Although he didn’t play well offensively, it was good to see Matt Barnes get some quality minutes last night! He hit a nice three in the second quarter and continued to play his patented intense D. I believe it was Mark Jackson of ABC who paid him a nice compliment, saying that the Lakers don’t lose anything defensively when Barnes comes in for Ron Artest.
Considering that Artest is a former defensive player of the year and still one of the league’s elite shut-down defenders, that is saying something. It also speaks to his role on the bench and how vital he is. I really believe that once the season is over, everyone will see Matt Barnes as the missing piece. He brings a lot to the table.
Ron Artest has been fairly quiet and professional on the court, but last night in San Antonio he definitely had some memorable moments! While he only finished with 8 points, one was a three pointer that he drilled in the first quarter to put the Lakers up 22-10. He was also active getting in the lane and making layups as opposed to just his corner three.
One of the most impressive moments was when Ron succeeded with a running block on a three point attempt and celebrated by standing on the sidelines flexing his muscles at the crowd and kissing his bicep. It was so hilarious and one of the few moments this season that his crazy personality has seeped from his Twitter account and sound bites to the floor.