4 days and counting until the future of the Sonics is revealed ...
Tuesday is the big day, of course, and it's entirely possible the Sonics walk out of the NBA's Seacaucus, New Jersey studios holding onto either Kevin Durant or Greg Oden, and, thus, an improved future.
But let's be reasonable. It's much more likely Seattle will be picking 5th or 6th than 1st or 2nd. That being the case, who should the Sonics be taking, or should they be dealing the pick away entirely? (Remember, Rick Sund isn't here anymore, so allay those worries about Seattle taking a 15-year-old handball player from Madagascar).
The more I look at it, the more I think that Corey Brewer is the answer for the Sonics. He's a defensive-minded small forward with a decent offensive game (he'll have to improve in this area to be a star at the NBA level), and, perhaps just as important, he's been around winning teams for the past two years, something about which not a soul on this Sonic team can boast.
But what about Rashard Lewis, you ask? Sadly, I'm leaning more and more to the idea that even if Lewis wants to stay (which none of us know for sure), we might be better off seeing him head elsewhere. The Lewis and Allen combo is not going to produce a championship in Seattle, and a sign-and-trade deal for Lewis might be the best way to salvage the relationship.
Feel free to discuss my incompetence at your leisure.
7 comments:
Noah is intriguing to me. Draftexpress had a good article about his workout in LA, and it makes you wonder about a guy like Noah who seems to be ultracompetitive. He's a weird fit in the NBA, but I could see the Sonics picking him up this year, letting him be a sixth man for one season, then starting him at PF the season after that. His outside shot is horrible to watch, but if he's at the 4/5 position, I think he can be a good NBA player. Certainly would give the Sonics more effort than Wilcox.
I love the idea of Brewer and adding him at SF. Ridnour, Ray-Ray and Rashard are basically allergic to defense, and even if the Sonics are scoring well, they still don't have anyone to match up with some of the top scorers in the west. And I swear, every time I watched Florida the last two years, I kept coming away more impressed with Brewer's overall game, more than Noah or Horford. I saw one thing comparing Brewer to Jalen Rose or Stacey Augmon, but I think he's more athletic than that.
You look at Brewer and you think he could guard the 1, 2 or 3 and more than hold his own. They NEED a player like that, and if they get 5 or 6 as we think, they can't miss if they take Brewer!
Agreed. I'm curious though what the Sonics could get for Lewis in a sign-and-trade. Ideally, they could get a veteran big with a contract that will be expiring within a year or two, plus a good backup point guard.
Please, lord, not Noah. The guy is a poor shooter and a poor FT shooter. And he is NOT built like Ben Wallace and wont overpower anyone defensively nor on the glass.
He is a "garbage player"-- his points come off hustle and athleticism, not strong skills; unfortunately for him, the NBA is loaded with bigger stronger more explosive players than the SEC; he will struggle.
While he does pass well, and will attack the glass with the ball in his hands, I think his skillset is best suited to a team like the Suns, where he can be a role player and thrive. For a team like us that NEEDS an upper tier "go to" guy, I don't see him getting it done...
His max upside? Similar to Juwan Howard, but without any shooting ability. More likely in my eyes-- he struggles to find an steady NBA role, just like so many of the Billy Donovan Florida alum. Great college players in a great system, but most are NOT holding NBA skillsets.
I'm scared about his teammate as well, I don't think Horford will be much more than a small upgrade over Wilcox. Now if he can reach Elton Brand numbers, I would take that in a heartbeat, but I'm thinking he is merely a slightly better Wilcox. Is that worth the pick? I don't think so...
In SF land, Brewer I like much more than Green simply because he is such a spectacular athlete, and unlike Noah or Horford he can potentially dominate a game w/o being an offensive threat-- that's how disruptive I see him being defensively.
He is a young Stacey Augmon, only with a more offensive game...
But I still come back to Yi. I LOVE the TUP-- tremedous upside potential. I think WORST CASE he is a solid NBA player. His athleticism reminds me of GP-- watch where I'm going with this-- Gary was extremely quick, but once in the NBA (most forget he was a dunk-fiend at OSU) not much of a leaper. Yi, for his size, is very horizontally explosive. He isn't a pogo stick with limited skills ala a Stromile Swift.
He'll get his fair share of dunks, but they will be from his slashing style as much as from his true jumping ability.
I am trying to figure a player I see as similar to him, and I'm not seeing a comparable. Now I have no idea about his D (youtube just doesn't have that focus) but offensively I like both his face up AND back to the basket game. He has a very solid turn around jumper that looks very difficult to defend. I had read he has 3 point range, though we haven't seen that, and he can jump off 2 feet or either foot equally well, which is surprisingly rare in a big man.
Can you say the same about Noah OR Horford-- two picks in the same range?
That clip where he grabs a loose ball at midcourt and dunks on the guy who was chasing it with him? That was excellent body control, offensive skill and explosiveness. Not many guys in the NBA or draftable ranks, at 6'11", could make that play.
Will he be a superstar? I don't know... but I do know I think his downside is higher than Noah's, and his upside is potentially higher than anyone NOT named Greg or Kevin.
I personally would pick him above anyone else from number3 on...but if he was gone, I would definitely go with Brewer.
My interest in this draft, however, lies in the 2nd round and what we do AFTER our first pick. There are some highly skilled players and tremendous athletes in the late first and and even deep into the 2nd round. You could legitimately pull 3 immediate NBA level contributors if you draft well...
and if the team plays their cards well, this could provide not only a new infusion of talent for the franchise, but also a new direction for the franchise (hopefully metaphorically, not location-wise!) and could set us back into the upper division and legitimate playoff threats.
also, we don't need a veteran with a big expiring contract.. we already have more cap space than the majority of the teams in the league.
We need players than can contribute and move the franchise in a new direction, and that includes in my eyes-- barring a capture of Odem of course, moving both Lewis and as much as I love him, RayRay.
And why would we need a 4th backup PG? We either need an upper tier PG (how many are there- maybe 5 or 10 in the league?) or take the ones we already have and better mold the team to their skillsets... I'm for the 2nd option. I still believe Ridnour is salvageable to be upper tier with the right supporting cast.
Mediocre veterans to rebuild?
No thank you. We already have the Mariners to look for in that philosophy, and it hasn't gone so well.
Go Sexson! Go Raul! Go Vidro! Go Guillen! Go Bastiste! Go Weaver! Go HoRam!
And that's just the guys CURRENTLY on the roster... *sigh*. Nope, if you are going to rebuild, freakin' rebuild. Scrap and start over.
1) New GM who makes tough decisions about the roster THEN...
2) Hires a new coach THEN...
3) That coach, suited to the mold of the team, builds the team in his vision and moves us back into competitiveness.
Why a team would even consider hiring a coach or even interviewing one prior to hiring a GM is completely beyond me... which is why would will take that path, of course.
It is a Seattle team, after all.
If Sonics dont move up I think Lenny will spend a lot of time considering Noah, Brewer and Conley. Yi? Could he be sold on him? Maybe in person but the Sene flap may make it harder to do this.
Pls, not Noah (this guy is bizarre and unpredictable) and no to the Chinese guy (the chinese press wanna sell it as a 7 footer that can play in the 5 positions...haha..this asian folks are so funny).
I think Brewer is a really good option, specially if Rashard is leaving. Doc Hibbert might be another option, but first we have to get rid of Petro and specially Sene.
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