Frodo tries the matador defense on T-Park. Olé!That said, this quote from Earl Watson post-game on why he was still running on the treadmill (courtesy of the great Percy Allen in the Times) is pretty good:
"Because I need to stay in shape and 15 to 20 minutes just isn't doing it for me."
Ah, sarcasm, the sign of either a very confident team, or a very cranky backup point guard.
I don't know where Hill is coming from re the bench, as it was the starters that killed the Sonics, not the bench. Considering the Spurs' bench outscored the Sonics' 29-25, I don't consider that to be the turning point. I do, however, consider that when two guys (Wilcox/Lewis) who average 33 points give you 15, that might be a factor. Or when your two point guards grab more defensive rebounds than your starting forwards, that might hurt a bit.
According to David Locke, last night was a "lesson" for the Sonics in "championship basketball." This is coming off Friday's "part of the evolution" of Seattle's defense. Just think, if the Sonics can manage to drop 6 in a row, they'll be smart enough to contend for the title!
Seriously, this team is the classic tweener: better than bottom feeder, not good enough for the playoffs. It's a sad recipe for disaster in this town, one that's been cooked for nearly a decade now, one that's been handed down from McMillan to Weiss to Hill. It contains equal parts poor defense, overreliance on outside shooting, and lack of inside presence.
I just hope Oklahoma City likes it.
12 comments:
Hill's right, the bench's offensive production has been God-awful this year. And Earl Watson shouldn't be running his mouth, since he's Culprit #1 on the list. The guy has been so bad it's ridiculuous, and then he runs his mouth about how he should be getting more PT? Hey, Earl, try hitting 40% from the field before you start lecturing anyone about minutes.
Thank God Collison decided to have a good game last night, or else the entire bench would have been outscored by Brent Barry.
I saw that stuff from Locke, too. If we were the Charlotte Bobcats, I'm buying it, but for crying out loud, we've got Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis, and we're paying top money for Wilcox. How many years in the league do these guys have to have before they're ready to play championship caliber basketball? They know you have to play on both ends, right?
I don't blame Watson for his comments. He's obviously frustrated with how the season's going. Look at what happened to him in Denver, where it looked like he was going to get some minutes, then he wound up third in line behind Boykins and Andre Miller. Then he comes to Seattle, gets some good run down the stretch last year - a la Antonio Daniels a couple of years ago - then winds up playing only 15 minutes per this year. The guys got his $$$, he wants to play. I'm sure he's hoping the Sonics pull the trigger on that Posey for Watson deal AK mentioned the other day. Does that work salary-wise, though?
Not sure what difference Posey can offer, although he does play decent defense.
I'm resigned to the Sonics being a 35-40 win team for as long as this current group is together. Collison's too inconsistent, Ridnour is what he is, and the Petro/Swift/Sene trio ain't ever going to be anything big, regardless of how bizarre a trio they are.
Time to blow up the ship, IMO.
You guys are too negative, the Sonics are definitely on the upswing this season, they've just had lousy luck too many times. They were a couple shots away from winning almost every game on their east coast road trip.
Yeah, they stunk it up against eth Spurs, but I think they're gonna beat Orlando this week then they have some easy game coming up.
keep the faith!
-eric
Eric, what are you, 12 years old? I think that's the last time I was that optimistic about a team that had absolutely no chance at doing anything.
Yes, Ryan, Earl Watson ($5,400,000) can be traded to the Miami Heat for James Posey ($6,392,100).
What's Posey's contract status; i.e., how many more years does he have left? And what chance do we have of getting GP back as well as Watson?
It actually makes sense, if you think about it. If the Sonics deal Watson away, they're going to need a backup PG, while the Heat will have an extra backup PG.
Well, Ryan, James Posey has an expiring contract; on the other hand, Earl Watson is signed through the 2009-2010 season.
In any event, though, Posey would provide the Seattle Supersonics with a legitimate backup shooting guard -- unlike Desmon Farmer, of course -- while Earl Waston would provide the Miami Heat with a starting point guard who'd perfectly compliment Dwyane Wade's style of play. Currently, the 'sonics have a third-string point guard, Mike Wilks, who can be a sufficient backup at the position. If Watson became the starting point guard in Miami, moreover, then the Heat could thereby use Gary Payton and Jason Williams as the backup shooting guard and backup point guard, respectively, which would greatly benefit the team.
Anyway, that notwithstanding, the Los Angeles Lakers don't need a point guard like Watson. As it is, he's too undersized for the triangle offense like Jordan Farmar and too proned to committing turnovers like William "Smush" Parker. Besides, the Los Angeles Lakers already have a solid, well-rounded roster.
C: Andrew Bynum
C: Kwame Brown
C: Chris Mihm
PF: Lamar Odom
PF: Ronny Turiaf
PF: Brian Cook
SF: Luke Walton
SF: Vladimir Radmanovic
SF: Aleksander "Sasha" Vujacic
SG: Kobe Bryant
SG: Maurice Evans
SG: Aaron McKie
PG: William "Smush" Parker
PG: Jordan Farmar
PG: Shammond Williams
Lastly, I bet that Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak is probably regretting his decision to sign Radmanovic to a five-year contract worth the mid-level exception during this past off-season.
I'm with Eric ... Dare to dream, my brother!
This year has definitely been a disappointment so far. The Sonics got no inside game. Our big guys are a big joke really. Wilcox doesn't have to try anymore because he already got the contract. Collison plays 5 horrible games for every 1 good one. Petro gets us more fouls than points and rebounds. Ray isn't playing his best basketball either. Wilks plays very well every time he steps onto the court, but gets practically no playtime. Rashard is finally getting the respect he deserves and is being doubled a good portion of the games. Ridnour is probably the best-playing guy we have, and he's not even doing anything impressive.
Unfortunately there is no light at the end of the Sonics' tunnel this season. The roster has to change drastically, as well as the coaching staff. Just by watching the Sonics play you can feel the vibe of indifference and lack of drive.
Where is Bob Weiss now?
The team said back in January that he would stay on as a consultant for the team. Is he still active with the Sonics?
Off topic, I know, but I recently bought a horse that used to belong to Bob, and would like to get the papers for him. The horse's name is "Nightlife", and he's an Irish sport horse gelding that goes by the stable name of Max. He was imported to the U.S. from Ireland.
If you know of a way to reach Bob Weiss, then please e-mail to gerald.w.whites@boeing.com.
Post a Comment