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The Dallas Mavericks return home for Games 3 and 4 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Los Angeles Lakers. The Mavericks are 3-1 in a best-of-seven series when up 2-0, although the one series they lost was a big one, the 2006 NBA Finals.

As for the Lakers, they’re 2-16 when down 2-0 in a best-of-seven series. Only three teams in NBA history have lost the first two games at home and come back to win a best-of-seven series, most recently done by the 2005 Mavericks. The last NBA champion to be swept was the Heat. Miami won the title in 2006, then got swept by the Bulls in 2007.

After an explosion of dunks in the first round against the New Orleans Hornets, Kobe Bryant has no dunks -- or layups -- in the first two games against the Mavericks. Whether it's his ankle or the Dallas' defense, Bryant has drawn only three shooting fouls, two of which occurred within 10 feet of the basket.

But Bryant’s history has shown that when he is facing an uphill climb, he’s going to try to shoot his way out of it.

He’s trailed 2-0 in a best-of-seven series seven times previously. In the ensuing Game 3s, Bryant averaged more than 27 field-goal attempts compared to an average of 20.2 overall.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson has stared at 2-0 deficits before, but success hasn’t always followed.

The Hall-of-Fame coach has a 2-5 series record when his teams have fallen behind 2-0 in a best-of-seven.

On defense, the Lakers have not had an answer for Dirk Nowitzki. He’s made 9-of-16 shots when guarded by Pau Gasol and 8-of-16 when Lamar Odom’s been on him.

The defensive problems Nowitzki has caused the Lakers will only seem to worsen with the absence of Ron Artest, who was suspended for Game 3 for his late-game flagrant foul on J.J. Barea.

Artest was used sparingly as a defender on Nowitzki in the first two games of the series, defending him for a total of five plays this postseason.

But on each of those plays, Nowitzki posted-up Artest, going 2-for-3 from the field, drawing a foul and committing a turnover with Artest on his back.

One thing to keep an eye on is if the Mavericks bench will continue to outplay the Lakers bench. The Mavericks are averaging 35.0 bench points per game in this series, the most among any team in the conference semifinals. The Lakers reserves, meanwhile, have averaged just 18.5 points in two games.

The Los Angeles Lakers now are 0-2 against the Miami Heat this season, and in both games Kobe Bryant hasn't been himself offensively.

The Heat have two elite perimeter players, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, and Ron Artest can't guard both. With Bryant forced to guard one of them, does that cause him to be less effective on offense?
In two games this season against Miami, Bryant has shot 37.8 percent from the floor (14-37). The only opponent that Bryant has a worse shooting percentage against this season is the San Antonio Spurs. In three games against San Antonio, Bryant is shooting 35.7 percent from the floor.

Bryant's isolation game has been significantly less productive against the Heat than other teams.

Bryant leads the NBA this season with 520 isolation points (7.9 points per game). However, in two games against the Heat, Bryant has scored just 3 points in isolation, missing 10 of his 11 isolation shots.

It's looking more and more like Carmelo Anthony will remain in Denver until the Feb. 24 trade deadline, and after all this time, the New Jersey Nets remain the Nuggets' preferred trading partner.

The Nets and Nuggets have discussed various trade scenarios, and just before Christmas they nearly worked out a three-team deal involving the Cleveland Cavaliers, according to league sources.

The Nets have a standing offer of rookie Derrick Favors, two first-round draft picks and Troy Murphy on the table, but last month, sources said the Nuggets aren't interested in Murphy because they would inherit the remaining $8 million on his expiring contract. So the Nets brought in Cleveland and its $14.5 million trade exception.

Denver would have received Favors, Devin Harris and three first-round picks. Cleveland would have received Murphy and one or two first-round picks, and the Nets would have received Anthony, Al Harrington and the Cavaliers' trade exception, the sources said.

Beyond the sticking point of Anthony’s accepting or refusing to sign the long-term extension with New Jersey, the deal fell apart because both Denver and Cleveland wanted the 2012 first-round pick the Nets got from Golden State in the Marcus Williams trade. That pick is protected through the first seven slots.

While Denver never asked for the Nets' five first-round picks, New Jersey might have wound up sending those five picks to the Nuggets and the Cavs. Losing all those first-rounders makes the Nets squeamish, as does not getting back a point guard if they have to give up Harris.

Because it has Ty Lawson, Denver doesn't have much need for Harris. But the Nuggets were hoping they might be able to send Harris, whom Portland covets, to the Trail Blazers for Andre Miller and Nicolas Batum, according to sources. It was likely wishful thinking because Portland has no intention of moving Batum.

While Chauncey Billups' name has been mentioned with Anthony's in trade rumors, Billups' desire is to remain in Denver, which is his hometown.

There's some feeling throughout the league that the Nuggets' lack of interest in Murphy will subside by the trade deadline because by then, he'll be owed only about $3.5 million this season.

While the Nets remain enamored with Anthony, there are some within the organization who wonder if the club might be better off keeping Favors and its five first-round picks and building through the draft. In the end, however, if the Nets can get Anthony, they'll pull the trigger.

New York still in Melo hunt

The Knicks remain Anthony's preferred destination, but the superstar forward also wants that three-year, $64.4 million contract extension. Leon Rose, Anthony's agent, has discussed trade scenarios with the Knicks and Nets, and the Knicks have tried to use the probable lockout to their advantage.

With the owners hoping to make current contracts fit within the confines of the upcoming collective bargaining agreement, the Knicks are telling Rose that Anthony's $64.4 million extension may not be worth that much anyway, that it may get slashed once the new CBA is in place. So, of course, why not just wait and sign with the Knicks as a free agent, or so New York's argument goes.

Around the league, executives are skeptical about the Knicks' chances of trading for Anthony. Denver remains cold toward a Knicks offer, and while New York insists it can get a first-round pick (most likely for Anthony Randolph), rival executives are saying, "Why haven't they gotten the pick yet?''

