March 6 Cartoon: "He Who Asks Last"

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One last arena post... from me anyway. I'll leave any further political commentary to my SSS colleagues, Saints Peter and Paul.

And you thought Kenny G killed Jazz

In honor of the Oscars, it was "Brokeback Mountain Night" at the key last night.

The Sonics murdered the Utah Jazz 113-81 last night. The new guys stole the show with Earl "Wattstax" Watson lobbing a couple of Payton-like ally-oops to "Wilco" Wilcox, and a nice behind the back dish to "The Rash". Lost in the razzle dazzle last night was a solid performance from "The Omen", who snagged a career high seven (!) steals.

So, was this just a case of the Sonics beating on a crappy team, or are the Supes back in action? Or a little bit of both? Maybe we'll find out Wednesday night against the Grizz.

23 Games to Go

Will Hill step "One Toke Over the Line" again?

I’m guessing the odds for Seattle pulling an upset tonight rank somewhat lower than the odds of Rocky Balboa losing to Ivan Drago in “Rocky IV.” The Pistons, already established as the NBA’s premier team, are fresh off a dud in Denver where they played lousy basketball. And you know what that means, right? Yes, Detroit is ready to show that that game was an aberration, for if there is one thing great teams do, it’s snip losing streaks in the bud.

With that in mind, there’s really no point in breaking down the matchup. However, here’s how the other important games on the schedule tonight look:

Denver: 4 point underdogs at Houston
Lakers: 2 point favorites at Golden State
Kings: 3 point favorites at Atlanta
Jazz: 5 point underdogs vs Clippers

The way I see it, Denver, Utah, and the Lakers will probably lose tonight, while the Kings might win in Atlanta, and even that’s a toss-up. Still, it’s too bad the Sonics have to play Detroit, since they have a good opportunity to close within a half-dozen games of the playoffs. As it is, it’ll be a night of treading water in the Western Conference.

Race

In keeping with the “keep hope alive” sentiment, here’s how the teams Seattle is chasing fared last night:

Denver (current record: 31-27): W (oh, come on, Pistons!)
Hornets (31-27): L (16 points in the 2nd half?)
Lakers (29-29): L (thanks, Nate)
Kings(27-30): W
Jazz (27-30): L (gotta love that, no matter the situation)

Seattle (22-36): off

The net result is that the Sonics are now 7 games out of the playoffs, which is a full half-game better than they were yesterday. There are no games on tap for tonight featuring Sonic rivals for the playoffs.

Well, I figure at this pace, they’ll pass the Lakers by next Wednesday. Look, I know the “Sonics” and “playoffs” really don’t belong in the same sentence, but if we can’t root for the team we created a website for when they’re 7 games out, then why the hell did we make a website in the first place?

Goodbye Brrrryon, Hello Noel?

Look at the intensity on this man's face! Watch out Pistons!

The Seattle Sonics waived Bryon "My first name is retarded" Russell today. So much for our "Weak-ass Bitches Who Got Killed by MJ" feature with Russell and Craig "Mint" Ehlo.

And who's going to take Bry-Ru's spot on the roster? Our pals at Sonics Central say it's "The First Noel" Felix.

(Update: It's official. The Sonics signed Felix to a 10-day contract.)

Race to the Finish

With March upon us, the Sonics have 24 games remaining on their schedule, and they currently are looking up at the last (8th) playoff spot, 7 ½ games back of the Lakers, or 8 ½ games back of the Nuggets for the NW Division lead. Coming off a rousing win over the Hornets on Tuesday, how likely are the Sonics to make a comeback?

Let’s look at the schedules. The rest of the way, Seattle’s 24 opponents have a combined winning percentage of 54.2%, the equivalent of the Grizzlies or Hornets. The schedule is front-loaded, though, with most of the dangerous games coming in the next 3 weeks, while April is relatively easy, with matchups against Portland (twice), Houston, and Sacramento – all teams on the outside looking in for the playoffs.

