Was the Artest/Ariza swap good for the Lakers?

Yes? Like the majority of Laker fans, I really liked Trevor Ariza. In his previous five NBA seasons of virtual anonymity, Ariza never seemed to fit into the chemistry with his teams. Chalk it up to inexperience or the adjustment from college to the pros. Enter the 2008-9 season, and Ariza blossoms, playing in every regular season game, and averaging nearly nine points, four rebounds, and two steals in every one of them. Come the playoffs and he's easily the most integral player outside of Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, providing consistently strong defense and clutch steals. While the numbers mentioned above may not "wow" anybody, remember that Ariza has always been considered an average player, and that last season could be considered his breakout year. Is it all that strange that he should ask for a multi-year deal at about $6 million a season? No, it's not, considering his role on a championship team, but in this market you can't fool yourself into thinking the ...