Los Angeles Lakers: Metta World Peace Continues to Show He's Worth Every Penny

With Kobe Bryant out of the lineup, Metta World Peace has looked more like Metta World Domination as of late.

He's playing like the guy Los Angeles Laker fans thought they were getting when they first signed him in the summer of 2009.

However, when you really think about it, Metta World Peace/Ron Artest has lived up to his $33 million contract. 

In his first season with the team, he hit a historic three-pointer which sealed Game 7 of the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics. He also nailed a game-winning fall-away jumper against the Phoenix Suns in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals to give his team a 3-2 series lead. 

These two shots were highly instrumental during the Lakers' championship run in 2010. 

Artest was also a big-time defender, holding opposing small forwards to a player efficiency rating of 12.9 during the 2010 season.

Two years and a name change later, World Peace is often criticized by fans for being extremely overpaid for the lack of production he brings to the table.

However, in the last two weeks, Metta has shown what he can bring to the table if he's one of the focal points of the offense. 

Ever since Bryant has been out of the lineup, MWP has averaged 19.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.7 steals per game and has shot over 50 percent from the field. The Lakers also have a 5-2 record and World Peace has been a major reason why they've succeeded without the Black Mamba.

Let's not forget that he's also shooting close to 40 percent from long distance during this period.

Any better and he'll be looking like LeBron James.

Although one may argue that World Peace won't be able to sustain this offensive production once Kobe returns and that Metta is still a waste of money, one must concede that he's arguably been the best defensive player on the Lakers squad all season long.

First of all, he plays hard on every play. He chases loose balls, smothers his opponents when guarding them and steps up in timely moments and big games.

How many times have we seen him steal the ball near the three-point line, pick it up, run across the court and slam it home for two points?

The numbers back up Metta's defensive prowess.

Opponents are just stifled when going up against Metta World Peace. Small forwards have a player efficiency rating of just 10.2 against MWP and the league average is 15. This means that MWP is doing a tremendous job on the defensive side of the ball and his great work ethic is paying off.

Finding solid defenders are always hard to come by, that's why in that sense, it's worth it for the Lakers to keep World Peace. 

Finally, how clutch has he been throughout his career in a Laker uniform?

We mentioned the two big shots he had in the 2010 playoffs. He has ice water in his veins it seems. Whatever his psychiatrist has told him, it's worked. Metta recently hit a clutch three-pointer at New Orleans and he had another one earlier this season against the Los Angeles Clippers.

He just does everything right on the defensive side of the ball and now that he's putting on a show offensively, perhaps it'll give him the confidence to continue his little stretch into the playoffs.

So next time you hear someone bashing World Peace's contract of $6.7 million per year, remember that the Lakers were once paying Luke Walton close to $6 million to keep a chair warm.

Metta, on the other hand, is keeping the Lakers warm during a difficult stretch in the season where they're missing their best player.

It's enough to make one say, "Give Peace a chance!"