Ron Artest, Matt Barnes: Creating Order Out of Chaos For The LA Lakers

How important was Ron Artest in the Los Angeles Lakers march to a second consecutive NBA championship in 2010?

Try to imagine former Laker Trevor Ariza defending Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant or the Boston Celtics' Paul Pierce in the postseason, and you may get a clearer picture.

Artest had his moments on the offensive end for the Lakers, and none were bigger than his last second shot to defeat the Phoenix Suns in Game Five of the Western Conference Finals, or his three pointer in the closing minutes of Game Seven of the NBA Finals against Boston.

But Artest's offense was secondary to the stifling defense he played on Durant and Pierce, and the playoffs were an illust...

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