Trevor Ariza of the Houston Rockets celebrated his ring ceremony with a victory over the Los Angeles Lakers Sunday night.

He overcame a woeful shooting night (2 for 12 from the field) by contributing a solid all around game of 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks helping the Rockets defeat the Lakers 101 to 91.

Ariza got his ring and then did his thing. (Credit: yahoo.com)

Ariza and company have already been turning heads this season by playing far above what was to be expected of them. Without Yao and McGrady, Ariza has instantly seized the light as Houston’s go to guy.

Alongside Aaron Brooks, Houston has two young and reliable building blocks.

Brooks and Ariza are cornerstones of the new school Houston. (Credit: picapp.com)

Everyone already knew Ariza is a defensive stalwart, and although his shooting last night might make you think otherwise, he is blooming into a complete player.

He is off to a 40% FG shooting percentage, but over his career he is 46%, and as he becomes more accustomed to shooting in volume, he should catch back up to his normal rates.

Ariza got his ring, and beat his old team.

I tip my hat to the Houston brass. They got rid of the problematic Ron Artest while managing to add younger players to offset the loss of the league’s best center. In doing so, the Rockets are still capable of competing to win this year.

The Houston Rockets are playing their hearts out these days, winning games with tough defense and solid fastbreak basketball.

Houston fans should cringe upon reading the following update: Tracy McGrady has announced that he is coming back November 18th.

He then rescinded and called it a target date.

Does Houston need T Mac, or Yao Ming for that matter, moving into the future?

Yao, you should consider retirement. (Credit:picapp.com)

Sure, McGrady has put up big numbers during his career, but has he helped his team go anywhere when it counts?

It is a huge asterisk to his career at this point. Coming in close at second: missing X-Amount-of-games due to Variable-Injury-Y.

Anyone who has ever played team basketball will tell you that nothing disrupts team chemistry like an injury-plagued player. Sure, you know the talent exists, but is he going to be too sore, off his game, rusty perhaps?

McGrady, in a “Forrest Gumpian” sense, is similar to a box of chocolates: You never know what you’re gonna get.

Houston plays noticeably better without Yao slowing them down in transition. Sure he is the biggest giant in the league, but he also has the slowest feet to match that body. At least in Yao’s defense, you know what you are going to get, and the guy would try to play on crutches if he was allowed to.

Trevor Ariza is playing like an All-Star these days, and is thriving in his new starter status. He has doubled his scoring output with the offense now running through him.

Chuck Hayes gives the speedy young rendition of the Rockets everything a team loves and heralds most. Hayes is all defense and hustle possessing a strong will to battle with any big in the league. Hayes is a constant disruption to teams and they must focus on him, or pay the price.

Hayes creates multiple fast break opportunities with his whopping 2.43 steals per game. His solid passing skills allow Aaron Brooks and Trevor Ariz to score easy buckets using their speed on transition in the open court.

When speed cannot match an opposing teams strength, the Rockets have Kyle Lowry and Luis Scola to equalize with tough, gritty muscle.

Carl Landry is playing out of his mind. Maybe getting shot last year woke up his inner beast, as near death experiences tend to do so in most people. Knowledge of seeing solid minutes all year also boosts confidence, and he is making his mark as the Rockets’ best reserve.

It’s unfortunate the Rockets have $39 Million invested in T Mac and Yao this year.

It would be nice if the Rockets trade McGrady’s expiring contract to a team in need of cap space for 2010. With $22 million in trading chips, the Rockets could add depth to their roster with the talent they could net for McGrady.

Furthermore, if Yao can’t play again due to his injuries, the Rockets are currently proving to be in a solid position without him.

I speculate McGrady gets traded to one of several teams who are in the forthcoming LeBron James sweepstakes in 2010.

The free agent signings of Jason Kidd, Hedo Turkoglu, and Trevor Ariza beg the question: What’s up with NBA players turning their back on winning for money? Especially guys that have already had monster contracts. We’ll give Ariza a bit of a break because he won a ring with the Lakers last month and had yet to score the monster payday, but Kidd and Turkoglu are different stories, especially Kidd.

