Artest/bowen

[See Red]

If you ask me... this is retarded. It's not even a competition... Artest is THE best defensive player in the league. Artest is an all-star and Bowen is a role player. Dem' da works.

Ask Paul Pierce who the best Defensive player in the league is.

Stupid Popovich

INDIANAPOLIS -- Indiana forward Ron Artest challenged Bruce Bowen to a game of one-on-one for the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award Tuesday, one day after Spurs coach Gregg Popovich criticized Artest and Pacers coach Rick Carlisle.

"Tell his coach, 'Let's play one-on-one for the award,'" Artest said after practice. "I'll give it to him if he can beat me."

Popovich appeared Monday on a San Antonio radio station and said Bowen was more deserving of the award, which Artest won by a wide margin. Bowen finished fourth in the voting.

"Bruce guards the best player on the other team almost every single night," Popovich said. "Artest doesn't do that. Artest just looks the part. He looks like a big, tough guy. He whacks and gets knocked out of the game once in a while."

Popovich also criticized Carlisle for openly campaigning for his player. Carlisle called voters to lobby for his player and also had two assistants break down film of Artest to come up with statistics to back his campaign.

"We'll never do that," Popovich said of the campaign. "It's not our style. It makes no sense. And we'll certainly not throw out stats that are totally unsubstantiated. There's no way to substantiate them. It's like grabbing four guys off the street and putting them in a film room and saying to come up with some stats on this guy."

The comments were posted on the team's Web site and didn't take long to find their way to Indiana, where the Pacers are awaiting the outcome of the Miami-New Orleans series after their four-game sweep of the Boston Celtics in the first round.

Artest said he was angered that Popovich made the comments to the media rather than approaching him personally.

"It's not hard to get in touch with me," Artest said. "All you have to do is call the Pacers office and ask for my phone number. You can speak to me instead of going to the papers. He's taken a lot of positives away from it."

[the_cynic]

Call me an idiot but I've always thought the Spurs were a bunch of "whiners" in the first place.

[Phil]

Bowen is just as dirty as Artest, if not more so.

He undercuts players on jumpshots, and kicks people named Wally Szczerbiak in the face (where's that clip when I need it?).

Bowen plays in front of Tim Duncan and Rasho. Artest plays in front of Jermaine O'Neal. Bowen's got a little more security if his guy gets by him. Give it to Artest.

[the_cynic]

Right here!

I always thought that this looked like a clip from the Matrix with Morpheus kicking Neo!

[See Red]

Eh, Wally was stupid for not going to the hoop once he got Bowen in the air, or backin up, moving right a few steps and poppin the 3.

I don't think Artest is a cheap player. And I don't think it matters than he has Jermaine O'Neal behind him. I don't think Paul Pierce is gonna change his game too much based on the fact that Jermaine O'Neal is on the court. I still saw him try to go to the hoop.

[MonkeyWrench32]

You're all wrong. Ben Wallace is the best defensive player in the league and he was hosed.

[GMS1122]

You're all wrong. Ben Wallace is the best defensive player in the league and he was hosed.

agreed.

[the_cynic]

You're all wrong.  Ben Wallace is the best defensive player in the league and he was hosed.

agreed.

Guys, Guys, Guys! There was at least 4 guys who had a legitimate shot at DOY this year!

Ben Wallace

Kevin Garnett

Andrei Kirilenko

Ron Artest

[TLChandler]

I think Theo Ratliff should have been considered a top contender for DOY, but it didnt come. He was a killer when he got traded to Portland and he still averaged most blocks in the league.

[mac]

Eh, Wally was stupid for not going to the hoop once he got Bowen in the air, or backin up, moving right a few steps and poppin the 3.

from the look of that clip it looks like he tried to go to the basket but kicked in the face on the way.

[GMS1122]

You're all wrong. Ben Wallace is the best defensive player in the league and he was hosed.

agreed.

Guys, Guys, Guys! There was at least 4 guys who had a legitimate shot at DOY this year!

Ben Wallace

Kevin Garnett

Andrei Kirilenko

Ron Artest

you're right but i think Ben is lquite ahead of the others defensively, especially being undersized for his position, its amazing what he does night after night both on the boards and defensive end.

[MonkeyWrench32]

You're all wrong. Ben Wallace is the best defensive player in the league and he was hosed.

agreed.

Guys, Guys, Guys! There was at least 4 guys who had a legitimate shot at DOY this year!

Ben Wallace

Kevin Garnett

Andrei Kirilenko

Ron Artest

you're right but i think Ben is lquite ahead of the others defensively, especially being undersized for his position, its amazing what he does night after night both on the boards and defensive end.

This guy knows his basketball.

[See Red]

You're all wrong. Ben Wallace is the best defensive player in the league and he was hosed.

agreed.

Guys, Guys, Guys! There was at least 4 guys who had a legitimate shot at DOY this year!

Ben Wallace

Kevin Garnett

Andrei Kirilenko

Ron Artest

you're right but i think Ben is lquite ahead of the others defensively, especially being undersized for his position, its amazing what he does night after night both on the boards and defensive end.

This guy knows his basketball.

Yes, but Ben Wallace doesn't have to guard the Kobe Bryants, Tracy McGrady's, Paul Pierces, Ray Allens, and Peja Stoyakovic's of the league. Don't get me wrong, Ben Wallace has it tought defending some of the better big men in the league, but most big men don't have much of an option of where they're gonna get their points.

But If I was the size and strength of Ben Wallace (I realize he's only like, 6'10"), I'd take the option of defending the good big men of the Eastern Conference over the good guards of the Eastern conference any night.