in-between.

On Sunday, James Harden found out the hard way what happens when you find yourself in the heart of Artest’s inner battle.

After dunking on the Thunder on a fast-break, World Peace beat his arm against his chest. James Harden took a few steps toward the baseline and took a step toward Artest, who was celebrating. Like a child sneaking up on a wild animal, Harden never knew what hit him. Unlike a child though, I would argue that Harden had to know what he was getting himself into.

Harden, who has established himself as the third offensive threat on the Thunder this season, felt the need to do something about Ron’s chest-beating. In passively taking that step toward Metta, Harden took an elbow the likes of which haven’t been seen since The Rock retired from wrestling (he is retired, isn’t he?).

I am not arguing that Harden deserved what he got in any way, but he did not have to take that step toward Ron-Ron. He did not have to get in Metta World Peace’s personal space. But he did. And he paid dearly for it.

Here are some questions to ask in the aftermath:

1) How badly was Harden actually hurt? Harden is a savvy guy. He has been since his college days at Arizona State. He could even turn into this generation’s (poor man’s version of) Reggie Miller, kicking and scrapping his way to more points than his talent commands. But if I were Harden, I would have gone down in a heap as well. Having had a basketball concussion before, I think that if Harden plays again within a week, it’s entirely possible that he didn’t get hit as hard as he claimed. He was hit hard, don’t get me wrong. But if you thought you could gain an advantage by painting World Peace as even more of a villain than he already is, wouldn’t you?

2) It was not an accident. World Peace said, “It’s unfortunate that James had to get hit with an unintentional elbow…” Metta, he didn’t have to get hit. You hit him. Perhaps he was running his mouth or trying to stand up to you and that’s why he “had” to get hit.

3) If these two teams meet in the playoffs, will Metta be around? If so, how will the Thunder try to get him to blow up again? Can he be as effective for the Lakers if he is constantly monitoring his behavior and not just playing? I don’t think so.

No matter what suspension the NBA hands down, Metta World Peace isn’t going to learn any kind of lesson. The stigma of being Ron Ron can’t be shed with a name change, smiles, or even by winning citizenship awards. Other players, the media, and the NBA will continue to treat him differently and he will continue to act out. He is a human ticking time bomb and the closest thing to Dennis Rodman the NBA has ever had.

As for Harden, if there really was a lesson to be learned, it’s to steer clear of the beast.

Hopefully Harden learned his lesson… if he even remembers what happened. Because you don’t step to crazy.

What if I could, as a fan, interview anyone in the sports world, ask them any question, and get a real, truthful, insightful answer. I wouldn’t have to publish it. I’d just want to know. As a fan. If you think you have their answers, please tell me.

My interview questions for Phil Jackson:

Who was more fun to coach – Shaq or MJ?

Kobe or Michael – and why?

Seriously, what happened to the Lakers this year?

My questions for Lakers’ GM Mitch Kupchak:

What really happened with the Ariza deal? Was there a problem with him that was never publicized? Did Kobe push hard for Ron? Would you do it differently if you could?

Would you rather have a slightly mentally unstable Artest or the Artest we saw all year?

For Frank McCourt:

What the hell?

For Stu Lantz:

Tell me one Chick Hearn story nobody has ever heard before.

For Tommy Lasorda and Vin Scully:

When did you know McCourt was going to be a failure as the Dodgers’ owner?

For Bud Selig:

How much did you really know about steroids throughout the 90’s?

What did you really think would happen with Frank McCourt? When did you know he wasn’t the guy?

For Mark Cuban:

Will you please buy the Dodgers already?!

For David Stern:

Did you make Jordan retire because of gambling?

Who wins in a fight- Prokerov or Cuban?

For EVERY major college basketball and football coach:

Who was paid to go to your school and how much?

For EVERY Major League Baseball player who played between 1980 and now:

How much performance enhancing drugs did you use and for how long?

There are so many questions that could be asked, I could have sat here for hours and hours writing them. I’ll leave it there for now and ask you the question: WHAT WOULD YOU ASK?

That is not a typo, and I am sure you are now hyperventilating. Someone call the paramedics!

In fact, that number is so outrageous, you probably think you are reading an article written by Jerry Springer. And maybe Jerry is to blame. Springer and the baby-face of Zac Efron have gotten to the Lakers heads. Add in some saucy Justin Beiber, and the half-naked, Megan Fox, and the Lakers have gone down in the flames of Hollyweird.

