 |
| Photo Courtesy of lakers.topbuzz.com |
 |
| Photo Courtesy of Evan Gole-Getty Images |
A man with such hustle and skill on both ends of the floor, Ariza was often compared to the great Michael Cooper of the Showtime Era, and rightfully so. His humble demeanor and soft-spoken character attributed to his solid play, which generated much love from the fans during his time with the purple and gold.
A Los Angeles Native, Ariza was a perfect fit for the storied franchise. A player of his caliber is something that is sincerely missed in a team that desperately needs some help for their upcoming run at the title this season. Interesting enough, the 2008-2009 Lakers did not know they had a gem on the roster for quite some time. Although Ariza eventually found himself in the front row of the Lakers powerhouse starting five, he did not always have a consistent spot in the lineup.
When the Lakers first acquired Ariza from Orlando during the 2007-2008 season, the 6'8'' forward only played in 24 games, three of which he started. His appearance in the playoffs came in the form of eight games in which he managed to squeeze in five minutes per contest. Ariza would come back the next year and shock the Lakers franchise. The sudden rise of the young player came during the pre-season games in '08 when Ariza started to show some athleticism. With his speed, he began to play the passing lanes very well, always finding a way to pick the ball clean, extend his first dribble far out before jamming it with the fans going crazy in the background. He showed promise in his perimeter defense and stayed poised for a 23-year old on the offense. By the end of the pre-season, the forward proved his worth and would earn a reserve role for the season.
Video courtesy of estderoma via YouTube
As a reserve, Ariza did phenomenal and people began to seriously notice. Among the many that understood Ariza was too good to be just a reserve was his own teammate, Luke Walton, who would eventually request to come off the bench in March, a selfless act that would go on to be a huge move for Los Angeles. Walton saw the potential in Ariza, took one for the team, and pretty soon the Lakers were headed back to the finals, looking stronger than ever. Ariza ended up starting the last 20 games of the regular season while averaging 8.9 points with 1.7 steals per game for the entire season.
As impressive of a jump his numbers were from the previous regular season, Ariza would solidify his sudden stardom in the playoffs where he made huge plays and after play after play. He was scrappy and found a way to get involved in nearly every play. When Ariza was on the court, he was all over the place. If he was not chasing down a player to block a shot, he was racing down the court after a steal, ready to put up an easy lay in or to jam one home.
 |
| Photo Courtesy of Zimbio.com |
Moreover, Ariza understood the triangle offense and ran it to perfection. He was an active wing-man that was always looking to cut and expose holes in the defense and actually improved his jump shot to spread the floor when the Lakers looked to stretch the floor. He adapted to changes and improved on his weaknesses, a player simply looking to get better for his team.
In Ariza, any individual could find inspiration. He earned his spot in the Lakers rotation without muttering a single insult or word out of frustration; he simply worked harder. Ariza will always be a huge part of the Lakers organization, a man who lets his game do the talking and keeps his morals in line. Ariza is simply a one of a kind player that I think Los Angeles will remember for all that he did to contribute to the 2009 NBA championship, a redemption victory that brought the city back up.
 |
| Photo Courtesy of onemanfastbreak.net |
No comments:
Post a Comment