Promising but Fragile, Knicks Should Shun Artest




By HARVEY ARATON
Published: January 16, 2007

In his first New York City appearance in almost three years, or since he was that brawling man in the stands at the Palace of Auburn Hills, Ron Artest played it cool. He was a dogged defender, a determined driver, a generous passer.


After torching the Knicks for 39 points earlier this month three time zones west, Artest seemed worked hard to deliver a positive Martin Luther King’s Birthday message about teamwork and temperament, about fitting in.

“I don’t want to get traded,” he said yesterday when asked if he’d prefer to permanently reside at Madison Square Garden, where Artest, out of the Queensbridge Houses in Long Island City, played many home games during his two-year run at St. John’s. “I’m happy in Sacramento.”

Yesterday, he was. Today? Tomorrow? After next season, when he can opt out of his contract and become a free agent?

Let’s remember that Artest was traded, or banished, by his previous employer, the Indiana Pacers, to Sacramento last season. These days, even sports marriages born of love, or at least mutual consent, don’t always last.

“When you’re young, you always dream of playing for your hometown team,” Artest said.

He sounded as polished as a politician after his Kings fell to the Knicks, 102-97, in an end-game sequence that subtly demonstrated why Artest would no more be the right fit for the Knicks than was the game but gimpy Chris Webber before announcing yesterday that he would sign with Detroit.

It was a nice holiday victory for the Knicks, albeit one over a 14-21 opponent. They have 17 victories with two games remaining until the 41-game midway point. There is also no compelling evidence to believe the second half will look significantly different from the first, if only because young teams with no history of success typically titillate one night and frustrate the next.

But would 35 or 36 victories represent the substantial progress demanded of the coach and team president, Isiah Thomas, by the Garden strongman, James L. Dolan?

Larry Brown won 23 games last season before settling in N.B.A. Commissioner David Stern’s divorce court for an $18 million payout, or $3 million more than Jean Strahan reportedly sacked her ex, Michael, for. While Brown was free to rekindle a flame in Philadelphia and land in the 76ers’ front office, Thomas got custody of all the players he has brought to New York — most important, the young ones, who are supposed to represent the franchise’s future.

“They’re improved,” Artest said. “They got a power forward and a center.”

He meant Eddy Curry, who had 24 points and 10 rebounds, and afterward was actually called “one of the better centers in the league” by the Kings’ coach, Eric Musselman. And David Lee, whose performance (15 points, 12 rebounds) continued to raise the issue: Why doesn’t he play more, or start?

Thomas would talk about the need to match up defensively, not one of Lee’s strengths, and why Sacramento, down a point with 37.1 seconds left, came out of a timeout and went right at Lee, with Shareef Abdur-Raheem powering in a jump hook to give the Kings a 97-96 lead.

For all the recent positives in the play of Curry, Lee and others (yes, Stephon Marbury, too), no one, most of all Thomas, should forget that he is not building around Dwyane Wade or LeBron James here. His nucleus remains as imperfect as the process.

Much as Lee, at 6 feet 9 inches and 235 pounds, can be overpowered, he is practically Charles Oakley compared with the starting power forward, the sweet-shooting Channing Frye. The rookie Renaldo Balkman flashes a (Dennis) Rodmanian intuition and athletic flair but is offensively raw. Curry is on the rise, but not to block or alter shots.

He wasn’t even on the court as the Knicks defended the 1-point lead given them with 18.3 seconds left by Jamal Crawford, who beat his man, Kevin Martin, off the dribble and hit a floater in the lane over the weakside defensive help in the person of Artest.

Which brings us back to why Artest, even if available, should not be the next move Thomas contemplates, knowing he can’t sell hope beyond this season and will have to trade a prospect or two to get an established player. His primary need? It was written like a prophesy on the chalkboard for all to see in the Kings’ locker room: “Attack glass — no shot blockers.”

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While Curry is believable when he says he yearns to be more of a defensive presence, he admits: “I have a long way to go. I’m not a natural.”

As fierce a defender as Artest is, as well behaved as he would promise to be for the chance to come home, play again as he did in Indiana for Thomas, he is, at 6-7, no interior intimidator and not worth whatever the Knicks would give up to get him. He is also a good offensive player who at times makes the mistake of thinking he’s great.

With Curry as the offensive hub, with Marbury and others to score, the Knicks don’t need another local hero — the role Artest sought when he launched a 3-pointer over Quentin Richardson after Crawford’s free throws gave the Knicks a 100-97 lead with 13.8 seconds left. Martin, who had already hit five 3-pointers and scored 30 points, or Mike Bibby, for that matter, would have probably been better options.

“I thought it was going in,” Artest said, packing up, the road out of New York beckoning.

And guess where he’s going Saturday for the first time since that terrible basketball night at the Palace? Back to Michigan, to suburban Detroit, an even better reason to maintain his cool than pressing Thomas and the Knicks.

E-mail: hjaraton@nytimes.com

If Artest was not crazy, I would love him here. He would be a great two-way SF. A front-court of Artest, Lee and Curry would be pretty tough, especially as Lee improves defensively, which i think he will do. But Artest is too violatile. This team finally has some stability. We probably don't need to add Artest.

Posted by SugarRayRichardson:

Its nice to see how many players anc coachs from other teams are noticing and praising our center and pf in the last 6 weeks or so.

It's good to hear ANYTHING nice said about our team.

i'd rather target an athletic shotblocking SF if we're going to make a trade.

Posted by TMS:

i'd rather target an athletic shotblocking SF if we're going to make a trade.

cough::::cough::::JOSH SMITH:::cough::::cough::::

This is why people start so much crazy sheeot here. They read a little article and the smallest quote that has to do with nothing, and boom, it starts a whole big thing. This article said nothing of the Knicks going after Artest.

BTW, why do people keep buying what Isiah says and say Balkman is Dennis Rodman light. Extreme light. How about, David Lee has the ability to be just as good, if not better?