Kidd has earned $158 million in salary alone over the course of his career. $158 million. How much more freakin’ cash does he need? Does he live that “high on the hog” he’d go for the scratch instead of a real chance at winning? Does he drive a fur-lined Countach? Seems like a future Hall of Famer would like to close out his career with some hardware. Is this guy feeding all of his hometown of Oakland? And Latrell Sprewell’s family? Could be the alimony payments to Joumana.

Turkoglu has earned $35 million over the course of his career. The difference between the Blazers offer ($50 million) versus the Raptors offer ($53 million) is more than most of us will ever make, but he traded a great opportunity for team success in Portland for keeping his wife happy in Toronto.

If you analyze any other career in the world you will notice that compensation is performance based. If you fail to perform you inevitably fail to retain your position. It is a sad state of affairs within the NBA when players can go to a team with no chance of winning simply to make more money. It should go against the ideology of being a professional athlete.

Magic and Bird are true professionals by definition. (Credit: vurbmoto.com)

Have they any pride? Isn’t a professional athlete’s job supposed to be winning? Seems like it’s become more about the groupies and hangin’ in the champagne room of whatever strip club in whatever city they happen to be in that night. And why are guys on opposing teams so buddy-buddy with each other? That’s truly nauseating. Watching dudes hug and giggle with one another in the midst of a game isn’t supposed to happen. Magic Johnson and Larry Bird had tremendous respect for one another, but were the fiercest of enemies on the court. This is not a bromance after all. It is basketball.

The game has devolved into what is often simply entertainment instead of fierce competition. It’s just not about winning for the vast majority of players in this league which has to make you wonder why fans allow this. Are they too hypnotized by $10 beers, the beats blaring from stadium loudspeakers, and fat guy dance troupes?

By today's standards, Bird and Magic would make less then the mid-level exception. (Credit: usinflationcalculator.com)

And since we referenced Magic and Bird, Protect the Paint decided to research how much money Magic and Bird made during their careers. Yes, it was a much different time, but the money these guys made didn’t render the concept of winning and losing obsolete like it so often does today.

Magic earned around $46 Million, with $15 million of that in his final two seasons. Deduct the $15 million from the $46 million and you have $31 Million over the first 15 years of his career.

Magic got his payday as a reward for winning NBA titles. (Credit: basketball-reference.com)

That averages out to roughly $2 million per season. Kidd will average $8.3 million for 3 years, and has but a minuscule chance at winning a championship. Obviously one could argue about inflation, and how their salaries would inflate to something near that, but it is hard to imagine either Magic or Bird leaving for the money when they were in a situation to win it all.

Even adjusting for inflation, these guys didn’t come close to making what dudes make today.

Larry Legend made an approximate total of $26.5 million during his ENTIRE career. That is $1.5 million more than Jason Kidd will make over the next three years.

Bird knew winning required making less money. (Credit: basketball-reference.com)

Larry Bird made $1.5 million in 1990-91 (a million less than Robert Parish), and didn’t care that he wasn’t the highest paid guy on the squad.

Star Players shared what little wealth they had in order to win. (Credit: Basketball-reference.com)

In the same 1990-91 season, Magic earned $2.4 million which was the most on the team, but he wasn’t obsessed with who made what.

Bird and Magic were true professionals from a bygone era. No one today compares. Not the Michael Jackson-mourning Kobe, not LeBron (especially after what happened when King James got dunked on in a pick-up game), not anyone.

They wanted to be on the best team, and be the best player on that team. They wanted to play against the best team, and beat them, no matter what the cost. If they were to make less money, that was okay. It wasn’t the point. They were already making over a million bucks for a game they would most likely have played for nothing.

They won. They did not allow their salary to interfere with the number one goal of their sport which was bringing home the title. The only greed in these guys had was the greed of winning more and more. Not money.

Realistically, how much money does someone deserve for playing the game basketball? Yes, we get the concept of supply and demand, but too many guys today play for the wrong reasons.

It’s sad when ridiculous salaries blur the concept of competition.

This past week we have seen Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva join Detroit.

Ron Artest took a pay cut and is hoping to get his first ring playing for the world champion Lakers.

