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Why Choosing World Peace was the Right Decision

Shereen Rayan|

NBA teams have finally cut their rosters down to size, and for the Los Angeles Lakers, they made the right choice with Metta World Peace.

The Lakers cut their roster down to 15 players yesterday; letting go of Jabari Brown, retaining Metta World Peace. This announcement was music to the ears for Lakers fans who adore the man formerly known as Ron Artest.

World Peace proved during the preseason that he can come into a game and quickly change the mindset of a unit. Fans saw a new World Peace early on, as he became the floor general, shooting out instructions to the young players. Coming into this year, he knew he had to change; he had to be less of a press magnet, however, difficult that would be for him, and it seems that he has done just that.

Byron Scott mentioned one reason they kept World Peace on the roster was because he is a team player who adds cohesion to the Lakers, who can balance out Bryant’s intense attitude. Los Angeles Times reporter Mike Bresnahan captured a few comments from Scott recently, who said:

"“We know how Kobe [Bryant] is when he leads guys. He’s real tough on guys at times,” Lakers Coach Byron Scott said. “I think Metta’s the type of guy that can keep kind of everybody together as well. That did kind of come into play.”"

World Peace is expected to take a mentoring and bench role, which may or may not include a whole lot of playing time. Bonding with and mentoring second-year big man Julius Randle being the main focus.

That said, World Peace will always be part of Lakers’ rich history, which was definitely a selling point when the Lakers re-signed him. Remind you, MWP helped the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Boston Celitcs in 2010 in one of the most challenging, exciting and memorable seven-game NBA Championships ever.

When Bryant struggled greatly and needed

Derek Fisher

to keep him and the team calm during time-outs, World Peace never gave up, coming up clutch in the most crucial moment of the game: hitting the game-clinching three pointer assisted by none-other than Bryant himself.

Without his tough defense and the cohesiveness he brought throughout the season, the Lakers probably would not have won as many games as they did. He shares Bryant’s passion for winning, dedication to working hard in practice, and bleeds Lakers’ Purple and Gold.

It’s not uncommon for players to “return home,” to help their former teams with a mentorship role — just look at what Kevin Garnett is doing in Minnesota. After all, there is no replacement for real life, NBA experience.

The Lakers have seemingly turned their backs on other former Lakers who wanted to come back to the team including Sasha Vujacic, who Phil Jackson signed in New York to play with his Knicks this season.

That said, with the recent additions of former Lakers James Worthy and Byron Scott, the MWP signing shows the organization’s commitment to legacy.

The choice came down to choosing more youth, that they would need to develop, or adding an experienced NBA player who plays excellent defense, can charge up the team, plus can hit game-winning shots on occasion.

Ultimately, it seems that Mitch Kupchak made the right decision.

Welcome back Metta World Peace!

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