Phil and Ron

People close to Ron Artest say his confrontation with coach Phil Jackson during a Lakers practice a week-and-a-half ago stemmed from Artest's sincere belief that if Jackson is going to call him out publicly, he should also call other players out publicly.

Everyone in Lakers Nation knew Jackson was holding his tongue in regards to Kobe Bryant's one-on-one play, so Artest figured Jackson should have held his tongue about him as well, at least publicly.

Artest let Jackson know as much when they met privately after the confrontation, and perhaps that's why Jackson made his Kobe "screwed up the game'' comments a few days later.

While the confrontation made huge news, neither Artest, Jackson nor the rest of the organization viewed it as being a big deal.

There might not be a player in the league with a more confounding game than Kevin Martin. Take a look at the odd, left-leaning release on his jumper and you can imagine a nation of high school basketball coaches cringing. Martin's field-goal percentage and defensive game have never been all that impressive on the surface. But once you get past traditional measures -- both aesthetic and statistical -- you'll find a uniquely efficient perimeter player who thrives in systems that take advantage of those gifts.

Rick Adelman's read-and-react offense in Houston is one such system. Although Martin is a capable one-on-one player, he's always been most effective running off screens, cutting, curling or fading to the arc when the defense sags. Martin harbors an appreciation for his days in Sacramento, where he went from an obscure late first-rounder out of Western Carolina to the first option in the offense. But he's thrilled to be back with his first NBA coach, whom Martin credits with helping him become that marquee player.

We caught up by phone with Martin in Houston last week, and talked about the change in culture he's experienced since the trade that sent him from Sacramento to Houston, the limitations of his game and the influence of Brad Miller:

So what's your summer day like?
I decided to get a place in Tampa so I could do some extensive training.

What are you working on in specific?
The basics. Getting my form back because I had surgery on my left wrist last year, so we wanted to get my 3-point shot back. There were a couple of minor mechanical things. Also, defenses load up on me, so I'm working on a lot of counter-moves for when the defense stops that first move.

When you're not in the gym, what do you do in your down time? You a beach guy?
I'm more of a city guy. I like to roam around, maybe check out a restaurant. I also like playing with my electronics -- like the new iPad.

So you're a proud member of the Apple cult?
Yeah!

Sacramento to Houston -- the perception is that's a huge cultural move for you. "Culture" is a term that sportswriters -- and front office people when they're talking to sportswriters -- throw around a lot, but does "team culture" really exist from a player's standpoint?
There definitely is such a thing as team culture. It starts with the organization, what kind of veteran players they have. Here in Houston, Shane [Battier] and Yao [Ming] are the veterans. They set the tone for us on how to be professionals. They've been around the community a lot. They set a big example for young fellas and are just two great leaders with what they do.

So if someone were to drop you in a random locker room of some team you didn't know, you could totally tell whether it was a winning or a losing locker room?
Unfortunately, yes. I've been on both sides of it. We're all paid to play this sport we love. If you're on a team like that as a team leader, you wish it didn't happen and you try to minimize it, but you can only control so much. It's up to the players to be professional about it. But you can definitely tell the difference.

How do they do things differently in Houston?
First, it's a veteran ball club with guys who just want to win. We all made names for ourselves in the league and the only legacy we're trying to leave now is winning. We can all put up nice numbers and things like that. You have to give credit to [general manager] Daryl [Morey] for bringing in those kind of people -- players with a lot of class and who are motivated. Of all the guys on our roster, there's really only one player who came into the league with big expectations, and that's Yao. The rest of us -- we've been the hard workers. I was like the 15th player on the roster my rookie year and had to work my way up. Then I was the No. 1 player for three years. This isn't to disrespect guys, but it's not about hype in Houston. These are guys who have worked their way up the ladder. I'm definitely happy to be in an organization like this. You know what you need to do and you just go out there and get it done. You don't need anyone on your throat all the time.

With Trevor Ariza on the move, what does the situation look like at the small forward on the court for the Rockets?
It shows how much faith Daryl has put in our other 3s -- in Shane and Chase [Budinger]. With the starting lineup we have now, Shane is the defensive stopper, and that helps us a lot there. Those guys will have to pick up Trevor's production on both ends of the court. I think we have a great system that allows other guys to do that.

How do you rate yourself as a defensive player?
Great question. I've never had anyone ask me that. I get judged a lot on it. I try to work hard, but the last three years I was a guy who had to put up 25 points a game just to not lose by 10. But my first two years under Rick Adelman, that's how I stayed on the court. It was because of defense. And I could because I had four offensive players around me. I know I have to get back to that, but I also think Houston is a better place to allow me to get back to that because I won't have to be the No. 1 option every night. Now I can do other things on the court.

So it's true that guys conserve energy on the defensive end because so much is asked of them offensively? That means their defense is less intense.
For some players that's true. Everyone has their roles.

Stat-heads love you because your true shooting percentage -- which takes into account 3-pointers and free throws -- is always impressive. You have this knack for drawing contact and getting to the line, or just draining the 3. But one thing I've never completely understood is how a player like you makes decisions. When you have the ball in your hands out on the perimeter, are you looking to either shoot or draw contact? I'm either going to get a clean shot or I'm drawing a foul? Are you looking to do both? How do you decide in the moment?
There are always different scouting reports on how to guard me. Guys know my first step is so quick so they might back up off me. Right there, I'm just going to take the open shot because I'd rather do that then try to go in there against all those big guys and get hammered on the floor. Then other nights, guys are like, "He's such a great shooter," and they try to get up on me. That's when I use my quickness. Once I get by you, I just know the rules -- you can't bump a guy off his path. If I'm going to the hole, and I've gotten past you, you can't get back in my path. That's how I get a lot of those calls. It's tricky and you have to have a lot of moves in your arsenal and trust your game. As the No. 1 guy the last three years, I've gotten knowledgeable about knowing how the defense plays me.

