The recent reports that Metta World Peace and head coach Mike Brown haven’t been getting along created quite a stir in Los Angeles. The possibility of a fractured locker room is certainly a story the Lakers have seen in the past, so rumors that the team may be headed there again weren’t encouraging.
However, despite the fact that World Peace was unhappy with his playing time, it seems that he and Brown got together to discuss their differences and try and work out a solution.
“If I were him, I’d be frustrated. I talked to him about it,” Brown said. “I said, ‘Metta, I don’t take anything personally. I’m OK with it. Just be careful what you say to the media in that regard. But if I was a stats guy, Metta, you wouldn’t be playing at all. Because look at your stats offensively, and then Synergy says you’re the 192nd best defensive player in the league.”*
These comments came after World Peace mentioned that his contributions to the team weren’t always statistical, but that his impact was made by preventing the other team’s best player from scoring the ball. Following Brown’s comments, World Peace responded prior to Tuesday night’s game between the Lakers and the Atlanta Hawks.
“I was never frustrated,” World Peace said. “There was no frustration. Just looking for the consistency of whether I was on the bench or whether I was playing, just looking for the consistency. Once you find the consistency you already know where you stand at and you can move forward and win games.”**
He also took to Twitter on Tuesday afternoon to express his feelings that there were no problems between Brown and himself.
Still, both Brown and World Peace mentioned finding consistency as the main goal for the team.