The Sacramento Kings may have made a deal with the devil on Jan. 25, but as often happens with those kinds of agreements, they seem to be making out nicely, at least in the short run.
After losing their first two games since acquiring troubled superstar Ron Artest from the Indiana Pacers, the Kings have won five of their next seven.
Before the deal, neither the Kings nor Artest were having particularly enviable seasons. Sacramento was suffering through its worst season in years with an 18-24 record and appeared destined for their its Draft Lottery since 1998.
Meanwhile, one year after his season-long suspension for his role in the Detroit brawl, Artest was sitting at home, the Pacers having refused to play him after he demanded a trade. This came after missing playing time with a wrist injury.
So the Kings hammered out a deal with the Pacers, trading Peja Stojakovic for the trouble-making superstar. Initially, Artest was not happy about the trade, but the Maloof brothers, who own the Kings, convinced Artest that he would be welcome in Sacramento, and the deal was completed.
The Kings hoped that all the troubled Artest needed was (another) fresh start. The Maloof brothers gleamed over their new acquisition, and in a symbolic move, Artest abandoned his conventional No. 15 jersey, which he has worn since being drafted by the Chicago Bulls in 1999, and decided to wear No. 93, which he said better represents his infinite inner intensity.
That same intensity that often got Artest in trouble in Indiana seems to be serving him well in Sacramento. Artest is succeeding so far as the focal point of the Kings' offense, averaging 18 points per game.
He scored 20 points in the team's 109-84 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday, also adding six assists and six steals, which were crucial in the Kings' defensive effort. Artest has been widely regarded as one of the best defenders in the NBA, and he was sent to improve a team cursed by its lack of defense.
The Kings defense is ranked 20th in the league on the season, giving up just under 99 points a game. Since Artest joined the team, however, that number has dropped to 93.1.
Last year, the Kings had the fifth-worst defense in the NBA, surrendering 101.6 points per game, but they succeeded thanks to the league's second-best offense. Parlaying a fast, passing West Coast offense into long playoff runs has been the mark of recent Kings teams.
This year though, Sacramento has struggled to generate the offense it has in the past. Part of the problem had been Stojakovic, who was having one of the worst seasons of his NBA career. Herein lies the logic of the trade - dump an under-producing offensive player and take a chance to improve a struggling defense.
Talent is not the question with Artest. Since he came into the league, the guard has played physical defense and contributed on the offensive end. While he does not have dazzling offensive ability, he has worked his way into being a solid scorer.
The problem with the Kings' new acquisition, however, is where it has always been - in his head. When the Bulls traded him during the 2001-2002 season, many of their fans were upset that the team traded a blossoming young player. The team justified its move by hinting that the emotional player was an accident waiting to happen.
That accident happened in Indiana when Artest, already leading the league in technical fouls, made the horrible decision to go into the crowd and fight with fans. The Pacers gave him one more chance this year, but it was clear that Artest had no interest in changing his attitude.
On Jan. 25, the Kings gave Artest chance No. 3. How it works out will be crucial to the both the individual fate of this volatile forward as well as to the playoff hopes of the Sacramento Kings.
