So, here we sit, 11 games into the 2006-07 season and the Sonics are showing little or no signs of being the playoff team some of us (yours truly not included) hoped they would be.
Coming off a trio of losses to Philly, Utah, and Golden State, Seattle's record of 4-7 is, wait for it, .... worse than their record at this point last season.
I'll let you digest that for a moment.
Yes, the Sonics are thusfar underperforming from last season, which was perhaps the most disappointing season in team history.
Of course, we all know that a healthy Robert Swift would have catapulted the team to the top of the NW Division (Seriously, does anyone really believe that getting tattoos and adding 40 pounds means anything? Did anyone really think Swift was going to make a lick of difference on this team? Consider Johan Petro; it wouldn't be a stretch to say that Petro outperformed Swift last season, at best they were equal. So if Petro sucks so far, why couldn't Swift have sucked as well?).
Hopefully, the numbers indicate that despite the record discrepancies, the team is improved. Last year at this point, Seattle was being outscored by an average of 105 to 98, while this season's they're being outscored 103.5 to 103. Of course, last year's numbers were skewed by 3 blowout losses on the road; taking those 3 games out and the numbers are almost identical.
Regardless of the numbers, whatever optimism I had about this team before the season started is rapidly beginning to dwindle. Wilcox' horrible foul-line performance against G-State, Collison's continued mind-numbing ineptitude, Ridnour's Jekyll and Hyde performances, Watson's inability to resemble anything close to a $5 million a year player, and, most notably, the complete and utter lack of anything from Petro and Sene mean this team would be overachieving to win 40 games this year.
The bottom line? Never doubt Vegas, folks. Despite our hope the Sonics would win 40 or even 45 games in 2006-07, the oddsters were right to put this team's over-under for wins at 36.
Oh, yes; the Sonics are home tonight, against the Nets.
Spread: Sonics by 2 1/2
Pete's Pick: Seattle 112-New Jersey 108
Record ATS: 2-3
4 comments:
Tonight's game is pretty big - I have a feeling we could be seeing all sorts of nasty quotes coming out of the locker room if the Nets wipe the floor with us. Here's hoping Wilcox' FT trouble is a one-game deal.
Two Predictions:
1. Nets 110-Sonics 103
2. Bob Hill is collecting unemployment by Valentine's Day
We're in the middle of one of those ugly, long breakups, the Sonics and I. I know we're no good for each other, long-term. We're moving in different directions. But then I get drunk and think I'm in love again, at least until I sober up a bit and just want them to leave as soon as we're finished. I think I'm being used. I feel like I'm just a stopgap until something better comes along. But I still love them. It's so wrong.
"Self-Esteem" by The Offspring perfectly sums up the previous post.
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