NBA Quick Hits

A couple of quick thoughts before I head off to work today...

- The Lakers signing Ron Artest instead of Trevor Ariza is the type of gamble that tells me Phil Jackson will be back as head coach next year. Phil has left his status up in the air due to his health concerns, but I don't think the front office would have brought Artest in if they didn't have assurances that PJ would be back. We've seen this story before, and in my life time it has worked great a number of times: troubled yet talented athlete is brought into a situation where there is an alpha-dog superstar who he has to respect, a coach who he has to respect, and a chance to win. If the Lakers are lucky Artest will work out as well as Rodman did for the Bulls, or Moss for the Patriots.

- As for Ariza to the Rockets, I think there is a decent chance they overpaid, but he is younger (24), and he will be a nice gel piece for the post T-Mac/Yao era.

- Speaking of Yao, little did I know when I mentioned him as a potential top 50 candidate that his foot injury might have actually cost him his career. Shades of Walton, and it's too bad. Yao makes the NBA a global item, and he seems to be a really great guy. Human bodies just aren't built to be that big and that agile.

- The Pistons signed Ben Gordon, and for 5 years/$55 million they can have him. Gordon can score in bunches and has the ability to hit the big shot, but those positives come with his streaky shooting, his poor ball handling and passing, and his inability to guard anyone. Gordon doesn't really make anyone on his team better. If he'd embrace his natural role as the modern day Vinnie Johnson then he'd be a good fit. So long as he sees himself as "the man" I just don't see it.

- And, finally, where does this leave the Pistons? Rodney Carney at the point, Gordon at the 2, Rip Hamilton at the 3, Prince at the 4, Villaneuva at the 5? Those are there five best players, but they don't fit together. I'm thinking another move might be on the way, but for now all we know is that Joe Dumars came to the conclusion that he wasn't a player in the LeBron sweepstakes of 2010, so he spent his money now. Time will tell if he is right, but as of now the Pistons have to go down with the 2005 White Sox as the most recent examples of teams which could have won multiple titles, but were undermined by front office drama and/or poor player personnel decisions.