Los Angeles Lakers: Is Metta World Peace the Key to the Team's Success?

One thing the Los Angeles Lakers have been struggling to find since they traded away Lamar Odom in the preseason was that player who could fill in the sixth man role. They had moved Metta World Peace to the bench to fill it.

It wasn't until last night against the Clippers that he found his groove.

World Peace wasn't living up to his name, but he was living up to his role last night and it made a world of difference to the Los Angeles Lakers. First, watch him battle for this ball with Blake Griffin. Now, miraculously, he managed to sit on Griffin's head without getting called for a foul.

But hey, no blood right?

Next, watch him bury these threes and then get the save to Andrew Bynum. Don't worry about the chest thumps. It's OK. 

Now, watch him block this shot from Chris Paul from behind. 

Then watch him get this rebounds and draw the technical from Blake Griffin (although he returns the favor). 

When Artest is playing with this kind of intensity on both ends of the court, it does a world of good for the team, but I'm not sure how peaceful it is.