NBA Playoffs 2011: How Does Ron Artest's Game 3 Suspension Hurt L.A. Lakers?

Lakers forward Ron Artest was suspended from tonight's Game 3 of the second-round series against the Mavericks for grabbing Dallas guard J.J. Barea across the face in the final moments of Wednesday night's crucial contest.

Los Angeles, already down 0-2, will now be playing a pivotal game without its starting small forward.

How will this hurt the two-time defending champs as they go to Dallas to try to turn things around?

This Changes the Lakers' Player Rotation and Impacts Their Depth

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LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 31: Matt Barnes #9 of the Los Angeles Lakers is restrained by Lamar Odom #7 after a shoving match with Jason Terry #31 of the Dallas Mavericks at Staples Center on March 31, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. Barnes was ejectd from

The Lakers have already been struggling to match up with the Mavericks in the first two games of this Western Conference semifinal series.

Ron Artest started all 82 of the Lakers' regular season games in the 2010-11 season, and head coach Phil Jackson will now have to reconstruct his starting lineup and player rotations for Friday's game.

Some might think that Lamar Odom will fill that role.

While that is possible because of Odom's versatility, the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year will still most likely remain Jackson's answer off the bench with Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol.

The most likely option to replace Artest for Game 3 is Matt Barnes.

Barnes has played a limited role in the first two games of the series, only logging a total of 26 minutes.

He scored four points in Game 1 (on 2-of-6 shooting) and was scoreless in Game 2.

Luke Walton, who hasn't gotten off the bench in eight games this postseason, could also pick up some minutes in the shuffle.

Regardless of what decision is made and who replaces Artest on the floor, the Lakers will be even further short-handed when the ball goes up tonight in Dallas.

This Takes Away One of the Lakers' Best Defenders

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LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 02: Dirk Nowitzki #41 of the Dallas Mavericks holds onto the ball as Ron Artest #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers attempts to steal it in the first quarter of Game One of the Western Conference Semifinals in the 2011 NBA Playoffs at Sta

Over the course of his 12-year career, Ron Artest has gained a reputation as one of the league's premier defenders.

He was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2004 and has been named to the league's All-Defensive Team four times.

At 6'7" and 260 pounds, Artest provides length and size on the perimeter.

The rest of the Lakers squad feed off his energy, toughness and physicality.

While Barnes is a capable defender, he doesn't bring the same force and presence that Artest does.

This Removes One of the Lakers' Better Three-Point Shooters

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DALLAS, TX - MARCH 12: Forward Ron Artest #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers makes a three-point shot against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center on March 12, 2011 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by d

If you asked me who's a better three-point shooter, Kobe Bryant or Ron Artest, I would think that would be a no-brainer—it's gotta be Kobe.

However, you might be surprised to find out that Artest actually connects on more (percentage-wise) of his shots from beyond the arc than Bryant.

During the 2010-11 season, Artest made 35.6 percent, while Bryant hit 32.3.

For their careers, Artest has shot 34.5 percent, and Kobe has dropped in 33.9.

Not only can Artest hit the shots, but he is also not hesitant to pull the trigger when the game is on the line.

Losing Artest for Game 3 removes a scoring threat for a team that has struggled at times to put points on the scoreboard.

This Eliminates a Maverick Menace

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ORLANDO, FL - FEBRUARY 13: Ron Artest #15 of the Los Angels Lakers looks to pass during the game against the Orlando Magic at Amway Arena on February 13, 2011 in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading

Some players play better against certain opponents than they do against everyone else.

Ron Artest has been a pain in the Mavericks' collective necks.

Artest's numbers are higher against Dallas (in the 28 games he has played) than his overall averages—he has shot better, scored better and rebounded better

While Artest had only scored two and 11 points against Dallas in this year's series, this could have been his breakout game.

Conclusion

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BOSTON, MA - FEBRUARY 10: Ron Artest #15 and Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers talk during a stop in play in the second half against the Boston Celtics on February 10, 2011 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The Lakers defeated the Celti

Ron Artest's swipe at J.J. Barea was an ignorant cheap shot that will hurt his team's chances of getting back into this series.

We will see the actual impact of his one-game suspension when the Lakers face the Mavericks in Dallas for Game 3.

If Los Angeles is defeated while Artest is in street clothes, his absence will be what many fans and analysts point to as a contributing factor to their loss.

And if the Lakers lose this critical third game, they will face a seemingly insurmountable task in coming back from a 0-3 deficit.