Let me get straight to the point.

Trevor Ariza was, without a doubt, a major contributing factor to the Lakers' championship run and he will be missed by countless Lakers fans who grew to appreciate what he brought to the team - cohesion, work ethic, defensive presence, improved outside shooting, and the knack to come through with timely baskets. However, his absence will not deter the Lakers from repeating in 2010.

Just when you thought L.A. was good to go to defend the title next year, the Lakers bring in Ron Artest to instantly take them to the next level. 

And I'll tell you why.

Never mind Artest's past mistakes. He's playing for Jerry and the J's, Phil, Kobe, Pau, Lamar, Derek, and Jack now. I guarantee you he's intelligent enough to know not to f*** this one up. This is the purple-and-gold. This is tradition. This is pride and passion like nobody else does it. This is Showtime. This is L.A. 

And Artest knows better. You better believe that he'll be in his best behavior for the next three years, and you'll be surprised how much better he's going to be. For those of you who believe he's on the decline, think again. If you really know your basketball history, you'd remember the erratic and unstable Dennis Rodman.  He became even better once he joined Phil and the Bulls and incorporated his game into the Triangle system. 

The Triangle Offense is the reason why Phil keeps on winning. It's the reason that makes Phil seem like he's just kicking back on the sidelines. It's the reason Phil doesn't have to "coach" games because during practices the players already know the gameplan.

It's was never Michael and Scottie or Shaq and Kobe. It's the system. And it's what made Trevor Ariza better and ultimately got him $33 million large. Ariza flourished in the triangle because he didn't need the ball to be effective and yet he was still able to get his touches and contribute. Expect the same for Artest come October.

But this time the Lakers will be 96 times bigger, stronger, tougher, and deadlier.

Aside from the obvious - Ron's physicality, defensive reputation, etc. - the main reason the Lakers are better with Artest is because he gives L.A. more of a consistency in all facets of the game.

Remember when it took the Lakers seven games to dispatch the overachieving Rockets? Remember when the Lakers lost games two and four against the Denver Nuggets in rather disappointing fashion? Well, with Ron here, these things won't happen. Instead, we would sweep those teams because Carmelo Anthony will no longer be scoring 35 points. Hedo Turkoglu will no longer be able to run pick and rolls at will against the Lakers so-called soft interior.

In a nutshell, Ron Artest brings intangibles that Ariza is only beginning to learn about. Don't get me wrong, Ariza will be a career 15-point and 2-steal per game kind of player and be a tremendous role player for any team that has a superstar. But he'll never be Scottie Pippen. That I can guarantee you. Scottie averaged 13-16 ppg in his first three years in very limited playing time and could play three or four positions on the floor.

Whom do you think Paul Pierce, Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony, Richard Jefferson, and Vince Carter will be more worried about? Artest or Ariza? The answer to this question answers the question as to why the Lakers made this move.

They had Artest in their back pocket the whole time. Trevor and his agent never had a chance because Artest was going to play for L.A. for peanuts and a pack of beer if he had to. Bottom line: RonRon is hungry, he loves the city, and he's ready to make whatever sacrifice he needs to make in order to get a ring.  

It wasn't Trevor's fault. It was simply a matter of getting better. If Artest was never available, I can guarantee that Ariza is still sporting the purple-and-gold. So that's that. This Lakers' Assault is becoming way too ridiculous.

As for other NBA opinions...

- RASHEED WALLACE: So far, free agent forward/center Rasheed Wallace has been courted by Boston and Orlando.

Let's see here... if 'Sheed goes to Boston, the Celtics will be the cream of the crop in the East once again but 'Sheed won't get as many touches because he becomes the fourth, possibly fifth option behind KG, Pierce, Rondo, and Allen. Rasheed already has a ring and I wonder if he feels like he really has anything to prove. KG owns the interior so 'Sheed will have to defer his post up game. 'Sheed can hit the three but what good is he camping out in three-point land when the C's need him down low to box out against the like of Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, Lamar Odom, and Ron Artest?

In Orlando where they have no power forward, Wallace immediately becomes a focal point. He would be an excellent complement to Dwight Howard because they play inside-out, and Rasheed can play inside-out. Plus he loves to shoot long range, which Orlando loves to do. And as far as intangibles go, Wallace would be a respected leader on a young team that is fresh from a Finals appearance and is only getting better. In Boston, he's just another former All-Star with a big ego trying desperately to mesh with other All-Stars with even bigger egos.

The smart choice would be to go to Disney World. But I want him to go to Boston so the Lakers can beat up on him and the rest of those Celtics who are three weeks from qualifying for social security.

- THE BIG FREEZE: Shaq's exactly that. Frozen in time. Like back in '99. Cleveland fans are so gullible. Did you see how excited they got when Shaq said he was gonna win a ring for the King? Did they not remember that this was the same washed up Shaq who pointed to his ring finger the moment he set foot in Phoenix?

I love Shaq, his quotes, his marketing efforts, and his personality but let's get real. Unless the Cavs pick up a bruising power forward like Nene or another shooting guard with size who can play tough D, they aren't going to beat the Lakers. It's going to take a whole lot to thaw this one out.

- THE FOUR MUSKETEERS: Tim Duncan seems to be slowing down but the acquisition of Richard Jefferson was the much needed insurance policy the Spurs received in case oft injured Manu Ginobili can't regain his form. If Manu plays all 82 at 100%, watch out for San Antonio. If he doesn't, Tim Duncan and Tony Parker don't stand a chance against the Lakers. I'd like to see San Antonio add a solid energetic big man in order to give them more beef up front because as evidenced last year, Duncan can no longer do it all inside. Birdman, Ronny Turiaf, Anderson Varejao, Zaza Pachulia, Leon Powe are the types of players I'm thinking about. But the way it looks right now at the Riverwalk, it's four varsity players playing on a JV team coached by the school principal.

- BLAZERMANIA: Portland is my pick next year to earn one of the coveted top four playoff spots simply because they're raw, athletic, deep, long, and able to matchup with the Lakers at all positions. Although disappointed that Turkoglu opted for the Raptors, Blazer fans shouldn't worry one bit. Travis Outlaw is a rising star in the "role player" category a la Trevor Ariza/Mikael Pietrus/J.R. Smith. The fact that Hedo decided to go to Toronto let me know that all Hedo cares about is what hedo for himself, which is dominate the ball and shoot threes. In Toronto he's the number one go-to guy. He would not have been a good fit in Portland where B-Roy controls the pick-n-roll and the rock 70% of the time and Lamarcus Aldridge is the unquestioned number two option.

As always... thanks so much for reading.