And that he still deserves that starting job.
The Los Angeles Times' Mike Bresnahan reports that World Peace indeed looks to be turning things around:
Unlike last year, I hear very good things about Metta World Peace. He's in shape, lost weight and...surprise!...working a lot on his shot.
— Mike Bresnahan (@Mike_Bresnahan) August 28, 2012 We'll wait to see that shot before we start believing anything, but knowing the guy's in better shape is reason enough for Lakers fans to get at least a little excited.
After all, as World Peace got into shape over the course of last season, his play improved markedly. He noticed the correlation according to USA Today's J. Michael Falgoust:
"Out of shape early because of lockout. Couldn't get treatment so I took off a flat 3 months. I did nothing," he tweeted with a photo that shows his decline in weight and body fat.
World Peace shows that he was 268.7 pounds and at 13.3% body fat on Dec. 11. By Jan. 2, he'd dropped to 256.2 and 12.6%.
It's not hard to believe that World Peace was a bit fatigued due after using the season itself to get back into shape. The crowded schedule couldn't have helped.
So, his defense suffered, and his atrocious shooting might have had a little something to do with tired legs. He also received treatment for nerve issues in his back that may have contributed to his improved play late in the season.
But, we saw a different player as March rolled around, and there's now some reason to hope that's the same player we see this season.
That player averaged over 14 points a game in April and shot 47 percent from the field, a far cry from the 28 percent he shot in December...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