You didn't pass the ball a lot in Sacramento. Was that a function of the system or is that just not your game?
If you watched those games, when I'm making a move, I'm going to make that move and try to score. Also, there's time where my assists weren't there because maybe I'm not the greatest playmaker, but I will pass the ball and give other guys chances. That's how that went. Over my three years in Sactown, they got rid of (Ron) Artest and I was playing with a lot of guys who were trying to make names for themselves in the league. They were young guys and just learning the game. Once Artest was gone, I was playing with four starters who had never started before. But I also think that's what made me the player I am today because I had all the attention of opposing teams.

So we should expect your assist totals to go up this year, just by virtue of Rick Adelman's system?
Yes.

When we say that a perimeter player knows how "to play off a big man," what does that mean?
I've always wanted to play with a guy like Yao. I think the trick is to keep them happy. You give them the ball when they're in great scoring position and you make the right plays when they give you the ball -- like me and Brad [Miller]. My offensive game is where it is today because of Brad Miller. The way he and Rick taught me how to cut and things like that made me so much better. The last three years in Sacramento, it was all, like, one-on-one. Now I'm back in a system where I can cut. Playing with big guys like Yao who get rebounds for you, you feed them back. Keep them happy.

Let's talk more about Brad Miller and Rick's system.
Rick's system is all about read-and-react. When you're young and watching film, you like to watch a couple of guys who you're modeling your game after, and mine was always Rip Hamilton. I always looked at how he came off screens. That's where my shooting and curling evolved. That was my bread and butter my first three years. Then I moved on to other things. Playing with Brad, he's the one who taught me how to cut at the right time -- not cut too early. When I started doing more iso stuff, I watched film of [Dwyane] Wade iso situations. You put all this together and that's how you become a more complete player.

So Brad was like Yoda Big Man? How did he impart this knowledge to you?
With Brad and me, it was always on the court. And I also got a chance to watch him and Peja [Stojakovic] play a lot my first year because I didn't really play too much. He and Peja had a great connection. I knew I was a lot quicker and had a lot more agility than Peja. So at the beginning, I would always do everything so fast. I'd be too fast before the cut, during the cut, after the cut. Brad would say, "Slow down! You're faster than everybody out here, but you have to read it!" He showed me the ins and outs of making those cuts and reads -- when to come around. Like when a guy plays under you, come around and take the jumper. And when a guy is playing you tight, you just go back door. Brad taught me how to play.

• The Nets hosted the much-anticipated workouts for DeMarcus Cousins and Derrick Favors. The Nets are sitting with the No. 3 pick on Thursday night and will likely have a choice between the two big men. Cousins impressed, but the Star Ledger's Dave D'Alessandro believes that the Nets are leaning toward Favors: "DeMarcus Cousins passed every test they gave him — with honors." But, D'Alessando disclaims, "He failed to prove that he is better equipped and contoured to play the power forward position than the more athletic and equally promising Derrick Favors. And in a draft that is now predominantly about marking and developing Brook Lopez’s frontcourt sidekick, that’s a problem for Cousins."
• Every June, David Stern steps up to the podium and announces a few draft selections with international pedigrees. The immediate reaction from casual fans of the teams making those picks is generally, "Whooooo?" Jay Aych of The Painted Area offers a primer on a couple of potential first round hopefuls from across the pond.
• Dan Steinberg of D.C. Sports Bog is blown away by John Wall's skill set. One observation: "Wall runs faster while dribbling a basketball than Kevin Durant runs without a ball."
• We tend to poo-poo ballplayers who are characterized as single-dimensional. But Fran Fraschilla points out that a specialist fills an important place on an NBA roster. Fraschilla has divided his list of talented niche players into three categories: shooters, energy guys and rim protectors.
• Speaking of specialists, you could do a lot worse than plucking a monster offensive rebounder and nasty screen-setting big man like Brian Zoubek in the second round.
• Plan on heading over to Madison Square Garden for the draft? Tickets don't go on sale until the morning of the event at 11 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time.
• Matt Moore of Hardwood Paroxysm on Evan Turner's resilience at Ohio State: "I started gawking at the kid’s numbers five games into last season. I thought they’d tail off (and they did, sort of), but the fact that they were there showed what he was capable of, and when trying to determine a ceiling, that’s a pretty good sign. Then he broke his back. I figured that meant a drop to the teens for him. I mean, the kid broke multiple vertabrae. Who comes back from that? Who fights through that?"
• The pros and cons of Xavier Henry for the Warriors.
• Is Paul George the sleeper of the 2010 draft?
• Doc Rivers says that the Celtics were too eager to help off Ron Artest in Game 7. He's also getting regular texts from Paul Pierce and Ray Allen pleading with him to stay with the Celtics. (via Sports Radio Interviews)
• Do you remember when a portrait in Life Magazine represented an official induction into the highest rungs of celebrity? Free Darko does.
• Lamar Odom, Jerry West, W.H. Auden, Joseph Stalin, Mike Tyson and Kobe Bryant all in one place.
• The arrest count in Los Angeles from last Thursday's post-game violence now tallies 45. For those who love the city, who appreciate that our municipality can ill-afford frivolous expenditures and who feel for business-owners who stuck it out downtown when central Los Angeles was being written off (and found their property destroyed when they came into work Friday morning), images of what transpired in the name of celebration evoke profound sadness.
• Zach Lowe of Celtics Hub continues his catharsis. Lowe lists some of the most painful losses in Celtics history.
• Watch the draft with Raptors Republic.

Paul Pierce has made 13 of his 33 shots over the Finals' first three games, and Ron Artest's defense has gotten a lot of the credit.

