Marty Mac's World: LeBron needs to work on his shot

LeBron James needs to shoot about 500 jumpers a day this summer to help round out his immense talents.

See: Magic Johnson. See: Michael Jordan.

Both greats had to hone their outside games (a set shot, in Johnson's case) to become icons.

And since James will turn only 24 Dec. 30, let's see him consistently make 15- to 20-footers before branching out to three-pointers. He has too much handle, strength, court savvy, vision and unselfishness not to add a lethal perimeter game.

Then all James will need is improved shot selection, which will come with maturity.

By the way, James needs to keep at least one of his people closer to his mother, Gloria, so she can stay out of harm's way. Imagine that scene Monday even if Paul Pierce, who had grabbed James to prevent him from scoring, had stumbled and flailed his arm to try to keep from falling. The arm mistakenly hits James' mother – and who knows what follows. Bedlam and mayhem come to mind.

Games within the games

April 27: Halftime of the Detroit Pistons-Philadelphia 76ers first-round playoff game. The Sixers lead the series 2-1 and Game 4 at home 46-36.

Today: After spanking the Sixers four games to two, Detroit has discarded the Orlando Magic in five games and sits back waiting for Boston or Cleveland in the Eastern Conference finals.

There likely are not many people watching how poorly the Pistons played early in the Philly series who believed they could suddenly turn things around and then be so efficient against Orlando. And that's without point guard Chauncey Billups, who has been sidelined for the past 2 3/4 games with a hamstring injury.

The Pistons showed that each half is different from the last and the next in the playoffs. Each game certainly is different.

Food for thought

The Kings basically are sitting back and waiting for forward Ron Artest and his agent, Mark Stevens, to decide whether to accept the final year ($8.45 million) of his contract or opt for free agency.

"I'm sure Mark is going to do his due diligence, and they will decide what they are going to do," Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie said. "They have up to June 30 to make a notification of their decision."

Here's the deal: Artest, 29 in November, is like 99.9999 percent of all people: He wants to get paid. Preferably, it would be here because he likes it here, and the Kings, the owners of his Larry Bird rights, can pay him the most. Yet if the Kings won't sign him to a long-term deal, Artest probably would prefer to go someplace where that is a possibility.

The Kings are playing salary cap poker. They don't want to clog up the cap because they plan to make a free-agency splash sooner rather than later. Yet that plan might not coincide with those of Artest or Francisco García, whose rookie deal will end following the 2009-10 season.

Should Artest choose to opt out, he likely could get a deal in the two-year range averaging about $6 million. The Kings always can sign-and-trade, but that's taking on money in return.

There will be tough decisions by each party. Some folks in this town would drive Artest to the airport in a limo. Others would barricade the jet bridge. Hopefully, this statement won't backfire before the paper hits my front door, but Artest to my knowledge avoided trouble off the court this past season and has cooled out on the court during the past two seasons.

And remember how bad a dude Rasheed Wallace used to be? Some observers branded him an inoperable cancer, and an extremist or two thought he should be tossed from the league because of his outbursts.

About the writer:

• Call The Bee's Martin McNeal, (916) 326-5504.