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Change has been good for Kings, Artest

WP: Controversial forward happy to be out of Indiana, not making waves
KINGS CAVALIERS BASKETBALL
The Sacramento Kings' Ron Artest, left, works against the Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James earlier in March.Mark Duncan / AP
/ Source: a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/front.htm" linktype="External" resizable="true" status="true" scrollbars="true">The Washington Post</a

Fifteen minutes after the Sacramento Kings concluded practice at Verizon Center yesterday, Ron Artest was still taking jumpers from different spots on the court. Artest kept moving around and launching shots, outlasting teammates, coaches and anyone else willing to rebound his shots until he was alone on floor.

A member of the Kings' staff eventually stormed onto the practice court and threatened that the bus was going to leave — with or without him.

"Let me get one more shot in," Artest said before tracking down the ball and releasing another a long-range jumper from the right baseline that dropped through the net. Artest watched the ball roll away and looked as if he wanted to sneak in a few more shots. "Okay, okay, I'm coming," he said, before he finally put on his sweats and made his way to the bus.

The Kings have no problem waiting on Artest, because they have learned in the past month or so that they are headed nowhere without him. Coach Rich Adelman said his team was "running in sand" before it shipped Peja Stojakovic to the Indiana Pacers for the controversial and capricious Artest on Jan. 25. The Kings were actually sinking before the deal, as injuries to key players (Stojakovic, Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Bonzi Wells) kept them from getting any continuity, making them one of the bigger disappointments in the league.

"When we made the trade, we didn't know what was going to happen," Adelman said, "but we changed as a team. Sometimes change makes a difference in individuals, and I think it has with this team."

Since joining the team, Artest is averaging 16.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 2.4 steals and the Kings (28-30) have gone 10-6 to become relevant again in the Western Conference. They have won four of five games since the all-star break and trail the Los Angeles Lakers by two games for the eighth seed in the playoffs heading into the today's game against the Washington Wizards.

"I don't know if we're going to get to the playoffs, but I know in the long run, we're better off right now as a team moving forward than we were" before the trade, Adelman said.

Artest, the 2003-04 defensive player of the year, has brought toughness and defensive intensity to the Kings, who are holding opponents to 92.5 points and 42.7 percent shooting in the past 16 games. In the first 42 games, the Kings ranked 23rd in the league in points allowed (100.2) and 24th in opponents' field goal percentage (46.1).

"What he's brought defensively has really rubbed off on everybody and it's apparent with our record, the numbers, the whole nine," said Kings center Brad Miller, who played with Artest in Chicago and Indiana. "Sometimes, it's good to just get away. And Sacramento is about as far as you can get from Indiana."

Artest demanded a trade from the Pacers on Dec. 10, believing that he could never live down his past transgressions. The six-week trade saga only added to Artest's reputation as an all-star talent and troublemaker. Whether it was being the instigator of the infamous brawl at the Palace of Auburn Hills, which led to an NBA-record 73-game suspension, or requesting time off to produce a hip-hop record or tossing a television monitor or getting into a confrontation with Miami Heat Coach Pat Riley, it was a never-ending drama.

"For about three years, I wanted to get out of Indiana, I just never said nothing," Artest said. "It had nothing to do with the Indiana Pacers or the players or the city. Things was just getting blown out of proportion. (The trade) probably came kind of late, but I'm here and it's working out."

Pacers forward Jermaine O'Neal, Artest's teammate for almost four years in Indiana, said he has spoken with Artest since the trade and watches him every chance he gets on television. "I'm a fan of what he does," O'Neal said. "There are very few players that can play with the passion that he does. Nobody ever questioned his ability on the court. He understands now the things he wants to accomplish; he has to be a certain way. If he can't stay focused, people aren't going to give him his due because people are going to say, 'He's a guy who always caused problems.' I think starting over is good for him."

Aside from holding up the team bus, Artest has been a model citizen. "I definitely was grateful that I had a chance to go to another team. It helped me out," he said. "It's been real cool. The weather's been real nice. The people are real nice. It was a change of scenery and I like it. Things have been going pretty good right now. We're trying to be positive."