But Artest is not remotely satisfied, saying after Game 3:

I haven't been happy with my defense. Next game I really want to come out and play better defense. I'm not happy with the defensive job I have been playing. Next game I'm going to come out real aggressive, within the rules. Really aggressive within the rules. You know, move my feet, play defense the way I know how to play, because I'm really not satisfied with how I've been playing defense. ... Next game I'm definitely going to come out and play better defense. I'm definitely not satisfied.

Doc Rivers echoes the idea that Artest can play better defense, blaming Pierce's uneven Game 3 performance on the referees:

Every time he came on the floor, another whistle blows and he had to sit down. He was completely taken out of the game by the foul calls. I'll give Artest credit when he deserves it, but today it was more that Paul Pierce had to sit on the bench. He'd play five minutes, have to go back down, four minutes, have to sit. ... They didn't allow him to play tonight.

The sound inside the TD Garden is explosive. When the fans are really going, it's difficult to think.

And it's easy to understand why home teams win most NBA games.

There was a moment of Game 3 when the place was just about to explode. Paul Pierce found himself all alone with a clear path to the hoop. In the middle of a tense fourth quarter, the Celtics needed just one little bucket to complete the project they had been working on since the first period: To finally tie the game up. But Pierce never got the ball.

Boston was down 72-70 when this happened:



It's unclear why Ron Artest got so stuck on Ray Allen's pick -- after the game he said he could remember the play, but now why he let Pierce get so open. Stop the play about nine seconds in. Pierce needs that ball, and Rajon Rondo completes far tougher passes every night. Listen to the crowd, begging for the pass to be completed! With a bucket there, the whole place would have erupted.

Instead of 18,624 people screaming, there was one guy clapping, out of resignation. (Watch Pierce, after the moment passes, smacking his hands together at the missed opportunity.)

Following Rondo's missed shot, Derek Fisher nailed a 12-footer to put the Lakers up four. The Celtics never did tie the game and the locals went home crestfallen.

Ron Artest is nothing if not creative about his public image. As a pro athlete, he has an especially unfiltered persona with his fans, communicating with them at will. He's also cognizant that as basketball-crazy as Los Angeles is, only a sliver of the fan base ever has a chance to attend Lakers games in person at Staples Center. "Ninety-eight percent of people in L.A. don't go see a Lakers game," Artest told ESPN News. Tickets are pricey and games are generally sold out. And playoff games? Forget about it.

That's why Artest purchased two seats to Game 1 of the Finals to give away to a couple of fans. Tickets distributed through contests are generally located in the upper bowl or in the corners, but the tickets Artest bought were courtside on the baseline and had a face value of $9,000 each -- though that wasn't disclosed by Power 106, the station through which Artest conducted the giveaway.

Jessica St. John and David Doudoumian were the lucky winners. We caught up with St. John this morning.

Kevin Arnovitz: When you won the tickets did you have any idea where in the building they were located? What was your expectation?

Jessica St. John: I didn't know what to expect. I figured as long as I was at the game, it doesn't matter where I'm sitting. But I never thought in a million years they'd be on the floor.

Arnovitz: Do you go to a lot of games?

St. John: I've been to a few, but I mostly watch on TV. It's really expensive to go to games, let alone the Finals. But I watch every game.

Arnovitz: When all the Ariza and Artest stuff was going down last summer, it seemed like Lakers fans were of two minds. Either it was a great idea to bring in Artest or it was crazy to replace a guy as dependable as Ariza had been with someone as volatile as Artest. Where did you come down on that question?

St. John: Ariza, I figured, if he doesn't want to stay, then he doesn't want to stay. Let him go. I was more than happy to get Ron Artest because I know he's an aggressive player. He's one of those players who, when he's out on the court, is so into it.

Arnovitz: So let's talk about the game. I remember the first time I sat close to the floor and what an entirely different experience it is. What was that like for you? Did you hear the players? Did you pick up details you don't see when you're watching the game on television?

St. John: I didn't hear as much as I wanted to because I was really wrapped up in the experience -- everyone around me and it was loud. But it was great to see the players' facial expressions, to see how focused and aggressive they were on the court. To see the sweat on their arms. It was crazy. They're so much bigger than you think -- and Nate Robinson is a lot shorter than I expected! And, man, Kobe and Fisher looked so intense and into it. So was Pau. When I caught their faces, it was like, "Wow." They were in it to win it and they did. Everything happens so fast and it's right in front of you.

Arnovitz: And what was it like to be surrounded by a zillion celebrities?

St. John: That was amazing. I got a picture with Bruce and Chris Jenner. I sat right down from Leo [DiCaprio] and got to see Charlize Theron -- she sat near us. Terrell Owens was standing right in front of me. It was very surreal. I was born and raised in the Valley, so you think it wouldn't faze me, but I was so nervous. My grandma even called me to tell me she saw me on the news. I'm really grateful.

Arnovitz: Were you able to touch base with Artest?

St. John: I actually had a purple Sharpee in my purse, so I wrote "Thank you, Ron, for the tickets!" He actually did see it and pointed to us and gave us a thumbs-up. And even at the end of the game, he looked around for us and gave us another thumbs-up. He's such a great aggressive player. He has so much confidence, especially after he made that game-winning shot. He's such a great addition to the team and I hope that he doesn't go anywhere.

Arnovitz: He has the reputation of being super-eccentric. Where are you now on that question?

St. John: Of course he's a little crazy, but who isn't?

