The Lakers’ Ultimate X-Factor

And now, for the X-Factor, the starting Small Forward; Metta World Peace!

World Peace is the weakest link among the 5. He’s the one with the least accolades, least upside, and overall, he’s just the most inferior among the starters. But that doesn’t mean that MWP is a scrub!

In fact, World Peace is still one of the more capable small forwards in the league. Let’s not forget that when he still went by the name Ron Artest, he was a Defensive Player of the Year, and was a regular in the All NBA Defensive Teams. Metta is a great defensive player, although he lost a step, he can still play at a high level.

Apparently, World Peace is aware that he is considered as the weak link in the Lakers’ starting line-up, which is why he reportedly worked his ass off this offseason. He lost a lot of weight and he claims that he’s in the “best shape of his career” right now. Well, if you lose 30 pounds, wouldn’t you feel like you’re also in the best shape of your life?

If you’ve seen World Peace in preseason, then you’ll know that what he’s saying is true. World Peace looks good. He’s far from the “out of shape” guy that he’s been the past few seasons. He’s very motivated and from the looks of it, he’s back to the Ron Artest that we used to love.

World Peace is a very amazing talent. The combination of his size, brute strength, fast hands, and defensive awareness is what makes him a very great defender. He can smother you and annoy the heck out of you. LeBron James and Paul Pierce had a very hard time scoring when World Peace is on their jocks in every possession.

If World Peace can relive the magic that he once had early on in his career and during his first season with the Lakers, then he will no longer be an afterthought. Though he may never be considered equal compared to his 4 other co-starters, he will be respected by NBA fans and will be credited equally for the Lakers’ success this season.

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