In a somewhat realistic world, the Sonics could conceivably finish the season by winning 18 of the remaining 24 games, which would put their record at 40-42, definitely out of the playoff race. But by winning a couple of road games they shouldn’t (against, say, the Lakers or Memphis), the Sonics could pull themselves to 42, 43, or 44 wins, which would give them a fighting chance.

With 14 of the 24 games at home, the Sonics have an edge over the Nuggets, who will play the majority of their games on the road the rest of the way. In fact, the Sonics need only look at what Denver did last season, when Denver went on a 25-4 tear to nearly unseat the Sonics from the Division throne. It will take a similar maniacal finish for the Sonics to do the same thing. Yes, the Nuggets were starting near .500 when they went on their tear last year and the Sonics are 14 games below that right now, but the team Denver was chasing (Seattle) had a very good record, while the team Seattle is chasing (Denver), currently stands only 3 games over .500.

Can it happen? Absolutely. Will it? Well, we’ve got two months to see.

Game Night: Not Your Daddy's Sonics

Tonight, the Sonics debut what is – in many ways – a brand-new team. As such, there will be a big bulls-eye residing on Coach Hill’s forehead for the next three months. After having to endure an incomplete roster for the beginning of his tenure, Hill has got all of the pieces he should need to create a winning team. I have always felt Hill has/had what it takes to be a successful NBA coach, and now we’ll find out if I’m right.

To me, with their recent moves the Sonics have finally replaced Jerome James and Antonio Daniels by acquiring Wilcox, Wilks, and Watson (add in Wilkens and we’ve got our own W-4!). Watson complements Ridnour perfectly, and Wilcox’ athleticism and aggressiveness are precisely what the Sonics need. One can only hope their attention to defense rubs off on Lewis, Allen, et al. Wilks’ surprising performance against the Heat only adds more excitement.

Watching the Sonics last year, the best lineup in my opinion was Daniels, Allen, Lewis, Radmanovic, and Fortson (at least while Fortson kept his fouls in check). That group’s combination of defense, scoring, and rebounding was exciting to watch. An aspect oft-overlooked was their exceptional foul shooting and – even more importantly – foul-drawing abilities. Unfortunately, Watson can’t hit FTs as well as Daniels, and Wilcox is no Fortson at drawing and making shots at the charity stripe.

Regardless, I’m more excited about the Sonics right now than at any point this season since October. Tonight’s game against the Hornets should be a wonderful opportunity for the Sonics to show Seattle fans that this team can still be factor in the playoff race. The Hornets have added a few pieces (Marc Jackson, Moochie Norris, Linton Johnson, Aaron Williams) to an already surprisingly good team, but the fact that Earl Watson will be wearing green and gold makes the thought of Chris Paul suiting up a little more palatable. This is no gimme in any way; the Hornets are a good team with a winning record on the road against Western Conference opponents and a 19-8 mark since January 1st. Their recent additions have played very well – both Williams and Johnson have posted double-doubles since being acquired – and Chris Paul is, well, Chris Paul. In the Sonics’ favor, the Hornets are 1-11 when teams score 100+ against them, something the Sonics ought to be able to do with their new roster inact.

Can the Sonics win, though? Good Lord, I hope so. Nothing would rev up this franchise at this point than a win against a good team. In a season of disasters both on and off of the court, Sonic fans deserves a ray of sunshine. Let’s hope we see it tonight.

Supersonicsoulscribbles: "Sailing"

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Here's the first of what we hope is a regular feature here at the Triple S. With any luck, the rest of the season will be as ripe for cartoony possibilities as Trade Deadline week.

Hell yes. Now I'm moving this way, I'm doing this thing. Please enjoy.

Short-handed, Sonics Fall

Thanks to food poisoning (Allen), babies (Collison), injuries (Fortson, Fife), and trades (Watson, Wilks, Russell), the Sonics were down to 7 guys last night in Orlando, and the Magic made them pay.