• Rob Mahoney of Hardwood Paroxysm parses what we mean when we talk about the redemption of Ron Artest: "He’s gone from liability to frivolity to necessity, and there isn’t even a whisper of the Malice in the Palace. We’re to the point where it’s about basketball again with Artest, and that’s more than time healing all wounds. It’s Ron’s defense on Kevin Durant reminding us what got him here in the first place. It’s his awkward drives reminding us of what we could have missed had Artest not rediscovered himself. It’s a game-winning tip-in that Ron nailed because he ran all the way across the court to be in the right place at the right time, and put himself in a position to help out Kobe Bryant. He didn’t redeem a franchise, or a fellow star, or a fan base. He never had to. All he had to do was redeem himself, and that’s Artest’s crowning achievement of these playoffs, championship or not."
• M. Haubs of The Painted Area reminds us that several of the Celtics' Finals victories over the Lakers were, at the time, upsets. In the 1968 conference finals, Philadelphia fans were chanting, "Boston's dead," before an aging Celtics team stormed back from a 3-1 deficit to reach the NBA Finals.
• Bob Costas narrates the introduction to the 1991 NBA Finals.
• ESPN Los Angeles' Dave Miller describes the Celtics' "loaded" defense: "It simply means bringing a weakside defender to the strong side of the floor, giving you an extra defender to stop the ball, and it arose based on the following presumption: NBA players like to hold on to the ball and create shots on their own more than they like to trust the flow of an offense."
• Kevin Pelton of Basketball Prospectus counts three major differences between the 2008 and 2010 Finals -- two of the three favoring the Lakers.
• The worst of the Lakers-Celtics rivalry includes a rough 1984 Finals for Magic Johnson and Johnny Most telling his audience that Kurt Rambis crawled out of a sewer.
• David Stern tells Colin Cowherd that the 9 p.m. and 8 p.m. eastern tip-off times for Finals games aren't a problem: "I guess you don’t live in California for much of the year then where an 8 o’clock start is a 5 o’clock start there. I’ll say this to you and then we can argue about it some. Number one as the game goes on in the evening, the ratings go up. Number two, our playoff games have been, in some nights, almost all nights really, have been leading the categories 18-34, 18-49. Not just against other cable networks, but against all networks. Despite the disruption that you say we’re causing, we are developing fans. And when they’re 18-34, they’re NBA fans whom our sponsors depend upon our games to reach."
• Greg Oden lost his best friend, Travis Smith, three years ago. Oden tells Henry Abbott that the tragedy of Travis' death brought him closer to Travis' father: "Oden now calls Travis' dad, Jimmy Smith, one of the most important mentors in his life. Much of their bond comes from the long conversations that came after Travis' death."
• Kevin Durant is with family and James Harden in Shanghai. The Cheesecake Factory hasn't opened a location yet in Asia, so the Durants opt for an upscale Italian joint: "As far as the food goes, I love Chinese food and I want to try some new things over here. As long as it doesn’t make me sick! James has never been here so it’s been cool to take it all in with him. My dad’s here, too, and when we arrived to Beijing the other day we all went out to eat at this really nice restaurant called Domus."
• How should the Trail Blazers define success this offseason?
• Wizards' head coach Flip Saunders can still stroke it. And Kyle Weidie thinks John Wall should be added to the short list of people who can eat for free at U Street landmark Ben's Chili Bowl.
• Between workouts, DeAndre Jordan is previewing Eminem's soon-to-be-released album and enjoying a pedicure.

Zach Lowe of CelticsHub backs up the assertion in the headline in all kinds of smart ways, but the story begins with Ron Artest:

The presence of Artest as LA’s starting small forward is, on its own, a large enough change to make the 2008 Finals a near-irrelevant precedent. In other words: If both rosters were entirely the same, and everyone’s skill level had remained the same, making the single change of replacing Vladimir Radmanovic with Artest as LA’s starting small forward is big enough to blow up any ‘08/’10 comparisons.

The Lakers started Vlad Radmanovic at small forward in 2008! And he wasn’t a token starter! He played 21.5 minutes per game in the Finals, shooting 39 percent from the floor and playing mediocre defense against Boston’s best offensive player.

Luke Walton played 11 minutes per game in the Finals and shot 31 percent. Trevor Ariza, who supplanted both Rad Man and Walton in ‘09, was a total non-factor, logging just 7 minutes per game in the ‘08 Finals.

Those three players, combined, logged about 40 minutes per game in the 2008 Finals. I realize those minutes sometimes overlapped, but still: Forty minutes per game.

And now comes Artest, a guy who held Kevin Durant to 43-of-123 shooting (35 percent) in the first round.

Artest hasn’t exactly shut down Paul Pierce, but he has made Pierce work hard to score. In their last eight head-to-head match-ups dating to 2006, here are Pierce’s scoring numbers against Artest:

18.8 PPG, 43 percent shooting (46-of-107), 36 percent from three (14-of-39), 52 free throw attempts.

With about a minute left in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals Pau Gasol chased down an offensive rebound in the corner.

Steve Nash is loaded with veteran tricks. Gasol had his back turned. Nash resolved to get a steal by sneaking up behind to poke it away. It almost worked! But at the last instant, Gasol saw the approaching Canadian and whipped a pass to Ron Artest, who was just about to ignite a hailstorm of criticism.

Nash was now horribly out of position, still in the corner. Three Lakers -- Artest, Derek Fisher and Kobe Bryant -- were spread across the arc of the 3-point line, and every single one of them about as open as NBA players ever get.

Without a lot of analysis, the general thought is to burn clock in this situation. The Lakers have the lead, and would be smart to limit the number of times the Suns get the ball to try to change that.

But under no circumstances were the Lakers going to get an easier scoring opportunity over the remaining seconds of the game than this moment, and they were certain to need a bucket or two before the final buzzer to win.

Three NBA players empowered by their coaches to shoots 3s. No defense. You don't have to be an idiot to consider pulling that trigger. And this regular season Artest, believe it or not, was the best 3-point shooter of those three. He made 36% of his shots from downtown, compared to Fisher's 35% and Bryant's 33%.

So he shot it.