Weird, is the perfect word.

With the champs down 3-0 to a hungry Mavericks team, one would expect the survival mechanism to kick in. These are the Los Angeles Lakers, two time defending champs, deeper than anyone in the league, with a nest of proven title warriors. But instead, the fans have been abandoned with the pretty, bop haircut of Drew Barrymore, and are left to fend off the snakes of reality–too old; Kobe not the same; Pau soft; Bynum’s glass knees; No heart; Defensively poor; Fisher needs to fish elsewhere.

Weird, weirdness, weirder, weirdest, weirdizzle.

And while I’m on the topic, Barrymore is a perfect example. One of her first films, Firestarter, an alt-classic with a cultish’ following, features the young Barrymore blazing through American streets with an ability to start fires. She doesn’t know why she does it, accept that she gets enormously pissed off, and bad things happen to really good people.

So get out the gasoline, and start this here barbecue, because a massive roast is about’ to ensue.

Kobe IS FAR passed his prime. It was obvious in today’s game, that the fifteen years on  his thin, lengthy frame, have worn his once spry knees to ancient nubs. He came out red hot, as to be expected, shooting 6-8 in the 1st quarter. But 2-12 for the remainder, with little lift or drive, beckons the question..has his window of dominance closed?

Bynum, a guy getting paid fourteen million dollars on knees of a sixty year old’s, has reasons to smile. He is the most overrated big man in the league, with an ego the size of Texas.

I vote trade his ass to the South Dakota Greg Oden’s.

Pau is shaken by a recent breakup. Wait, a BREAKUP! Can we now consider Vanessa Bryant the new Yoko?

Fisher is now officially crowned with clownsmanship. I am positive Phil had him out there as comic relief, as everytime he threw Terry, Barrea, or Kidd to the ground, he still had it in him to somehow argue the foul call.

The problem with Artest is he is now Sir’ Ronald Artest, and no longer is going by his thug name Ron Ron “Stab a Juggler Vein.”

I think the basketball God hates Steve Blake because he no longer wears a birca.

LO is also the nickname of a former star on the Teeny Bop MTV series The Hills. And we wonder why Lamar is not a star….?

Kloe Kardashian is the 2nd woman in world history to experience immaculate conception. This occured after Luke Walton used the force during a game of Star Wars.

Walton prefers the name Yoda. Kobe prefers to call him Chewy.

Bring Mark”Mad Dog” Madsen” back, and before every game have the guy dance in a tassle embroidered thong.

Maybe this will turn Jeanie Buss on. Either that, or Phil needs to enhance his libido with viagra. Dude is so impartial, he makes a mute begger look like Chatty Kathy.

Flames.

Like Dante’s hell burning up the gloried, the Heat is on, literally.

And Barrymore, who never learns how to gauge her violent skill, is burning down the house (no pun intended).

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.

ESPN’s Marc Stein reported on February 2nd that Ron Artest was requesting a trade. This was not confirmed by his agent, and it seems Stein cited his source as Artest’s brother Daniel’s Twitter account. Nice scoop. Way to trade the potential story-breaking credit in exchange for your integrity.

Twitter accounts are now apparently sources. I would honestly defy you to find something less relevant than a running mental ‘blurbology’ in it’s most primitive and impulsive form. Maybe you can camp out in your car next to the driveway and see which one of his cars he drives to the gym? If it’s the Benz, he’s styling with content. If it’s the Hummer, he wants to run something over on the way out of town. Sounds fool-proof to me? Take your reliability and shove it, Twitter.

I implore everyone to follow Daniel Artest on Twitter for a couple of hours. The running ticker of absolute nonsense you will be subjected to will urge you to flee to your local news stand and absorb the latest Enquirer just to try and bring yourself back to some semblance of reality.

What if Artest were to be traded? Would the acquisition of a package including either Rip Hamilton, Andre Igoudala or even Carmelo Anthony be something Mitch Kupchak should be interested in? Yes. Would it behoove L.A. in the long run? Yes.

Even with Artest not fitting as well as he should at this point in his stint with L.A., could making a move and throwing an unknown piece in the mix this late in the season hurt L.A.’s chances at a three-peat? Also, yes.

That’s what makes this a very tough call. Do I see it happening? I’m not sold on the idea – but I still offer the possibilty. I don’t think Kupchak would trade any of the big-money players currently on the roster aside from Luke Walton along with Artest for any one player in return. Anthony makes too much money to be swapped for Artest and Walton, as Andrew Bynum or Lamar Odom would have to be included in any deal including Anthony. To that point, I believe even though Odom comes across as aloof at times, his versatility and rebounding tenacity proves invaluable.

