Every weekday until the NBA season starts on October 27th, I will be asking a question that's bugging me (QTBM) about the upcoming campaign and attempt to answer my own query.  Comments are welcome.

The Los Angeles Lakers are stacked with talented players and on paper, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum, and company should repeat as NBA champions in 2010.  On paper, Ron Artest is also a talented player.  However, unlike the aforementioned Lakers, he hasn't proven he could gel with a cast full of talent that also puts in the work and has the will to win a title.  He can prove it this year, but the all-important question is:

Can Artest fit in?

Comparisons of Artest and Dennis Rodman have been made numerous times as both are hard-nosed players on the court, as well as enigmatic characters off of it.  If you're too young to remember, Rodman for years was the league's top rebounder and defender, having won seven consecutive rebounding titles (1991-92 to 1997-98 seasons) and back-to-back NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards (1989-90; 1990-91), as well as five NBA titles (1989, 1990, 1996, 1997, 1998) with the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls.  Obviously, Artest doesn't have the pedigree of Rodman, which makes you wonder how valid the comparison is beyond the strange behavior.

Rodman achieved many individual honors and accolades, but was still able to blend in with superstars such as Isiah Thomas, Michael Jordan, and Scottie Pippen to win championships.  His run with the Bulls is more relevant here because he had already "gone nuts" and stood out not only for his production on the floor, but the multiple tattoos and hair color changes.  The big difference between the Worm and Artest is the way they want the ball.  Rodman wanted the ball after it came off the backboard or rim, but Artest needs the ball in his hands to facilitate the offense and get his shots.  Hence, Zeke, Jordan, and Pippen didn't mind having Rodman on their teams because they were still going to get their normal amount of shots.  The addition of Artest may not necessarily mean that at all, primarily for Kobe and Gasol, well, especially for Kobe.

In previous NBA stops, Artest demanded the ball, however valid, and often held the ball too long before commencing with his offensive move.  While Artest has proven to be a scorer, his demands for the ball will have to cease and defer to Bryant as all Lakers do.  No one is a more proven scorer than him, including during crunch time, but that might not worry to Artest who is saying all of the right things at this point.  And, you know what they say about old dogs and new tricks.

That all said, Artest has something that Rodman didn't have after winning his first title with the Pistons... that hunger to be a champion.

This first season with Los Angeles, Artest is going to be as angelic as he's capable of being, not that I question his sincerity in wanting to be so and win.  Afterall, he did choose to take less money in joining the Lakers.  However, Artest is still a passionate and volatile player, which is part of his effectiveness and he's going to want to make his mark somehow with the team.  I'm sure head coach Phil Jackson and the team understand... to a point.  Luckily, Artest will be able to be reigned in thanks to his respect for Bryant and Jackson and the coupling of "freak" and "top-notch team" should work again for Jackson who coached Rodman with the Bulls.  I'd expect there to be some hiccups in the beginning as the team tries to get their chemistry down, but eventually it should be smooth sailing to a NBA title.

But only if Artest fits in.

Previous QTBM:

9.28.09 - Part I: Can The Lost Angeles Clippers Make A Big Jump This Season?
9.29.09 - Part II: Can LeBron James and Shaquille O'Neal Co-Exist?
9.30.09 - Part III: Is Kevin Durant A Superstar?
10.1.09 - Part IV: Can Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry Start In The Same Backcourt?
10.2.09 - Part V: How Will The New Jersey Nets Do In 2009-10?

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