Commentators were uniformly dumbfounded. Even though Artest would later win the game with an amazing and heroic play, this shot overshadowed all as the big topic of his post-game interview.

His poor judgment features prominently in all kinds of game coverage. Which seems a little unfair, for four reasons:

There are a thousand sins worse than taking a wide open jumper.
If anyone hurt his team with poor judgment on that play, you'd have to at least consider the possibility it may have been the out-of-position Nash. Artest had a 36% chance at making that shot. What chance did Nash have at getting the steal, 5%?

You can't prove burning clock leads to more wins.
That's the accepted dogma, but a lot of accepted dogma is wrong. How many truly wide open shots does an NBA team get in the playoffs? Can you afford to pass up any of them? I'm not saying I know the answer, but I am saying that there is way more tradition than evidence at work.


Are they criticizing the decision to shoot, or the miss?
Shot selection is about decision-making before the shot goes up -- not whether it happens to come down in the basket or not. This player, that spot, these teammates, those defenders, that game plan, that many seconds on the clock ... that's what matters in judging if the decision to shoot was good or not.

But we the fans and the media have a sloppy habit in talking about shot selection, which is that if the ball happens to go in, it gets a free pass. (Find me examples of experts criticizing players for poor shot selection after makes. It's not easy.)

If Artest's shot had gone in, today the world would be praising his poise and killer instinct in icing the game, not unlike the adulation Northern Iowa's Ali Farokhmanesh received in this year's NCAA tournament for a similar decision. That's the shot Artest thought he was taking. And if it had gone in, everybody would have seen it his way.

This is what Artest always does!
I could have told you when the Lakers signed Artest last summer that he'd take that shot.

About every ten minutes Ron Artest is in an NBA game, he hoists a 3-pointer, and it's seldom a good idea. This has been going on for a decade.

If you were a high school coach, wanting to teach your players about shot selection, these 2,690 attempts would be riddled with examples of what not to do.

It's not that he's a terrible shooter. It's that he often chooses to take terrible shots.

A 3 is a difficult enough shot that, unless you're truly special, you should only shoot them when the conditions are just right -- when you're open, for instance, and when you're catching a good pass with balance and rhythm. Ideally, you'd also be in the corner, where the 3-point line is closer to the rim.

Artest doesn't really seem to believe any of that, and as a result his career average is 34%. (He points out that he was, at one time, a 40% 3-point shooter, which is technically true. He was a percentage point shy of that last season in Houston. The only time he beat that mark was the season he was suspended after seven games and took only 17 3s, making seven.)

When Artest played for the Rockets, G.M. Daryl Morey asked Shane Battier for advice in controlling Artest's shot selection, and Battier essentially advised that Morey that it was impossible, saying "you can't cage a pit bull."

The thing that bugs basketball people is that Artest could make a much higher percentage. So many of his attempts are compromised. Maybe he has a hand in his face. Or perhaps he's coming off the dribble, leaning to one side or doesn't have his feet set correctly.

There are just a hundred reasons to criticize the guy's shot selection throughout his career. There have been some dreadful leaners, on the run, with a hand in his face. There have been 36-footers with open teammates wholly unnoticed. He has ignored his own coach's plays, and befuddled teammates, to shoot wild 3s.

But that one? Last night? Artest could not have been more open. His feet were set. It was in rhythm.

Shooting early in the shot clock is the tiniest of misdemeanors compared to the shot selection crimes on this guy's record. Now's a strange time to jump on him for his decision making.

• If you're not reading Tom Haberstroh's explorations into the nuances of the pro game, you're missing out. Among Haberstroh's conclusions at Hardwood Paroxysm today: "[T]he ability to finish at the rim (as measured by at rim FG percentage) is more strongly linked year-to-year than 3-point field goal percentage." Charts & Graphs enthusiasts will find plenty of eye candy.
• Kelly Dwyer on the unselfish Utah Jazz: "31 assists on the road -- on the road! -- for Utah on 43 field goals. I point out the assist-to-field goal bits not to tell you that it's an indicative of brilliant play or that having nearly an assist per made basket is an ideal thing. Sometimes it isn't. But it does tell you, if you couldn't watch the game, of just how the action went. Pass, score. Quick pass, quick score. The Jazz are trouble, NBA."
• The Pistons' Jason Maxiell tells the Detroit News that NBA players are starting to scrimp and save in preparation for a potential lockout.
• Knickerblogger's Mike Kurylo revisits three questions facing the Knicks last fall: "A. Could Gallo survive playing a big dosage of minutes? B. Could Toney Douglas become an NBA caliber rotation player? C. Could the Knicks find inexpensive talent for next year? From the results of the last 3 weeks, the answer seems to be yes on all accounts."
• Informative breakdown by John Schuhmann of offensive efficiency quarter-by-quarter. One key finding: "[C]heck out the Boston Celtics, the most inconsistent team in the league from quarter to quarter." At Celtics Hub, Zach Lowe delves into the implications of the Celtics' second-half struggles.
• Who in the NCAA Tournament is impressing Kevin Durant? "A lot of players have caught my eye, too, aside from the obvious guys like John Wall, Evan Turner and DeMarcus Cousins. There’s Jimmer Fredette from BYU, he had a great tournament. Omar Samhan from St. Mary’s, he’s having a great tournament. Jordan Crawford played really well for Xavier. There’s a lot of guys. Jacob Pullen is playing very well. It’s a great group of guys and it’s going to be fun to see what they can do for their teams this weekend."
• A big night for Ron Artest in San Antonio, as ESPN Los Angeles' Arash Markazi explains.
• Any way you slice it, the Heat will have their hands full in a first-round postseason matchup. Surya Fernandez of Hot Hot Hoops breaks down Miami's possible opponents.
• A comprehensive catalog of Denver's ugly defensive lapses last night in Boston.
• A female friend of mine -- a Wizards' full season-ticket holder -- emails her thoughts on Sarah Tolcser's post on NBA dancers: "Like Tolcser, I, too, have filled out those surveys. While they ask if you'd like to see 'more,' 'somewhat more,' 'about the same,' 'less,' or 'a lot less' of the ads/promotions/hip-hop, etc., they NEVER ask about how you're liking seeing the 'girls' -- or they're asking in a way that doesn't allow you to respond 'NEVER AGAIN.' I often bring male friends or dates to the game; I always feel uncomfortable when the scantily clad dancers take the court. Every woman in that arena is demeaned when those young women come out wearing next to nothing. The dancers may 'choose' to put themselves in that position (and I'd argue against that point if I had more time), but the women in the audience certainly don't."
• For many in Dallas, Drew Gooden is a forgotten man. Rob Mahoney of Two Man Game takes a look at the vagabond's contributions during his short stint in Dallas: "Gooden was only a Maverick for about half a season, but that doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate what he did for the Mavs. As with Howard, I think there’s a natural inclination with Gooden to point out what he can’t do without proper respect for what he can."
• Dog bites man in Cleveland last night.
• Jon Brockman is paying far too much for his oatmeal.