Hedo Turkoglu reneged on a Portland offer, selecting the Raptors instead.

Rasheed Wallace is now alongside Kevin Garnett in Boston.

Trevor Ariza maxed out his contract value and is Houston-bound.

And Finally, Jason Kidd is staying in Dallas instead of going to New York.

The free agent signings become official today, the first day that players are allowed to ink their verbal agreements. There are more deals to come involving free agents, and it is going to be interesting to see where everyone ends up.

We here at Protect the Paint will list some of the rumors/moves involving the available free agents.

REMAINING FREE AGENTS

Lamar Odom

Odom might be hugging members of the Blazers soon. (Credit: daylife.com)

Lamar Odom doesn’t seem to be thinking repeat. Instead he and his agent want to be shown the money in the neighborhood of $10 million per season. Odom appears to be going the Trevor Ariza route, cashing in elsewhere now that he has the ring. He sacrificed his stats to win and now wants to sign with a team that could offer him a starting position and big bucks. Should have a different address in 2009-10. The Blazers are reportedly interested. Championship experience on an up and coming squad never hurts.

Andre Miller

Looks like Miller is heading to Portland. Gives the Blazers the floor general they lacked last season and gives Miller a chance to win. Good match all the way around.

Brandon Bass

Bass would make a mistake going to Detroit. (Credit: ocregister.com)

Bass could be staying in Dallas, heading to Orlando, or possibly ending up in Detroit. It makes absolutely no sense for him to sign with the Pistons. With rumors circulating of Carlos Boozer being shipped there for Rip Hamilton, and Charlie Villanueva signing a 5-year deal, he would essentially be the third option at power forward. The Magic need help up front. Orlando would be a good fit.

Antonio McDyess

McDyess could get a ring if he heads to San Antonio. (Credit: ugplay.com)

McDyess is leaning towards San Antonio in the most recent rumor involving the veteran which would provide more depth in the Spurs front court. He’s a solid shooter and depenable on the glass averaging 9.6 ppg and 9.8 rpg last year for the Pistons. The Spurs would have a solid 1-2 post punch with McDyess and Tim Duncan giving them the size to contend with the Lakers huge frontline.

Marcin Gortat

Marcin Gortat is going to get paid big bucks this summer. (Credit: mlive.com)

Most likely headed to Dallas. We’ll see how he responds to more minutes and more responsibility. This is a huge loss for Orlando who now have lost the majority of their front line not named Dwight Howard–Tony Battie via the Vince Carter deal, Hedo Turkoglu to free agency, and Gortat. The Magic better hope Ryan Anderson is as good as Pat Williams thinks he will be.

Grant Hill

Hill should go to a contender rather than a pretender. (Credit: offsideswithfletcher.com)

There are rumors of Hill heading to the the Knicks. Finally healthy, his game resurfaced playing with Phoenix. He appeared in all 82 games for the Suns last season. It’s unfortunate that he would want to make the move to New York, especially when he could most likely ink himself onto another team with better chances of winning a title. Seems like he and fellow 1994 co-ROY Jason Kidd have more in common then we thought: Take the money, not the chance for a championship ring.

Channing Frye

Frye could play minutes that matter for the Cavs. (Credit: nike.com)

Frye is very interested in signing with Cleveland. The guy has been marred with the “wrong place, wrong time” syndrome during his career. He was buried behind David Lee in New York and then behind LaMarcus Aldridge in Portland. If Cleveland loses Anderson Varajao, Frye will have an immediate chance for big minutes at power forward for the Cavs. This is a good opportunity for both sides. Frye has showed he has a lot of game and could be a late bloomer if given the chance.

This past Thursday, Trevor Ariza verbally committed to a 5-year, mid-level exception deal good for $33 million with the Houston Rockets–a much more lucrative deal than the Los Angeles Lakers, his former team could offer. As irony would have it, he joins Houston hours after former Rocket Ron Artest agreed to a 3-year, $18 million deal with the world champs.

Ariza reportedly decided to make the move to Houston after L.A. declined to make an immediate offer once the July 1st free agent market officially commenced. Ariza should become an immediate contributor with Artest leaving, and Yao Ming out indefinitely. Tracy McGrady is also reportedly on his way out via the trade market.