That leaves Andrew Bynum and his fourteen million dollar a year salary along with Artest and Walton. There are however a couple of roadblocks with the proposition of packaging all three. First of all, you would be projecting nearly twenty-five million dollars a year to a potential suitor. Second of all, you would need a respectable big man in return to replace the void left by parting ways with Bynum.

With these two factors considered, in the case of Carmelo Anthony, we might be onto something. Twenty-five million in Bynum, Artest and Walton on it’s way out, twenty-eight million with Anthony, as well as a solid veteran replacement at center who also wants out of his current situation, Nene, on it’s way in.

Nene for Bynum straight-up is a win for L.A., as even though both have bad knees, Nene (28) is only 5 years older than Bynum (23), has only played 3 more seasons than Bynum (Bynum was drafted as a 17-year old) and is more of a versatile offensive threat when healthy than is Bynum. Obviously Bynum can be somewhat of a rebounding and shot-blocking force in the middle when 100%, but what Nene gives up slightly in that regard, Bynum does not make up for with his lack of overall elite skill and tenacity when compared to what the Lakers could get along with Nene, a top five player in the NBA, Carmelo Anthony.

I am of the opinion that Bynum has just been incredibly too spoiled by his situation since the day he was drafted, and it shows. He is the first love of co-owner and head of player personel, Jimmy Buss, and when interviewed, he almost has a wry smile that screams, “I know you need me and you know you need me, so I think I hold all the cards and I will give it my all on my schedule ” (as seen early this season with the drawn out, 6-month process of a return from a knee scope, which generally takes no more than 6 weeks).

Are Lakerfans to be held hostage with this frustration season in-season out for the next decade? I would hope not. The franchise is better than that. No twenty-three year old will hold the franchise at ransom. We don’t care if you are seven feet, two hundred eighty-five pounds. Get ready to catch a permanent flight out of town, at any time, away from one of the greatest sports franchises in the world.  Stop taking it for granted kid and start playing like you understand this threat.  Comfort breeds underachievment.

As far as the more important side of the deal, Anthony for Artest and Walton would rival the Pau Gasol trade as far as steals go. Anthony, only 26, and his wife, La La Vazquez, who he tied the knot with in the off-season, might be the perfect fit in ‘La La Land’ to keep the Lakers big-market dominance rolling throughout the decade, even after Kobe retires. Anthony is the type of talent that only comes along less than once and a while. When you have the opportunity to obtain a guy who has the entire offensive arsenal and can score from anywhere on the court and in any way possible, it is worth taking that shot for the sake of the future of your franchise.  If a sign and trade can be worked out with Anthony for five or six years in the neighborhood of just over 100 million, you pull the trigger.

Another real option for the threesome of Bynum, Artest and Walton, would be Igoudala and Elton Brand from Philadelphia. Financially feasible, yes. Athletically and health feasibility, maybe not so much. Igoudala for Artest and Walton alone would be an athletic upgrade, as Igoudala’s attitude, versatility and ability to fit where needed at a very high level would mesh well with what the lakers currently put on the court.

Even with this taken highly into consideration, and while Bynum has had numerous nicks and dings over the first five years of his career, Elton Brand has been a walking wheelchair in recent years past. He isn’t getting any younger at age 31, and his acquisition would require Gasol to play center on defense, something that we saw wasn’t a good situation for the Lakers in the 2008 Finals versus the Celtics. This deal wouldn’t necessarily be the best option that is currently out there.

Bynum, Artest and Walton could also score you Hamilton, Ben Wallace and Ben Gordon from Detroit. The salary swapped is exactly twenty-five million going each way. Yes, the Lakers get a bit older – but you know Wallace will bring it defensively and crash the boards with reckless abandon for the next two years remaining on his contract. This is just the garbage-man puzzle-piece the Lakers need to fill in for the next two to three-year twilight of Kobe’s championship-winning career as a number one, go-to guy.  Poor-man’s Rodman to Kobe’s Jordan?

As far as Hamilton and Gordon – each have three years remaining on their deals, and obtaining these two would not only allow Shannon Brown to inevitably go get his mid-level exception or even more from another organization at season’s end, but would also prove vital in helping replace the aging Derek Fisher in two years.

