Here is one path to a good offense:
3rd Quarter
11:08 - Kevin Martin, draws a foul, misses both.
10:39 - Kevin Martin, short jumper, missed.
10:38 - Kevin Martin, tips his own miss, good.
10:25 - Mike Bibby, transition layup, good.
9:45 - Brad Miller, jumper, missed.
9:03 - Kenny Thomas, deep post, misses.
8:47 - Mike Bibby, made jumper and the foul. Misses the FT.
8:23 - Kevin Martin, short jumper, blocked by Jermaine O'Neal.
8:21 - Mike Bibby, quick shot three, good.
7:37 - Mike Bibby from three, missed.
7:18 - Kevin Martin draw a foul, one of two from the line.
6:47 - Kevin Martin from the parking lot, good. Brad Miller assists.
6:07 - Kevin Martin jumper, missed.
5:41 - Kevin Martin, transition dunk off Martin defensive rebound.
5:16 - Mike Bibby, transition three off John Salmons block and assist.
4:41 - Kevin Martin, called for travelling.
4:26 - Kevin Martin draws a foul, makes both.
3:45 - Mike Bibby, sinks a deep three, Shareef Abdur-Rahim assist.
3:15 - Mike Bibby, misses a deep ball.
2:40 - Mike Bibby, draws a foul, sinks both.
2:04 - Kevin Martin, gets to the rim rather easily. And the foul. Sinks it.
1:53 - Kevin Martin, draws a foul. Sinks both.
1:37 - Brad Miller, hits a jumper off a Francisco Garcia assist.
1:21 - Kevin Martin, fouled following wizardly Ronnie Price block. Sinks both.
1:02 - Kevin Martin, dunk off a Brad Miller assist.
0:31 - Francisco Garcia, open for three, good.
0:01 - Kevin Martin, deep three at the buzzer, no good.
TOTALS FOR 3RD QUARTER: 40 points in 26 possessions, for an offensive rating of 154.
Yes, Ron Artest has ben singularly fantastic on offense most of the last two months. But the key word there is singularly. In his current state, he doesn't really help anyone else on that end of the floor. As we saw Friday night - when he was the only starter playing worth a sh*t - his rising tide affects not all ships. In fact, when he's "on," he might hurt the other guys. It's then that the ball loses its air, content to be slowed to a crawl and makes it way to the rim without detour.
When Ron-Ron is out, like last night in Indiana, Kevin Martin and Mike Bibby and Brad Miller and John Salmons wing that ball around like it's on fire and covered in battery acid. Yes, there are still some one-on-one plays - but there has to be, as Martin is one of the best shooting guards at getting to the rim (Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade sit at the top). 23 free throw attempts don't lie! But still, all those assists... It not only leads to better offense in the immediate, but also helps the team perk up. Nothing is more fun in a basketball game than playing with good passers. This team has good passers. Even Ron-Ron is a good passer - we've seen that from him. If only he showed it more often, this team might get consistent.