Ariza was the glue for the 2008-09 Lakers team. (Credit: nydailynews)

With the Houston youth movement unexpectedly beginning because of the injury to Yao, the Rockets essentially are planning for Ariza to be one of the focal points of the offense. Aaron Brooks, Kyle Lowry, Carl Landry, Luis Scola, and Ariza represent a solid nucleus for years to come.

The Rockets will further alter the landscape of their roster by moving McGrady, although his value can’t be that high because of injury issues and the fact he’s never been on the roster of team that advanced out of the first round of the playoffs. New York seems interested in McGrady and has young players they could include in a deal.

Ariza and Kobe's friendship will have to be maintaind on the phone or via twitter now (Credit: ABC)

Ariza took the riches over a chance to win another title, and who could blame him. He capitalized on his maximum NBA free agent value after being one of the key guys on a team that won the NBA Championship. The Lakers obviously had a backup plan knowing they could sign enforcer Artest for less than Ariza.

The former UCLA Bruin was the “glue” guy for the champs. He did all the intangible dirty work, the stuff that doesn’t necessarily show up in the box score. He didn’t need the ball in his hands to be effective.

Trevor Ariza is a tenacious and active defender showing no signs of mental instability (Credit: lakers.topbuzz.com)

Ariza earned himself a nice paycheck and he will see the floor a lot more in Houston. At this point, he has more upside than Artest, but the question is how effective–without Kobe–can he be as a “go-to” guy.

Click here to vote for the best free agent move of the summer!

Kobe Bryant will no longer need to worry about fighting with Ron Artest during the playoffs. They can now plan to fight each other every day during practice. Artest agreed in principle to sign a three-year deal worth $18 million, proving he wants to win. He seemingly could have made a lot more cash elsewhere.

Kobe Bryant's worst nightmare became a dream come true. (Credit: giant.blackplanet.com)

Artest has a long, troubled past, earning season-long suspensions, consequently disrupting team chemistry and unraveling chances for success.  Last season with Houston, Artest managed to make an about face both on and off the court. Artest then reverted to losing his composure multiple times, earning technical fouls and an ejection in the playofs against the Lakers.

Protect the Paint will assess the pros and cons of the Lakers mind-blowing acquisition.

PROS

Ron Artest will flex his defensive muscle for the Lakers this season. (Credit: suntimes.com)

Artest adds another tough defender to the lineup, compensating for the eventual loss of Trevor Ariza. He is a great ball handler for his size, incredibly strong, and unusually quick for his build. He emerged as a leader in Houston, and should be a great compliment to long-time friend/rival Kobe Bryant.

Artest’s career 42% shooting from the field ought to rise when easier shots become more plentiful within the Lakers offense. Artest’s rebounding and passing skills should prove beneficial in the multifaceted Lakers’ triangle offense. In addition, Artest has converted close to 40% of his three-point attempts over the past four years. This a vastly underrated offensive player.

Bottom line: Artest will have more weapons surrounding him, and be paired with the best overall player in the world (okay, LeBron James fans might want to debate that), rather than having to defend Kobe in the playoffs. His competitive temperament should be subdued as he accustoms himself to winning more often, and could inevitably lead to his first ever NBA Championship.

CONS

Artest’s reputation and spotty past will always be an issue, no matter how long his dormancy from acting out/up persists. Most recently he erupted (not in a good way) in the playoffs against the Lakers. This serial inability to maintain his composure has to always be a concern.

The main question that will linger this off-season and beyond is if Artest will be a distraction in the locker room. He is known for walking to the beat of his own drum, and with “Zen-Master” Phil Jackson possibly only coaching 41 games (he plans to only be on the bench during home games in 2009-10), that leaves 41 other games in which Artest will do “god knows what.”

The Los Angeles lifestyle and the negative influence it could hold is something to consider. He is no novice to the club life.  Here is an example supporting what could contribute to Artest being a detriment to the Lakers:

Should Artest immerse himself into the Los Angeles lifestyle too deeply, it could lead to his implosion and be a major detriment to the Lakers.