• From Basketbawful: "The Nyets are now 30-100 since Devin Harris said 'We knew we were going to be a playoff team' way back on December 9, 2008."
• The average player doesn't have the ball in his hands 80 percent of the time he's on offense. During those instances, where and how he sets up in the half court in relation to his teammates is vital. If you're in a system that relies on good spacing, that's especially true. Kelly Dwyer at Ball Don't Lie: "How many times this year do I have to see Bynum post up eight feet from the hoop on the low left block, only to see Artest think it sane to then post up just below Bynum on the same block three feet from the hoop. It defies logic, spiraling from any template. And yet, the Lakers let him do it, likely thinking that they can put up with not playing their best because of Ron while still managing to win the title."
• At Basketball Reference, Neil Paine has assembled the best NBA playoff teams in history in a bracket. I'm drawn to the 8-9 matchup in Pool C: '95 Rockets vs. '77 Trail Blazers.
• Timothy Varner of 48 Minutes of Hell on how Manu Ginobili is solving the Spurs' most intractable problems: "Manu Ginobili is making everyone better, most noticeably the previously pronounced dead on arrival Richard Jefferson. Jefferson is openly campaigning for heavy minutes alongside Manu Ginobili. It’s almost as if Gregg Popovich turned to Manu and said, 'I can’t figure this guy out. Can you fix him for me?' And then Ginobili grabbed Jefferson by the hand, walked into a nearby phone booth, and emerged in Superman garb. Jefferson can be seen just behind Ginobili, with a fistful of cape. Problem solved."
• Skeets and Tas pay homage on St. Patrick's Day to the NBA's prominent Irish contingent -- players like Chris Quinn, Troy Murphy and ... Lamar O'do'm.
• Aaron Brooks longs for the McDonald's Shamrock Shake.
• The Washington Post poses a crucial question for those who like that silky smooth feel on their jumpers:"[I]s there a launch angle that gives the maximum probability of a perfect telegenic swish?"
• In a video interview, Jerry Colangelo tells Bloomberg's Michele Steele, "There could be a seismic switch this summer in terms of power in the NBA and which teams are going to be relevant over the next four or five years."
• Smart column from John Schuhmann looking back at his preseason predictions. Among his miscalculations (shared by many): Eddie Jordan's impact in Philadelphia, the Thunder's stratospheric rise and the Bucks' surprisingly stingy defense.
• Baron Davis' vote for Rookie of the Year.
• ESPN's Stats and Info Department tells us that only two active players have won both an NBA and an NCAA title: Rip Hamilton and Nazr Mohammed.
• There's a limit to what fans with limited expectations can reasonably tolerate. After Minnesota's 152-114 loss in Phoenix on Tuesday night, Canis Hoopus tries to name what Timberwolves fans are experiencing right now and comes up with a neologism called apastration: "It's somewhere in between boredom and apathy, frustration and anger, regret and hope, and all sorts of other polar and not-so-polar dichotomies."
• Why the Most Improved Player award is a misnomer.
• A close look at Ron Artest guarding Tyreke Evans.
• Reggie Evans would like his alma mater to perform a thorough interview process, thank you very much, in its search for a head coach to replace Todd Lickliter.
• Rajon Rondo tells HoopsTV, "I don't care who we play in the Finals."