Combo, mid-sized guards like Hamilton and Gordon, who can both score and have a certain amount of handles, are right up Phil Jackson’s alley, as well as the alley of the coaching staff that is waiting in the wings to continue his legacy.

Moreover, in this particular deal, a trade exception exists. If the Lakers were to acquire Ben Wallace, they could use two million of the five and a half that they owe Sasha Vujacic to pay Wallace’s already bargain of a two million dollar salary. The Nets then become responsible for the two million owed to Vujacic.  извините, Prokhorov.

This move overall would lose the Lakers something in the front-court for this season, but over the long-haul would give them a significant amount of sustainability in the back court.

Whatever all of this analysis is worth, the main counterpoint as to why any of these pipe-dreams would be a daunting proposition to pull the trigger on is the learning curve of joining the Lakers mid-season.

However lacking Bynum still is in the post passing out of the double-team, and however lost Artest may seem in the offense, they are leaps and bounds beyond where anyone acquirable would be come playoff time, and that could be a big problem for the Lakers’ title hopes this season, Phil Jackson’s last.

Could they learn the offense? Everyone does in a matter of time. Would any of them learn enough of it to be comfortable and confident in the limited amount of time between now and when the playoffs start? I highly doubt it.

At the end of the day Lakerfans, it looks as if we could very well be stuck with what we’ve got, and I don’t know if I’m even sure what that is. I still can’t believe I’m saying this at the all-star break. That worries me as it should you.  Although, the recent big win in Boston and the subsequent blowout win in New York gives the like-minded a sliver of hope – hope that it is turning in the right direction and there is no need for the snap-jerk reaction of a trade.

Then again, opportunities arise and the Kupchak swindle could surprise us as it did three years ago. Holding onto Bynum keeps you formidible for now in the middle, but may keep you from staying ‘ahead of the game’ if you shy away from obtaining Anthony, who is without a doubt a once-in-a-generation type of player who is in the prime of his career.

If by the slimmest of chances a trade involving the Lakers happens to unfold before the deadline, some Lakerfans will question it, most will rejoice. If not L.A., Mrs. Vazquez, bank on at least the Big Apple. Either way, get the bags packed and keep them packed, La La.

Artest has been known for many things. 1) His toughness throughout college at St. Johns and during his early years in the NBA are legendary. 2) His ability to use strength, and a mentality that fed a tenacious inner motor, that made him one of the best players in the NBA. 3) The sometimes alternate reality he seems to live in and his bizarre behavior throughout the years.

Artest’s edge and aggressive mentality made him the defensive player of the year, and an all-star in 2003-04. At the beginnning of the following season, on November 21, 2004, Artest fell off the knife’s edge he’d been balancing on. As he lay on the scorer’s table after an on-court kerfuffle, a cold beverage rained down on him from above. Artest ran into the stands along with some of his Indiana teammates, attacking Pistons fans and creating the worst public relations mess since Kermit Washington’s fist met Rudy Tomjanovich’s face.

The well-documented incident cost Artest the remainder of the 2004-05 season (73 games plus the playoffs). It also set into motion a chapter in Artest’s career that ended with an NBA Championship-clinching jumper followed by a sincere thank-you message to his therapist.

But what if Artest and his teammates hadn’t gone into the stands? What if he’d been able to keep his edge intact and under control and maintained his composure that night in Detroit? Where would his career have gone and what effect might it have had on the rest of the league? Would Artest be a different player than he is now and what type of different person or teammate would he be?

Best case scenario: Better and Better in Indy

Artest’s career was on the rise. In 2004, he was coming off an All-Star season and was widely considered the best defensive player in the NBA. In short, he was a force. He was also surrounded by an All-Star at the time in Jermaine O’Neal and Stephen Jackson who has shown his value in many places since 2004. Al Harrington was a promising young player and Reggie Miller, while at the end of his career, was still effective.

So where would Artest’s team have gone in Indiana? Indiana made the NBA Finals in 2000 and after posting a 61-21 record during the 2003-04 season, things were looking very good in Indianapolis. The Pacers’ roster in 2004-05 was one big player acquisition or draft away from being an even stronger contender–meaning one of the top 2-3 teams in the league. Whether you believe Artest would have thrived as a centerpiece or only a key contributor, the point is that Ron had a promising career in the Hoosier State.

