I was going to run a poll yesterday asking readers if they thought the Sonics sucked. After last night's pathetic showing against the Cleveland Cavaliers, however, the question is moot— the Sonics are indeed sucking. The question now is can the sucking be stopped, and if so, how? Here are the solutions people usually come up with when their favorite team is tanking:Fire the Coach. This is always a popular choice, especially in this case when the coach isn't a Sonics legend like his predecessor. While it's true that Coach Slate has looked a bit like Joe Rockhead in the first few games, Mac-10, Larry Brown, and even Phil Jackson haven't gotten off to great starts with their new teams, either. It takes a while for teams to adjust to a new system, so it's a little early to pass judgment on the coach. I'll give him two weeks.
Trade the Players. Are you sick of seeing Flip "The Human Turnover" Murray dribble the ball out of bounds while Ray Allen stands unguarded two feet away? Tired of hearing Vlad "Not-So-Rad,Man" whine about minutes while shooting worse than Reggie Evans? Are you ranting on sports boards across the Internet about how we should trade these bums? Well, you can stop ranting, because these guys are going nowhere. Due to the recently signed CBA, Vlad, Evans, and Flip cannot be traded due to their one-year contracts. Which means, unless you want to trade Ray or Rashard, we're basically stuck with the crew we've got.
Give Up All Hope. This is the method I usually resort to when dealing with early-season suckitude. It's still a little early to flush this one down the tubes, though. Any team with Ray Allen has a chance. Does he need help? Of course. Could the coaching be better? Yes. Would playing some defense help? Duh. Obviously, there are a lot of things this team needs to improve if they want a shot at the playoffs. Luckily, it's a long season, and there's still time to fix the ship.
You know that railway bridge off of Maple Valley Highway outside of Renton, the one that had/has the "SuperSonic" graffiti on it?
ReplyDeleteI'd like to throw Bob Weiss off that bridge. Don't worry, it's not far down to the river, so he wouldn't get seriously injured. But, still ...
I really want to like Bob Weiss. Really. But he's kind of like that nice teacher in school who wants to be everyone's friend, and ends up getting knifed by the bully. Maybe he'll wise up and start packing heat like Roddy McDowall in Class of 1984.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't find the no trade clause you were referencing. Mind setting up a direct link. If it is infact true that Vlad is not allowed to be traded someone should inform his agent.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.thenewstribune.com/sports/sonics/story/5321081p-4821330c.html
well, i agree with trading radman and flip cause' it doesn't seem that they're really *trying*. god, at least have some pride and play good ball, guys. but no...whine, whine, whine is all we're getting. *sigh*
ReplyDeleteand though i think weiss should be given a chance since it's still early on in the season, i agree with what has been said on the other thread about weiss following nate's old plans. he should just like, tone down his pride and stick with what worked last year. i mean, as a coach, it's your job to do the best for the team and not for yourself. ^____^
but option 3, giving up hope is definitely not an option for me. :D sooooonics pride! yeah! ^___^
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ReplyDeleteHere's my thought:
ReplyDeleteIf the Sonics can afford to have one bad season, this is it. Granted, a bad season anytime is nasty. But considering that we just signed everyone important that needed signing, and we have some one-year guys that we don't really need (*wince* but it's true), and our young guys can still develop before they're at the peak of their game, and Bob Weiss is in his first year...we can afford to lose this season.
Next season--no. Ray will be older. Rashard will hopefully have had his surgery and all injuries of that sort will be done with. Not to say that Luke and Nick will be done growing, but they certainly will be close to the top of their games. And Petro/Swift (whoever ends up being our "star", though I think it'll be the former) will be ready to take on a more mature, important role in the team.
That said, I haven't lost hope. ^_^ I never lose hope. Maybe I'm more than a little idealistic that way, but I'm a funny fan. (Read: I care more about the players than about winning.)
And yeah, what's up with Radman trying to get traded if he can't? I'd heard that rule, too, but I thought it only extended to a certain date, maybe some time in February.
I'm confused now ... and I wrote the story! I leave it to Pete or AK to explain the CBA ... it's way too complicated for my puny brain!
ReplyDeleteI'll admit it, I was shocked to read what 'peen' posted re the News Tribune and Vlade's demand to be traded within 20 games. Here is the basis for my claim that he couldn't be traded (courtesy of http://members.cox.net/lmcoon/salarycap.htm):
ReplyDelete"79. If a sign-and-trade is not used, when can a team trade a free agent it signs? Do they have to keep him forever?
"A player cannot be traded until three months after signing a contract or December 15th of that season, whichever is later. If the player is playing under a one-year contract and will have Larry Bird or Early Bird rights at the end of the contract, he can't be traded at all.
"In addition, teams cannot trade players under the following circumstances: ...
