Hill+Magic=Lewis

Bob Hill is wasting no time. Apparently, Hill recovered from his hernia operation by visiting workopolis.com, polishing his resume, and learning euphamisms for "led team to 31-51 record."

That's right. The man responsible for this past season's craptacular performance has contacted the Orlando Magic about their opening, less than 24 hours after Brian Hill got the axe.

Apparently, Hill is "close" to Rashard Lewis, and is intimating to the Magic that he can help deliver the potential free agent to their doorstep. If by "close," Hill means "I coached him last year," then I'd agree 100%. But if I'm the Magic, I'm thinking to myself: At the Off-Season Sushi Buffet, is the Bob Hill-Rashard Lewis Platter what I want to be ordering?

Highlights of Durant on ESPN

As you might have heard, the Sonics picked up the #2 pick in the draft. Supposed to yield some guy named Durant.

Anyhoo, the folks at espn are interested in all this draft stuff, too. So much so that they brought Durant in for a Q&A with fans. Here's an abbreviated transcript:

Andrew (Charlotte, NC): To Kevin Durant: What current NBA player would you compare your game to?

Kevin Durant: That's a tough one. I'd say probably Dirk Nowitzki, with the way he can shoot and post up.

--

Lehi utah : hey kevin , What do you think Of playing with Ray allen and rahard lewis if you get drafted by the sonic.

Kevin Durant: If I go to the Sonics, that would be tremendous, playing alongside two all-stars. I know they would teach me a lot of things.

--

Jon ((Dallas)): Out of all the players you went against last year in the NCAA, who was the best player, other than you?

Kevin Durant: Oooh. Julian Wright. He would just hit shots over the top of me. I said, I couldn't do anything to stop that.

--

John Balcita (Carson, CA): Before a game, do you listen to any music to pump you up? What's your pre-game ritual?

Kevin Durant: Before the game, I just sit and be focused. I listen to Usher before the game. It calms me down a little bit.

--

Okay, I'll admit, that was useless. I now know that Durant likes to listen to Usher before games. Whoop-de-doo.

Anyways, the point is that I can't remember the last time a Sonic-related person had such a high profile at espn.com. We're livin' in different times, folks.

Do You Gotta Have Ra?

The Durant Delirium still hasn't subsided, but I'm wondering if a certain small forward is wondering how this affects his future in Seattle.

Rashard Lewis is not a lot of things. He's not a defensive stopper, he's not a low-post menance, he's not a tenacious rebounder, he's not an intimidating bruiser, and he's not famous for making last-second clutch plays.

He is, however, a young former all-star (who would likely have made the team this year were it not for injuries), a good 3-point shooter, a tremendous scorer, and someone who can score 20 points a night without breaking a sweat. Say what you will about Rashard, the man puts the ball in the hole, and that counts for something in this league.

But Kevin Durant has gone and turned that all upside down. And now, the Sonics - and Rashard - are facing a dilemna. Do the Sonics re-ink Lewis, who plays the very same position as Durant? Does Rashard walk away from the only team he's ever known, simply because he'll be #3 on the depth chart within 2 years?

Don't forget, Ray Allen isn't getting any younger. Allen, while a wonderful player, is coming off surgery as well, and I don't think he'll be able to maintain this 40-minute-a-night pace that Bob Hill put him through the past year or so.

So, what do you want, Sonic fans? Do we deal Rashard in a sign-and-trade? Do we keep him and pay him the big bucks he wants? Let's hear your thoughts.

Alive

And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth.”
John 12:43

I’m not a big believer in fate, at least not in a karmaic, “do one good turn” sort of way. Last night, though, got me to wondering.

I purposely avoided the 5:30 announcement of the lottery picks, afraid that the Sonics would draw the fifth, or even worse, slot. We had a couple of friends and their daughter over for dinner, and this being Canada, the topic of the NBA certainly didn’t come up.

By the time they left, it was time to put our daughter to bed. When she was born, a friend of mine gave me a Children’s Bible, and we read her a chapter out of it every night. Last night, fatefully, was the story of Lazarus. I’ll spare you the spiritual side of the story, because this is a basketball blog, not a Basketball for Jesus blog. But while I was reading the story – of a man raised from the dead to live again – I allowed myself to ponder the possibility of the Sonics grabbing a top two pick. Could it happen? Would we, the deadest basketball franchise in the NBA, be brought back from the brink?

Well, as they like to say in the Bible, it came to pass. The Seattle Supersonics, given up for dead by two ownership groups, a league, a city, a fanbase, have risen. Seattle, a city whose best-known music – grunge – is as inspirational as a funeral dirge, has joy. In one moment, the Sonics have passed the Mariners on the city’s radar and are within sight of the Seahawks.