Sadly, Rashard was unable to step up in his chance for a big night, scoring only 14 points on 6-for-16 shooting from the field. The Omen made the most of his 46 minutes by scoring 21 points, and Chris Wilcox continued to make Rick Sund look smart by scoring 20 (while Radman was scoring 19 in LA for the Clips in his 2nd consecutive start). With both Frodo and Lewis at 5 fouls in the 4th, the Sonics were perilously close to having only 5 available players. In a seldom-used rule derived from the U.S. government's "levels of power" rule for the presidency, the NBA requires first the head coach, then assistant coach, then trainer, then broadcasters to suit up if a team fails to dress 5 players. There is no truth to the rumor that Craig Ehlo was the one who poisoned Ray Allen, although he was seen lurking around Nick Collison's wife, shouting "boo!" in an attempt to induce labor.

Tonight, the Sonics head down the state for a game with the Heat. Don't know Allen's status, but Vegas has tabbed Miami a 16-point favorite. The smart money, as always, is not on the Sonics.

Update: Mike Wilks may play tonight. Danny Fortson may also join the team and play. Watson and Bryon Russell are both expected to play on Tuesday in Seattle against N.O./OKC, while Swift's nose is expected to keep him out until at least Tuesday.

Frodo vs Karma

Ultimate Deathmatch: Earl vs. Curl! Oh, wait . . .

That's a rather inside attempt at some lame humor, but, basically, what we're looking for here is whether the Sonics should continue to start Eugene's favorite pint-sized point guard, or if we should start looking at an alternative who's name is Earl.

Ridnour has been a conundrum this season - productive on offense, rather poor on defense. Contrarily, Watson has been solid on defense this year, and for his career. Naturally, the best option is to play Frodo on offense, then swap them as the Sonics head back on defense. Naturally, this is illegal, having last been attempted when Caldwell Jones played the 5 for the Sixers back in the 80s. That darn David Stern and his "rules" ...

Anyway, I'll throw my two bits in here. To me, Ridnour is a poor man's Dana Barros, or a rich man's Chris Corchiani. Incapable of defense, Ridnour is worn out by playing more than 30 minutes a night, as Bob Hill points out seemingly every even-numbered day. For the Sonics to progress, they need someone who can clamp down on opoosing guards, especially in the 4th quarter, and neither Frodo nor Allen fit that bill.

So, let me be the first to say: Start Earl and bring Luke off the bench.

Mr. Stern Comes to Olympia

As he does every year, NBA Commissioner David Stern spent Trade Deadline Day in Olympia, at the Ramada Inn, just chillin'.

Alright, he was there on business, trumpeting the Sonics' need for a new/improved arena, or else. Howard Schultz and Wally Walker accompanied Stern to the legislative hearing, after which they broke for lunch and went to Wendy's.

In a related note, the Sonics no longer have the "worst lease in the entire NBA," as that title has been grabbed by the Trail Blazers (yes!). Here's a funny quote from the story:

"In a comparison with the Key Arena lease for the Seattle SuperSonics, Conn said the Trail Blazers receive no revenue for suites, clubs, courtside seats, game concessions or parking.

"The Sonics, by comparison, receive 40 percent of the revenue for suites, 60 percent for clubs, and 100 percent for courtside seats, game concessions and parking."

Isn't it amazing how teams can twist things around to suit their argument? For the past couple of months we've had to endure Schultz & Co. whine endlessly about how no other team in the league has to put up with what they do, and now we come to find out that the Blazers are fighting the same battle. Sigh.

Good-Bye, Mr. Flip

Flip Murray has taken his point guard "skills" to Cleveland, espn.com is reporting. The Cavs sent Seattle Mike Wilks, a 2nd-round pick, $500,000, and a pin from the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame.

Wilks, like Murray, is only signed through the end of the season, and is due to make about $700K this year. He's a 5'10" guard out of Rice University, making him the second Rice U. grad to suit up for the Sonics ($10 for naming the other one). Counting Wilks, the Sonics now have four PGs on their roster (including Rick Brunson, which Bob Hill would obviously rather not).

I can't imagine Wilks will get much playing time in Seattle, but since it's his 5th team in less than 4 years in the league, he's probably not too worked up about it. Although, after reading this article from a couple of years ago, you can't help but root for the guy.

(It's official)