A few pieces before looking at tonight’s matchup with Memphis…
According to espn.com, Bob Hill is the 6th-least hated coach in the NBA, ranking ahead of former Sonic assistants Terry Stotts and Dwayne Casey, as well as Larry Brown (natch). It should be noted that his approval rating has dropped since December. Why? … This just in! Reggie Evans felt underappreciated in Seattle! Yeah, Reggie, we all know you’re hard working and all, but, seriously, when the entire NBA decided you’re not worth a long-term deal this past summer, don’t ya think that maybe it’s not just Seattle doing the underappreciating? … And, last but not least, the Sonics have officially inked one Marcus Fizer (congrats to sonicscentral for breaking this way ahead of the big boys). You want to hear a bizarre list? If Fizer makes it to 500 games played, he will join these guys as former Iowa State grads to have played that many games: Zaid Abdul-Zaid, Kelvin Cato, Fred Hoiberg, and Jeff Hornacek. Somehow I’m guessing that’s not a foursome you’ll be seeing at a golf course near you.
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On to tonight’s affair. The Sonics are only favored by a point, which to me is a steal. Just like the beginning of last season, the oddsmakers are going to be skeptical of the Sonics for awhile, but, to me, this team is easily capable of dusting the Grizzlies tonight. If you look at the two previous games, the current Sonics bear no resemblance to the team(s) that lost in those two outings. I’m not even worried about Collison’s injury affecting the outcome.
It will be interesting to see the Sonics match up with Memphis’ slow-down tactic (which, as this piece shows, even some Griz fans are getting sick of). Here’s some numbers for you: The Sonics take 42% of their shots in the first 10 seconds of the 24-second clock. Memphis takes 32% in that time frame. Memphis takes 20% of their shots in the final four seconds; the Sonics 11%. It’s two completely different styles: Fratello’s Slothball Crapola vs Hill’s Runners. As if the Grizzlies’ style of play wasn’t bad enough, they’re paying this guy about $6mil a year until 2010. I like to call it the Bill Curley Rule: NBA teams will always go out on a limb for a 6’9” white guy. It’s as if they think that if they keep drafting them, sooner or later they’ll find another Larry Bird. Good luck with that.
As you can tell, I’m picking the Sonics, 103-89.
29 comments:
I hope Adam Morrison is the next Larry Bird so that people will finally shut the f*** up about it. It just seems like people out there are just aching for another great white player to cheer for, to give all of Kobe and Lebrons commercials to. They won't do it with Nowitzki because he's european, and white americans seem to be real uppity when it comes to european players, like they are a step below themselves, wierd I know. I like our chances against Memphis, I think our bigs match up reall well in this game and to me their defense will be crucial to victory.
This has nothing to do with basketball whatsoever, but I was watching the WBC and I noticed that South Africa has a squad, I haven't seen them yet but I am wondering this; are there any black people on that team?? There had fuckin better be, otherwise it is a disgrace to even invite them. I saw this crap at the winter Olympics during opening ceremonies, South Africa came out and it was all white people, fuck that, they should be on the netherlands team, that's some bullshit. Sorry to go off topic but it is a real slow day at work today, and all the sports sites I go to are in the process of tarring and feathering a black man (Barry Bonds) right now. RIP Gordon Parks.
I saw a little of the South Africa-Canada game, and it looks like SA has a couple of non-white players. Here's your fun fact of the day: Lee Smith is S.A.'s pitching coach. Digest that one for a minute.
grizzlies fan here - you're right, the slow-down busienss is killing me. plus, the team just doesn't seem to be making any progress. i guess that's why fratello wasn't coaching an nba team for the past decade.
Fratello wishes he was with Marv Albert biting ho's asses too.
Hey, don't we all! (Oops - did I write that?)
I wonder with equipment like he's got, what would foreskin face do with a ho? Skeet skeet skeet. lol
"all the sports sites I go to are in the process of tarring and feathering a black man (Barry Bonds) right now."
No, they're tarring and feathering a lying steroid abuser.
hey Nuss,
Who the hell is Lee Smith?? Not a big baseball head as you can probably tell.
Mark Mcgwire, Randy Johnson, Roger Clemens, and Brady Anderson are being tarred and feathered?!?!?! WOW, thanks Anon. and I think you should have written abuserS since those 4 are more than 1.
oh Anon, it is still alleged, you still can't prove it since he never had 'cloudy piss'. -Andre 3000
I'm was Big Boi who uttered the "cloudy piss" line in "Spottieottiedopalisciou."
Screw the tarring and feathering... I just want someone to take out his knees so he doesn't break Hank's record.
Ugh, my poor brother is at tonight's game. Last I checked, the Supes were down 18... Sorry dude.
25-point loss to the Grizzlies ... at home ... Rashard outscored by Johan Petro ... Sonics shoot 35% from the field ... Outrebounded 51 to 36 ...
No matter how you look at it, that was one of the worst losses of the season, almost as bad as the road trip back in November.
Oh, and Biggie, Lee Smith is a 6'6", 250-lb black man who has more career saves than anyone on the planet. It's just weird that he would be coaching for South Africa. Good for him, though.
Lance,
Yeah I know, I knew the moment I hit publish. I was hoping no one would catch it, good catch.
We should bench Lewis for the season. He's obviously already on vacation. Can't wait till he opts out and gets what he really deserves - mid level exception.
Why oh why did we keep going to the same 'try to get it to Wilcox even though Gasol will mess it up' play time after time? Oh yeah, because Lewis sucks as an option.
I had the pleasure of watching the "game" last night in person. The sad thing is, the Sonics played better man-to-man defense than I'd seen most of the season - for 22 seconds. Then the Griz would score. Wilcox also threw down some SERIOUS thunder and was pretty effective inside... when he wasn't turning the ball over or getting his shot blocked.
Obviously you're not going to beat anyone shooting low 30s from the field, but the game actually looked within reach until Hill rolled out a spectacularly-awful small lineup midway through the 3rd and stuck with it for 5 terrible minutes when Memphis ran a 10 point lead up to 18 or 20. Please, sir, can we not see that again?
I thought that the effort last night by our 2 "superstars" was pathetic. Ridnour showed again that he couldn't guard my grandmother, how do you let chucky atkins get off? The coaching in the game was pathetic, and the loss had nothing to do with collison being out, what would he have done to change anything, maybe we would have lost by 10 instead of 20.
6th least hated coach, huh? Glad I moved away from NJ, those fools are hating on their coach even though they are 6 games over .500?!?!?! Harsh Fans!
Atlanta and Toronto have the highest approval ratings among teams with the most games under .500... 19 games under with over 80% approval!!! Talk about delusions of grandeur.
WTF? Game not on FSN. What's on instead - high school ball?
too bad UW didn't respond by bustin' some Duck A**.
Man Black, you must not be down for the cause if you're putting Huskie love above solidarity. That lil' bitch Applby started it, but Brooks finished it. Let's go Ducks!
The only thing better than seeing the TrailBlazers lose is seeing the Ducks finish off the Huskies. How 'bout them waterfowl!
Nuss and Lance,
Did the ducks make it into the tourney?? oops, no, no they didn't. Ouch
You right Big, the Ducks, like the Husky Football team, were not long for post-season play. Unlike the Husky football team, Ducks basketball has the opportunity to get better.
Willingham will have a national championship in this bitch in 2 years! (no I'm not stoned, I'm at work)
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