Will Kevin Durant or Greg Oden bring a new stadium to Seattle? Who knows. Will either of those two men bring excitement to Seattle basketball? Without doubt.

And while many may despair in light of Portland’s winning ping pong ball, I say this: Isn’t it better to have both teams on the upswing? Yeah, I’ll admit to hating the Blazers, but it’s a helluva lot more fun to hate an equal than it is to hate an inferior opponent. The best part of the Sonic-Blazer rivalry has come when both teams were playoff contenders, and yesterday’s activity has put these two on that path again.

(Aside #1: As if yesterday’s news couldn’t get any better, don’t forget the Sonics own the Grizzlies’ 2nd-round pick, as well as their own. Which means the Sonics get the #2 pick, as well as the first (Brandon Rush?) and fifth picks of the 2nd round. Nice.)

(Aside #2: Kudos to the commenter who pointed out Bob Hill’s responsibility for both Tim Duncan and, now, Kevin Durant/Greg Oden. Unbelievable; the guy is like something out of a Woody Allen movie. Bob, thanks for the memories, and extra thanks for getting us Kevin Durant.)

As for the rest of the whining teams and fans complaining about their luck (or lack thereof): Tough. Boston fans, you seriously expect anyone to feel pity for you? Your NBA team has more banners than anyone, your NFL team routinely wins the Super Bowl, and your baseball team spends close to $200 million a year in payroll. Sorry you didn’t Greg Oden, but not that sorry. Memphis? Memphis? I’m supposed to feel sorry for a city with 10 minutes of NBA pain? People, Seattle has won one title in 40 years of professional sports. If you expect me to feel any sympathy for you, get in line. If you don’t like the way the lottery is set up, then you should thought about that before you tanked your seasons and extended your head coach (Boston) or let the best GM in NBA history walk away (Memphis).

For now, though, we’re feeling no pain. The sun is shining in the northwest, Seattle and Portland are back from the dead, and all is right with the world.

Visualize

Since I've had non-stop visions of that kid from Texas dancing in my head since the ping pong balls dropped, I wanted to scribble a little sketch to help me "pre-viz" what the likely #2 pick in the 2007 NBA draft will look like in his new uniform.

But if the Sonics end up with that other kid, I'll draw a picture of him, too.

Seattle SuperSonics Draft 2007: We're Number Two!

Kevin Durant, welcome to Seattle. Please save us.

The bouncy balls have ceased bouncing, and the Seattle SuperSonics have landed the number two pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. The last time the Sonics had the #2 pick, things worked out pretty well.

The only way this could be sweeter is if Portland could find another Sam Bowie in the draft.

Kevin Durant video

Jerk

I think I've been rather clear where I stand on the new stadium debate. I'm not a fan of spending public money on private enterprises, especially when those enterprises routinely lie about their losses, and also use those losses for tax reasons.

The folks at Sonicscentral, conversely, are all for it. And you know what, I can see their point. They admit the Sonics are not a financial priority for the region, and their argument that the team provides a huge emotional boost to this area has merit. Again, I don't agree with it, but I can see where they are coming from.

And, more importantly, they've put their efforts behind that. The saveoursonics site is just the tip of the iceberg. From rallies to trips to Olympia to t-shirts ... these guys have gone all out in a concerted effort to help Clay Bennett's investment.

So when I read this quote from Bennett in the Kansas City Star about the reaction to the stadium failure, well, it flat-out pissed me off.

“No hue and cry, no letters to the editor, nothing by the media or talk on the call-in shows, or no new ideas on how to get it done,” Bennett said. “No private ideas on the table.”

That's just obscene. Here are these fellows at sonicscentral, completely unpaid, devoting all of their free time to help Bennett succeed, and he completely urinates all over their efforts.

I know Bennett is positioning himself to move to another city, or at least intimidate the city/state into getting what he wants, but this is just flat-out lousy. Further, he's lying, if the rumors about the Muckleshoot tribe or David Sabey are to be believed. For crying out loud, how many deals does he expect? Didn't he get the opportunity to buy the team solely because a group of men from Seattle failed to build a stadium in the first place? Does he truly expect us to believe him when he acts shocked that the stadium isn't built within 48 hours of his arrival?

Shame on you, Clay Bennett. I hope David Stern gives you the same treatment he gave the last carpet-bagging owner in the NBA, Bill Laurie, and sends you packing back home to Oklahoma.

David Stern, Our Balls Are In Your Hands

Well, today's the big day, isn't it? The Sonics stand at a gigantic fork in the road this morning and afternoon: Path 1 leads to Durant or Oden, Path 2 leads to dozens of other guys.