• You know that old basketball meme that says a coach drawing a technical foul is one way to fire up his team? As Bret LaGree of Hoopinion enumerates, the possessions following Mike Woodson's technical last night in Atlanta were every bit as ugly as the ones that preceded it. Hoopinion also had this morsel in its recap of the Hawks' loss to Cleveland: "It's easier ... to work in isolation ... than to put in the hard, collaborative work to integrate five players in a productive concert of motion. It's easier to walk the ball up the court than it is to work hard to get the ball, be it via turnover or defensive rebound, then press on to push the ball up the court and attack a defense before it's set."
• The Sun-Sentinel's Ira Winderman on the relationship between Alonzo Mourning-Michael Beasley: "Michael and Zo talk just about every day immediately after practice. Zo also pops his head into the locker room after games, looks at Beasley, shakes his head with a smile, and keeps on going. When Zo is looking to take his kid home after games, you're not sure if he means Trey, his 13 year old, or Michael, his 20 year old."
• Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles on the mystery surrounding Ron Artest's concussion: "The problem is we still don't know what happened because he doesn't know what happened. During the course of the impromptu 10-minute long press conference at halftime, Artest said some variation of the phrase 'I can't remember' 15 times."
• Rahat Huq of Red94 on the mixed emotions that accompany Tracy McGrady's departure: "This team, as currently composed, will need an elite player to attain the heights it seeks. While the vision had crumbled of McGrady once more becoming that player, I felt he could at least masquerade in the role, utilizing the vestiges that still remained of a once deadly arsenal, boosting the team through close fourth quarters. But that will not happen – Tracy McGrady is gone."
• Zach Lowe noticed an interesting trend when the deliberate Celtics' offense confronts one of the league's get-out-and-run squads, at least prior to the Celtics' loss at Oakland Monday night: "Bizarrely, the C’s have had a lot more trouble against the hares of the league when they drag the hares down to Boston’s own tortoise pace. When they give in and run like crazy at the hares preferred speed, the C’s have been 6-0 against Golden State, Indiana, New York, Phoenix and Minnesota since the start of last season."
• It's a pretty amazing feat: The last time the San Antonio Spurs weren't a top five team in defensive efficiency was 1996-97. This season, they rank 14th. Basketball Free For All examines the roster to figure out why.
• Graydon Gordian of 48 Minutes of Hell gets the full Gregg Popovich treatment during the postgame press conference following the Spurs win over Minnesota.
• The Bobcats and Raptors meet tonight in Toronto. In their last meeting at Charlotte, the Raps lost by 35. Zarar Siddiqi on the pre-Thanksgiving massacre: "You might recall the last Bobcats game, it’s the one where you almost stopped being a fan. You know how in movies when a violent crime is committed against somebody, the memory is a bit hazy and they only remember the most shocking parts, and when the police asks them to recall the events of that miserable night, they burst into tears because they just remembered how awful it all really was."
• According to Dan Steinberg of D.C. Sports Bog, it appears as if the Washington Times won't have sports section after tomorrow.
• What's sent the Wizards spiraling from respectability? Matt Moore of Hardwood Paroxysm offers this theory: "In a way, LeBron killed it. And I know that hurts.But when he spoke to Gilbert at the line, something changed. Nothing was right after that. It was just disaster after disaster, be it the quiet unfortunate kind (the playoff elimination sans Gilbert), the abject demolition (the injury 08-09 season), or this year, the death of hope."
• Clippers center DeAndre Jordan tweets: "My boy @Baron_Davis came to the plane in a cashmere robe and sweats, so we decided it was time for a photo shoot babyyyyyyy ... http://tl.gd/1d7io"

By Henry Abbott

Ron Artest has always brought a certain devil-may-care attitude to the court. It's truly admirable.

Almost like someone who has been drinking.

Now he tells us that in his early years as a Bull ... he actually had been drinking, at least some of the time.

Some of the Artest quotes from a story in an upcoming print version of the Sporting News include:

• "I used to drink Hennessy ... at halftime. I [kept it] in my locker. I'd just walk to the liquor store and get it."
• "When I was a 19-year-old father, whew. I was a single pimp! I was wild," he told the magazine. "A lot of marijuana and alcohol -- even before [that age]. ... I [still] party and I have fun, but not like I used to. I used to drink every night and party every night."

I'll tell you what: I'm sure it'll be tempting to see these quotes as a sign that Artest is out of control. My thought is that he has always been out of control in some ways. (If you find his partying shocking ... you haven't been paying attention.)

But the fact that he is both identifying this as exceptional behavior, and admitting it, is a sign of growing up. He gets that's the kind of thing you shouldn't do, and he isn't doing it anymore.

His new nickname: Ron "Now Somewhat Less Delusional" Artest. You've got to celebrate progress where you can find it, you know?

If anyone's livid about disprespecting the game and all that, I'd first ask: Before we worry about the abstract notion of protecting the game, can we focus on the practical? How did he get home those nights? With a big sweating guy, a small amount of cognac, and a few hours in-between, perhaps he'd be sober before it was time to take the wheel. Maybe.

But that's surely more important than, what, maybe causing trouble on the court with over-aggression? Over-aggression is his calling card. Acting like a drunk guy almost defines that which makes Artest great.

His college coach, Fran Fraschilla (who now works at ESPN) is quoted in the same Steve Greenberg story saying that he's surprised to hear Artest say he was doing a lot of partying in college. "It's a surprise because every day at practice, he came out in a mood to play. He came out in a basketball rage."

If being in a basketball rage is the height of readiness, how is it again that we know cognac could hurt his game?

And are you telling me he's the first NBA player ever to play intoxicated? I sincerely doubt it.

Honestly, if I were following Artest closely these days, the thing that strikes me as most concerning admission in this interview is not Artest's about past drinking, but his present need to ensure people see him as a superstar.

Don't get me wrong. Ron Artest is an elite basketball player, one of the best of his generation, who has helped every team he has ever played for.

But when he says "On defense, now I have my supporting cast. ... I'm one of the best defenders to ever play basketball, so I'm still the first option on defense."

I have to wonder, do the world champion Lakers, who had the NBA's sixth-best defense last season (it's second right now, by the way), really want to be defined as his supporting cast?

His amazing size, strength, tenacity and talent is sometimes undermined by his head. In Houston, Shane Battier would often outplay Artest on defense, only to have Artest talk like he was in a class of his own. In Sacramento, Artest played hard defense only sometimes, and on offense would break plays to create his own challenged offense.

He has a strong need to make sure he's seen as a star, which can butt up against his ability to do his best to help his team win.

In short, he can be the opposite of the player the Lakers had instead: Trevor Ariza. Ariza ceded the spotlight to players like Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, hit open shots, and played hard at every instant. The Lakers won a title playing Ariza long minutes.

What does Artest think of being compared to a winner like that guy?

He can't stand it.

"With what I've done in this league already," he tells the Sporting News. "I mean, seriously?"

Yes, seriously.

Ron Artest could well make people forget he was compared to Ariza. But the more he insists on proving what a superstar he is, and the more he calls his own number on offense and steals glory from his teammates on defense, the more the Lakers are going to wish they still had Trevor "not really delusional at all" Ariza.