"When the player is playing under a one-year contract and will have Larry Bird or Early Bird rights at the end of the contract. Note: This includes first round draft picks following their fourth (option) season, who accept their team's qualifying offer for their fifth season."
Now, all of this is based upon the previous CBA, but I had assumed (and I saw this confirmed elsewhere on other websites) that this clause was still applicable in Vlade's case, inasmuch as these clauses fit his case perfectly.
However, Frank Hughes is a smart man. Frankly (pardon the pun), he is the best writer covering the Sonics right now. Further, Vlade's agent, while perhaps foolish for turning down the Sonics' offer last summer, has to have a better understanding of the CBA than I do, as it is his business to do so.
Saying all that, I don't know what the heck is going on. I suppose the best thing to do is wait for the Sonics' front office to say something. If they come out and say, "We're not interested in trading Vlade," then we know he CAN be traded. If, however, they come out and say, "Nice try, Vlade's agent, but we can't trade your piece of Eurotrash even if we wanted to. Perhaps he'd like to spend the rest of the year with Terrell Owens in New Jersey?"
All those players can be dealt, with thier permission from December 15th through the trade deadline. They took that particular part out of the new CBA and replaced it with a section about being able to deal with permission. The permission is needed because since the player is on a 1 year contract and would not be with the same team for more than three years he loses all his bird rights.
ReplyDeleteVladi has stated his willingness to be dealt to a situation where he could start.
*Note, there is a 95% chance if he's dealt he will never recoup the money the Sonics offered him because of the structures of the CBA.
You've got to love the internet sometimes. Where else would I be able to find out about an obscure part of a labor agreement that has no impact upon my life whatsoever, yet I am insanely curious to know everything about?
ReplyDeleteBig thanks to Scott for the input (and I think we can all agree you guys do a wonderful job on your site). Of course, it begs the question, is there a resource that contains this info similar to the link I had, but with the current agreement?
Thanks for the imput BUT please don't dog on that awesome IOWA HAWKEYE reggie evans. I can't for the life of me understand the playing time they give Flip or some of these others. Oh yeah, anyone hating on Vlad is just jealous - he is a little to pretty for basketball.
ReplyDeleteI told my roommate today that he's damn lucky the Seahawks are 6-2 or else he'd have to deal with my constant complaining about the Sonics.
ReplyDeleteMy god they're pathetic. I may have to stop checking the scores.
137 points... wow...
ReplyDeleteFellas, I would like to welcome you all to the official blog of the Washington Generals.
-Q
It cannot get any worse can it? Wait a minute - the Raptors have to beat at least one team this year, it might as well be us.
ReplyDeleteAs long as they're juggling lineups (and failing), why not have this starting line-up:
ReplyDeletePG: Allen
SG: Lewis
SF: Evans
PF: Fortson
C: Petro.
See, that would cause huge match up problems (or something).
When was the last time a team scored 137 or more in a non overtime game?
Yeah, regardless of how angry Vladimir Radmanovic seems with Seattle Supersonics Head Coach Bob Weiss and team management, I highly doubt that he would give up his Bird Rights to be traded elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteYet, that notwithstanding, information found at realgm.com indicated that Radmanovic can't be traded this season under any circumstances; however, I could be completely wrong about it.
Thanks for the comments about the site, we're doing our best.
ReplyDeleteAs far as I know Larry is working on a new version of his CBA FAQ for the recently signed version. However, it's not completed as of yet.
I wish that realgm would do a better job of notifying its users that the info given is not on the new CBA.
AK, Vlad can be traded. He just has to accept the team we send him too, after the 15th of December.
I listened to the KJR postgame show last night, and they had fun with an unfair edit of a Calabro/Ehlo call, but it was hilarious.
ReplyDeleteIt was a play where Murray is dribbling and trying to create his own play, but dribbles the ball off his leg and out of bounds.
The first thing you hear after the whistle is Ehlo saying (too bad I forgot which of these it was) "that's vintage Flip Murray right there," or "that's exactly what the Sonics expect from Flip Murray."
The edited part was that they cut off the clip before Ehlo explained Flip's penchant for breaking a defender down one-on-one, but the KJR sound guys cut it off just for the hell of it.
Laughs were had for Locke and Fain on a dreary night after a loss by a mere 41 points.
Ehlo's (close to) exact words were, "That's Flip Murray at his best right there."
ReplyDeleteYes, I laughed, too.
And why not start Cleaves for the same reason you start Reggie? (Energy.) Just a random thought.
Another thing I've noticed...there aren't any smiles this year. It was all fun and games last season, but this year you look down the entire bench and every single one of them is frowning. Even before the game--before they get whooped by X to the tenth amount of points--they just look grim, like it's all a chore. Someone needs to tell those boys to lighten up a little.