If you think about it, it's sort of the same feeling you get during a Game 7 in the 3rd quarter. You know, when you're staring at the tv, thinking to yourself, "I've been watching these guys all season, through the dregs of February and everything, and now there's only 18 minutes left in the season. I should really pay better attention."

That's kind of how I feel now. We've been watching the Sonics for 40 years (not all of us, mind you), and now the future of the franchise could lie in a couple of ping pong balls in New Jersey. With the #1 or #2 pick, Bennett most likely keeps the team here, a stadium magically appears, and all is right with the world as the Sonics cruise back into the playoffs.

With a #3 or lower pick, Bennett possibly sells the team, moves the team, or goes to court with the city. None of those are particularly appealing.

Thankfully, according to Bill Simmons, we are the most deserving of any team in the draft to get the #1 pick. I'm not sure how to take that; does that mean we're the homeliest girl at the dance, or just the most deserving of getting some good luck?

Whatever the case may be, please put in some good thoughts towards New Jersey this day. The Sonics need your help, and if you're at all interested in watching basketball in Seattle down the road, it may all just start today.

Supersonics Savior Sabey?

Our favorite Sonics reporter, Frank Hughes, reports that local real estate stud David Sabey wants to buy the team. Please. God. Make it so.

Seattle SuperSonics chairman Clay Bennett has been offered the opportunity to sell the team to local real estate developer David Sabey, according to three sources, but for now has rejected the proposal.

Also, Seattle Storm chief operating officer Karen Bryant three months ago broached the topic of purchasing the WNBA team from Bennett, according to sources, but was rebuffed because Bennett thinks he has more leverage with both entities together.

Sabey was part of Howard Schultz’s ownership group, which sold the Sonics and Storm to Bennett last July for $350 million.

Sabey recently purchased 55 acres of land at the south end of Boeing Field for $91 million that, sources say, he wants to use as a site for a new arena.

Read the rest here.
(Story found on the great Seattlest site)

This story sounds too good to be true, so I'm going to keep the fine champagne on ice for now, but if this goes down, I am going to give David Sabey the biggest man-hug of all time.

Lotterrific

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.

(Sonic) Uni Watch

Get your stinkin' hands off of Gus Williams' jersey!

Ever read Uni Watch at espn.com? A great column, one of the better reads on the internet.

Paul Lukas, the author of Uni Watch, posted a nifty article a couple of weeks ago with a brief write-up on the best reasons for wearing each jersey number from 0 (Al Oliver, Rey Ordonez) to 99 (Wayne Gretzky, Turk Wendell).

Naturally, it got me to thinking about Sonic jersey numbers. With my trusty Sonic media guide in hand, I set out to find the best player at each jersey number in team history. Here we go:

0: Olden Polynice. Accept no imitations.

00: Benoit Benjamin. Only for his marvelous performance against the Blazers in the 90-91 playoffs.

1: Gus Williams. Sorry, Sherrell Ford, but when a guy gets his numbered retired, I think he gets the honor.

2: Gary Payton. Everybody remembers GP as #20, but he started out as #2.

3: Some interesting fellas here; Dana Barros, Greg Kelser, Burnin Vernon Maxwell, Eric Snow, but the best 3 in Seattle history is the best 3-point shooter in Seattle history: Dale Ellis.

4: Currently Nick Collison rocks the 4 (although he plays the 5, curiously), but Sedale Threatt gets the nod; tip of the cap to Al Wood, if only because he got traded for Dale Ellis in a steal of a deal.

5: Avery Johnson, many moons ago, as part of the greatest collaboration of PG talent in NBA history (AJ, Nate, Threatt, John Lucas, all on the same squad).

6: Only one candidate, Moochie Norris.

7: Rashard, and if he sticks around, it’ll eventually be retired.

8: Well, you’ve got the white folks (Scott Meents and Luke Ridnour), and you’ve got the not-so-good Eddie Johnson and Kevin Ollie. But how can you not pick Lonnie Shelton?

9: I hate to give him 2 awards, since he doesn’t deserve it, but clearly Dale Ellis is more deserving than either Randy Livinston or the Potato, Vitaly Potapenko, right?

10: When your nickname is Mac-10, you get the award. Sorry, Bob Love.

11: Detlef Schrempf, not surprisingly, took a very efficient number for his jersey.

12: Ick; Drew Barry, Damien Wilkins, Quintin Dailey, Art Harris, Nick Weatherspoon, Bob Weiss... do I have to pick someone? I’ll go with Dailey, only because he once ordered – and ate – a hot dog on the Sonics’ bench.

13: Slick Watts, of course. A Sonic, and Seattle icon, through and through. Big Snacks and Kendall Gill get honorable mention.