In the past, Artest has felt he needs the ball in his hands to be effective. This will be a major conundrum for the Lakers famed triangle offense. Growing pains could ensue as Artest regularly hangs on to the ball too long, often deciding to pull the trigger himself when other guys are open.

SYNOPSIS

Artest and the Lakers should see themselves staring down the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals. These are now the best two teams (on paper) in the conference. Adding a moderately selfish player like Artest to the lineup could do more damage than good. Kobe is the king of L.A. (and no one is the boss of Artest), so it is not hard to envision the two of them finding it difficult to share the ball on offense.

San Antonio is by no means finished making deals, and if Rasheed Wallace and/or Antonio McDyess end up playing in the Alamodome, the NBA will have some amazing games for us to watch this forthcoming season. Now Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, and Richard Jefferson will have the same worries when facing Arest that Kobe once had.

With that said, we’ll take the Spurs in six for the Western Conference title.

Click here to vote for the best free agent move of the summer!

The division featuring the 2008-09 NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers will have other teams in the division seeking out immediate help to contend during the 2009-10 season. Look out for a healthy Los Angeles Clippers roster with Blake Griffin and Eric Gordon leading the way to contend this season as the best in the west.

Yup, we said it. The Clippers.

Griffin will make an immediate impact in the NBA (Credit: northwesternwins.com)

Los Angeles Lakers (65-17)     The Lakers could lose Lamar Odom, and Trevor Ariza to free agency. Although highly unlikely, it is a possibility. The only real weakness the defending champs will have is depth at point guard.  Jordan Farmar has not proven his worth as a long-term solution. Look for LA to see what is left on the table with the 29th pick. Perhaps they will stay local and draft another UCLA alum in Darren Collison. If not, they would need to go for the best available player like Marcus Thornton.

Phoenix Suns (46-36)    With a team full of veterans and no room on the roster, we suggest you keep your eyes on the trade market as with only $7 Million of salary on Goran Dragic, Jared Dudley, Robin Lopez, Louis Amundson and Alando Tucker,  With Dragic expected to see an increase in tim t his year, It might be a stretch, but Chase Budinger would be a nice local fit after playing down at the road at Arizona last season.  If not Budinger, perhaps James Johnson is another suitable option at SF.

Jennings has 1 year of pro experience in Europe. (Credit: Rueters)

Golden State Warriors (29-53)    The Warriors are at a crossroads. Their most glaring need is a true point guard. Monta Ellis is supposed to be their 1, but he is absolutely a pure 2 in a 1’s body.  Even though Ellis was promised by management a PG would not be drafted, look for the Warriors to select either Brandon Jennings, Jonny Flynn or Stephen Curry. Curry would fit into Nelsons offense almost immediately. If the Warriors draft Curry, watch out for trades coming out of Oakland in the immediate future.

Los Angeles Clippers (19-63)    This is a no brain decision. Blake Griffin. Look forward to having two franchises in Los Angeles at the top of this division very soon. With Eric Gordon having starters minutes and a healthy roster from the start of the year, look out for Blake Griffin and the Clippers

RIcky Rubio is a hot NBA draft commodity (Credit: panaramio.com)

Sacramento Kings (17-65)    The Kings need one position desperately filled in the Sactramento: a solid PG. If  not available with the 4th overall pick, it is within reason to see the Kings making draft day moves to secure Ricky Rubio as their long term investment at PGs. If Rubio is not available,  look for Jonny Flynn, Brandon Jennings, and as a long shot we have Jeff Teague.

Kobe Bryant wins his 4th NBA Championship (photo by AP)

At the start of Game 5 of the NBA Finals in Orlando, we expected to see the Magic come out of the gate like gangbusters. Dwight Howard’s claim of a game 6 led us to expect fighting, clawing, and intimidation in forcing their way  into a game 6 at the Staples center.

In reality, the Orlando Magic played as if they did not want to fly west.

Kobe Bryant had a compelling all around game with 30 points, 5 assists, 6 rebounds, 2 steals and 4 blocked shots. His supporting cast played wonderfully. Odom scored 17 points, Ariza had 15, Gasol 14 and 15 rebounds, and Fisher, whose clutch 3s in Game 4 lifted L.A., finished with 13 points.

