11 replies to this topic

[daco_inc]

By J.A. Adande
ESPN.com

LOS ANGELES -- In a Lakers-Rockets game with no shortage of big names you had to dig deep through the box score to find the real star, the guy Phil Jackson calls a "stealth player."

Six of his teammates scored more points. Pau Gasol grabbed nearly twice as many rebounds. But Trevor Ariza was the guy secretly responsible for an astounding 45-point swing, from a 16-point Rockets lead early in the second quarter to a 111-82 Lakers victory.

For all the stat geeks, Ariza had a plus/minus of +34 Sunday night. Put that in your web browser and click it. Good things happen when Ariza's on the court, even if he doesn't always get his name called over the loudspeakers when the play is finished.

"He's like a ghost out there," Jackson said. "Like a shadow. Just all of a sudden he shows on a screen, he's gone. He's a blip and he's away."

rest of article

If he keeps playing at this high level, he may give Lamar some competition for the 6th man award.

[lyk13]

I think 6th man award should go to the entire bench...=X

[UKUGA]

Even though he's thin, Ariza brings the toughness that we so desperately longed for during last year's finals.

It's amazing to think that we got him for Mo Evans and Brian Cook.

Cookie was an absolute throw-away (we had to be begging to unload him) and we acquired Evans (who, while a good player, frankly was not a very good fit, as he was extremely inconsistent offensively, while never showing the defensive prowess that we seemingly acquired him for) for Cheik Samb.

Wow, just wow!


People want to talk about how Mitch lucked into acquiring Pau, but hey, this Ariza trade was just nasty. It was Jerry West-esque!

[kobynum]

i mean ariza for cookie and mo was about even, orlando didnt need him and we did. cook has won games for us and so has evans, but when you add ARIZA's excitment factor, we won that trade obviously

[GCMD]

Just imagine if we had nabbed Posey also!!!


We'd give the UNLV Runnin' Rebels of the 90's a run for their money!!!!!

[kobynum]

we have the perfect team, no need for posey

[kobynum]

not perfect but they fit 2gether perfectly

[GCMD]

Stalker.

[Aztek Lakerfan]

Keep Ariza

[Aceis²FresH]

LOL @ Cook winning games for us.

[kobynum]

Ace if you dont remember Cook's positive impacts thats sad, because he was a key component in BIG games, including the playoffs. No stats off hand but cook bailed us out with his 3's back in the day

[ogarte24]

Ace if you dont remember Cook's positive impacts thats sad, because he was a key component in BIG games, including the playoffs. No stats off hand but cook bailed us out with his 3's back in the day