Worst case scenario: The blow-up is worse later on

So what if Ron had taken that beverage to the face without reacting? What if he had kept his anger inside? The answer to that question is that the ticking time bomb would likely have gone off at some other time. One can’t imagine that it could have ever been any worse than what happened, but–knowing what we know now–an on or off-court situation or a complete mental breakdown was not out of the question.

Had Artest been involved in another situation, which would have been inevitable, it might not have been as bad for the NBA or his team. However, it may have been much worse for him personally. He could have been in the wrong place at the wrong time off the court, got in a fight on the court, or might even have been caught up in the Queensbridge scene he has so articulately described. If Artest couldn’t keep himself from going into the stands in front of fans in the arena and watching on television, what would have kept him from making even worse decisions when not in the spotlight. The opportunities for an NBA player to get into trouble off the court are nearly endless. With players like Stephen Jackson around, (who was involved in a gun-related incident reported in October 2006) who knows what compromised decisions and situations Artest might have been in the middle of.

Because of the potential for an even worse blow-up at some point in the future, going into the stands might have been the best thing to happen to Artest. Had he not done it, he could have done something more destructive to himself.

Effect on the League

Artest’s venture into Row H in Auburn Hills was a low point for fan relations in the NBA. In the years since then, Commissioner David Stern has implemented policies like a dress code for players as they come to arenas. Coaches are required to do interviews between quarters, and referees have been instructed to tolerate less and less complaining from players and coaches.

Whether you think Stern’s recent changes makes the game and the players more or less interesting, there is no arguing that the brawl in Auburn Hills in 2004 has been a tipping point the league can trace current initiatives to 5 ½ years later.

Artest’s mental health

Following the brawl, Artest was suspended for the entire remainder of the season, required to go to counseling, and was subsequently traded to the lowly Sacramento Kings. Though his public actions didn’t always show it, he was on his way to making a positive personal change. After his stint in Sacramento, his time in Houston showed that he could be the physical player and maintain an edge while staying within the confines of the game.

Despite getting picked on by NBA officials, Artest managed to have a solid season, helping the Rockets take the eventual champion Lakers to seven games in the conference semifinals. It was clear that Ron’s game was coming back and that he was getting his mind right.

Ron comes to Titletown – His time with the Lakers

With the Lakers in 2009-10, Ron’s transformation became complete and tangible. His presence on a championship team brought a toughness and edge that was much-needed for a team trying to repeat. When the Lakers visited the White House, Artest became mysteriously ill; the rumor was that he didn’t want to be satisfied or go to the White House when he wasn’t on the team that helped get them there. Under the surface, Artest’s drive and toughness fueled the Lakers’ title run.

In the playoffs, Artest’s defense and tenacity helped the Lakers overcome a three-games-to-two deficit to win the NBA Championship. In a gritty blue-collar Game 7, Artest’s three pointer in the fourth quarter sealed the Lakers’ victory.

In two great post-game moments during the playoffs, Artest made Craig Saeger say “Queesbridge” after he beat the Suns with a Game 5 buzzer beater and then thanked his therapist after the clinching Game 7 of the finals.

In searching for these videos I found this theme park spoof as well.

Unfortunately, the 2010-11 was different for Artest and the Lakers. After starting the year like they were playing against JV teams, the Lakers became bored and disinterested. Without Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol was overplayed and Artest forgot how to dominate. Ron had to be a star in Houston and Sacramento, but had become too comfortable in his position as a role player in Los Angeles. With Kobe Bryant to shoulder the leadership role and dominate, Artest seems happy and content to not dominate. Where he never let himself get lost in the game, he seems to have taken a cue from the Lamar Odom of the past and has decided to show up with an edge only sometimes.

Below is a diagram of Ron’s edge/sanity and how it affects his game:

His lack of edge leaves the Lakers, well, edgeless. With his edge has gone Ron’s consciousness and I’m not sure if there’s anything anyone on the Lakers can do about it. Recently, rumors have spread that Ron wants out of Los Angeles. If you watch the games, it’s easy to see he’s not happy. Lakers beat writer Mike Bresnahan tweeted during the game at Memphis on Monday night that Artest didn’t look happy on Monday night.

While Artest may be happier in his personal life, his happiness on the court is not translating into Lakers wins. When Artest was hungry, had an edge, and was borderline insane shouting Queensbridge, the Lakers were winning. Maybe his unhappiness on the court signifies a change in Ron that can give the Lakers the edge they need. For Lakers fans, here’s hoping that unhappiness is limited to the court, and here’s hoping there is more where that came from.

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