Artest sinks teams like a rock

How are the Sacramento Kings going to get rid of Ron Artest?

Certainly it’s the right thing to do right now.

When the Kings brought him in as value for trading away Peja Stojakovic, it was another step away from the team that had pushed the Lakers dynasty to the brink of elimination.

The trade signified a switch. They had enough offense to win, but they needed defense and a little toughness — something that wouldn’t fail them in crunch time.

Peja was a major part of a team that had peaked, but when the pressure tightened, so did his shooting wrist. On the court it was a coup for the Kings. Here they were able to land a player who could score regularly enough to lead the team on some nights and there were able to add one of the leagues premiere defensive players along with it.

But off the court it couldn’t have been any worse.

One of the reasons the Pacers wanted to get rid of him anyway was his leading role in the Motown basketball riot of 2004. He had also asked management for some time off at the beginning of the season in order to promote his record label. He wanted to take a month off.

The move out to Sacramento put him closer to prime destination for his entertainment business interests and he seemed to fit in well with the Maloof brothers, the owners of the Kings, who had entertainment interests of their own to worry about outside of the NBA franchise they owned. If anyone would understand what Artest has to go through to promote his record label, it would be those two.

It also made sense because with the way the Western Conference was headed there was no way the Kings were going to be a team that could make it to the NBA Finals by outscoring teams like the Mavs and Kings. They would need someone to beat them up. With Artest and Brad Miller, two of the hottest heads in the league, the Kings weren’t going to get pushed around.

Three seasons later the Kings have failed to win as many games in a season as they did without Artest and now people are starting to realize the 6-7 small forward from New York City is infected with the same thing that Stephon Marbury. It neutralizes their talent on the court and makes their team struggle to win games.

The Kings were 50-32 the year before Artest showed up. They won 44 games in Artest’s first year with the team, and that number dropped to 33 the next year. Last year Sacramento won 38 games and the it was enough for them to venture further away from win-now mode by trading veteran point guard Mike Bibby.

Artest is the next player that needs to go. A youth movement is ready to start in Sacramento. This is Kevin Martin’s team and the young kid from rural eastern Ohio, doesn’t need the boy from New York City flexing his East Coast attitude.

The Kings are in need of a point guard and, with Artest’s departure, a small forward. They have a couple of tough guys at power forward and center and have third-year pro Shelden Williams to groom.

That’s why a deal to the Pistons makes sense for them. Ron Artest for Tayshaun Prince and Chancey Billups. The Detroit Free Press reports that Detroit is interested.

He would give Detroit a psychopath to guard Lebron James.

But it’s not worth it.

Anyone that takes in Ron Artest is destined for failure.