14: Greatest sign in Sonic history: “Sam, Sam, Sam for Mayor!” Sam Perkins, Big Smooth, slowest deep threat in team history.

15: Yikes, 11 guys to sort through. Well, toss out Gerald Henderson, Gelabale, Lucas, Flip Murray, Bud Stallworth, Aaron Williams, ... who do we have left? Ahh, Vinnie Johnson (love The Microwave) and Eddie Johnson (the good one). I’ll go with EJ, simply because I loved the way he was able to score in any situation.

16: Tom Burleson. No other competitors.

17: The Fiddler! Vincent Askew makes an appearance.

18: Mo Sene, because he’s the only guy to ever wear this number in team history.

19: Lenny Wilkens. Hey, he’s Team President, right? Right?

20: The Glove gets some decent competition (James Bailey, Maurice Lucas) and some not-so-decent competition (Jon Sundvold, Eugene Short), but, seriously, this ain’t even an argument.

21: A lucky 13 folks have worn this number, from Gerald Paddio to Danny Fortson to Butch Beard to Ricky Pierce. And don’t forget Dennis Awtrey or Ruben Patterson, an Odd Couple if there ever was one. I’ll take Pierce, coming off a screen, and then ambling on down the court.

22: Oh, Jim McIlvaine, you overpaid stiff, you. Sure, logic says Danny Young or Pierce or even Bill Hanzlik were better, but who remembers them, when you helped to bring down an entire franchise?

23: In his second incarnation with the Supes, OP went for 23, but I’m going with Danny Vranes, the Sonics’ most-recent #5 pick in the draft, in the hopes it will remind the front office not to opt for undersized small forwards from the WAC.

24: Wow. Over here you’ve got Dennis Johnson, DJ, RIP, Finals MVP and all that. Then in that corner, you’ve got Tommy Chambers, All-Star MVP, best dunking white man you ever did see. And let’s not forget Spencer Haywood, who actually had the jersey retired in his name this year. Can I wimp out with a 3-way tie? I guess not; got to give it to Haywood, because he was better than either of the other two (though not by much).

25: What, a current player? What’s this? Earl Watson, come on down. I’ll give special mention to David Wingate and, sadly, Rich King.

26: None

27: John Johnson, the original JJ. Averaged a Pippen-esque 5.3 boards and 5.2 assists in the championship season, then upped those numbers again in the playoffs. When you look up unsung in the dictionary, John Howard Getty Johnson stares you right back in the face.

28: None

29: Mike Wilks, for the greatest end-of-the-season run in 3rd-string point guard history. Let’s hope David Locke’s favorite underdog gets a nice, fat guaranteed contract from somebody next year.

Alright, that’s enough for one day. I’ll finish up with numbers 30 and up later this week. If you’ve got any arguments, or if I’ve omitted anyone, feel free to post them in the comments section and we’ll try to make the corrections.

Good Ol' Stu

Let me lend a little bit of perspective on the adjudicator of the Horry v. Nash situation.

Stu Jackson was, in all reasonable analysis, the worst general manager in the history of the NBA, if not the worst GM in the history of professional sports. In fact, if you studied the case long enough, you could make the argument that Jackson might have failed more successfully at his job than anyone in the history of anything.

Foisted upon the good people of Vancouver by David Stern in a case of affirmative action gone bad, Jackson wasted first-round picks on Bryant Reeves, Antonio Daniels (#4 overall!), Steve Francis (who had already indicated he wanted to play in Vancouver about as much as David Stern wanted to be commissioner of the Palestine Liberation League), and Stromile Swift (#2!). Oh, and he also refused to select Steve Nash in the draft, even though Nash would have been an immediate hit in Vancouver due to his Canadian heritage.

Not satisfied with that unprecedented level of crapitude, or perhaps sensing that he was hopelessly inept at finding quality college players despite possessing high level picks, Jackson punted, and dealt a #1 pick to the Detroit Pistons ... for Otis Thorpe. And this wasn't prime-time O.T., either, this was 35-year-old Otis Thorpe, the Otis Thorpe that Jackson peddled to the Sacramento Kings for Michael Smith and Bobby Hurley. Um, yeah.

So you have to forgive me if I'm not the slightest bit surprised by Jackson's lousy decision-making in suspending Stoudamire and Diaw for Game 5. You see, after Jackson was ousted from Vancouver, Stern allowed him to crawl back to NYC and become the league's suspension czar. It was either that, or Stern would have to admit that he (Stern) had made a horrible mistake in letting Jackson be a GM, and you know David isn't keen on admitting mistakes.

The outrage shouldn't be that Jackson made a bad decision. The outrage should be that that an imbecile like Jackson is even allowed to have a job in the NBA at all.