Trevor Ariza out, Ron Artest in: What Will It Mean for the Lakers

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This was disappointing. Ariza played extremely well throughout the playoffs, and he made plays at pivotal moments in games. He is the type of player that you want keep.

On top of that, Ariza was a popular player amongst Laker fans and his teammates, and team chemistry is not something that should be overlooked.

This point, above all the rest, has the Lakers’ faithful scratching their heads.

The Lakers are losing Ariza to add Artest, who is known for his temper and for antagonizing Bryant in the playoffs.

Speculation about Artest's and Bryant's ability to play together has been a hot topic since the trade was announced.

After Artest claimed that Bryant threw an elbow in Game Two of the series, he pleaded his case to the referees and then confronted Bryant on court. When asked why he came over to Bryant, Artest stated that he wanted to let him know that he couldn’t push him around because he was Ron Artest.

Remember, he was talking about his new teammate. And any kind of tension between your star player and a new teammate is a bad thing.

The other problem with Artest’s temper is that a player can’t help a team from the locker room or the bench. If his rough style of play and confrontational nature leads to multiple ejections or suspensions, he will not be an asset to the team.

However, even though this deal has a downside, it is not time to panic.

As for the issues Bryant and Artest have had, they were playing in a high-stakes, high-emotion series where tempers often run high.

Moreover, even when they were at each other’s throats (literally), there was still plenty of respect between them.

If Bryant appreciates one thing in a teammate, it’s a competitive nature.

If Artest knows one thing about Bryant, it’s that he will not back down or back off.

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