Orlando started the game matching the Lakers pace, but  faltered in the second quarter being outscored 30-18 by the Lakers.

At the start of the second half the Magic were unable to gain ground. Orlando showed some fight, but costly turnovers  were then converted by the Lakers and defused Orlando’s chances at a run. It became apparent things were going the Lakers way in the 3rd.

Due to Dwight Howard’s limited offensive repertoire, the big and athletic Howard was called for an offensive foul  with 7:12 left to play. Lamar Odom then converted a high arching 3 from the corner which squandered and deflated the Orlando Magic.

The Lakers then rolled over the Magic, basically matching Orlando bucket for bucket until the buzzer sounded in an otherwise unexciting 4th quarter.

Mark Jackson of ESPN brought up a very intelligent point during the fourth, directed towards Dwight Howard:

“If I am Dwight Howard…..after this game…… I am going to seek out a big man camp”

Dwight Howard needs to learn more than a dunk. (Photo AP)

Truer words could not have been spoken. Dwight Howard must realize the short comings of his game. How hard can it be to develop  a 10-15 foot jump shot, or even a baby hook?

I am sure we have all had that friend, who tries to play a pick up game after never playing ball before.  You watch them, the form of the shot is horrible, and  no real clue or basketball sense.  Time passes, and that person does get better. Some eventually become actually fairly decent.

How is it that a kid who gets paid gobs of cash with nothing but free time does not use his time to develop an all around game?

Andrew Bynum  adhered to a work regimen after Kobe Bryant called him out, and he has a ton of moves now.  Beset by injuries over the past couple seasons, he still has a leg up on Howard’s offensive sets.

Maybe it is time these players are paid less cash. Reflecting upon the old Lakers and Celtics rivalries, and further back, we see how players cared more about winning and losing. Players refined their games.

Nowadays  players would rather make predictions in the media while drinking vitamins, spending the off season stroking a superman cape preparing for the photo shoot to be on the cover of NBA Live 2010.

It would be nice if there was time for learn some jump hooks, an elbow jumper, and perhaps a few other valuable fundamental elements for the game of Basketball.

Kobe's Lakers have what it takes (Chris Carlson -- AP)

I do remember the 2004 ALCS, (The Red Sox won the series four games to three having been down three games to none in the best-of-seven series.) but with the Lakers up 3-1 in the 2009 best-of-seven NBA Finals, it appears a matter of ‘when’ and not ‘if’ Kobe wins his fourth ring, but his coveted first without that famous guy with all those Twitter followers.

Yes, he’ll finally win without Shaq, but it’s not like he’s leading the Cavs to the title.

Don’t get me wrong, Kobe is a great player—in everyone’s top two—but he’s also on the best team. It’s not pure vindication. His team is superior.

This shouldn’t be about Kobe. It’s about an amazing organization that pulled all the right strings and had some luck along the way. The stars are aligned for the Lakers—nearly lost Kobe, Pau Gasol fell into their laps, Derek Fisher comes back—in winning their first without Shaq.

Kobe has been the best player on the floor, but the supporting cast has been every bit as championship-caliber.

So skilled in the post and not intimidated by anyone, Gasol is the most Tim Duncan-like player since Tim Duncan, maybe better than Duncan at this point.

Derk Fisher is Steve Kerr and John Paxson rolled into one, plus he’s a good ball-handler, great defender, and leader on the floor.

Trevor Ariza plays in control, hits shots when it matters, and is a physical, yet quick-footed defender.

These three players have all been instrumental in L.A.’s playoff success.

Put LeBron on the Lakers and they don’t lose. Put Gasol on the Cavs and they don’t lose.

Kobe got his first without Shaq, but he had almost as much help this go around as he did winning three to start the decade.

Proves it takes more than one great player to win. Then again, LeBron could tell you all about that.

Players win games, but Lakers management put those players on the court. General Manager Mitch Kupchak deserves recognition.

So you’ll no longer be able to say Kobe can’t win without Shaq. Now we’ll say he can’t win without Derek Fisher.

Now maybe next year we’ll get that Kobe versus LeBron battle we all crave.