For Starters

First I'd like to welcome everybody to THE BIG B SPOT. I put this blog together for your pleasure and entertainment. I'm a pretty well rounded guy so the topics you'll find on this blog sight will be numerous. I am a sports guy, so there will be plenty of blogs about different things going on in the sports world. So let's get started shall we.

The Los Angeles Lakers made a big move in aquiring Ron Artest to replace Trevor Ariza. If they resign Lamar Odom (and they will) that will put them firmly in the drivers seat to repeat as NBA champions. What I'm wondering is why the Lakers weren't sold on Ariza after the magnificant post season he had this year. Arize ended up commiting to the Rockets for the same amount of money he was going to get from the Lakers. Why wouldn't the Lakers want him back?

Ariza is 24 years old and has a tremedous upside in the Lakers system. He improved his outside shooting and was very key defensively during the Lakers championship run. Why wouldn't the Lakers want to reward him for a job well done? My guess is Ariza wanted more then what the Lakers were willing to pay. That says something about the NBA and the nature of the business. A guy gives you his heart and soul to win a championship and his reward is a one way ticket out of town because he wants to be rewarded for the job he did.

The bottomline is the Lakers were willing to role the dice on getting a replacement for Ariza. Once Artest became available and more than willing to sign for what the Lakers were offering Ariza became expendable. Neither party had any sense of loyalty to the other nor did either side feel like they owed the other anything. It was a "thanks for your help, but we've got it from here" type deal for the Lakers. Now it's up to Ariza to make a name for himself in Houston so that he doesn't regret leaving L.A. down the road. Only time will tell.

Well, people that's it for now. I'll be back soon. Have a good one.

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