Watch out, Thabo Sefolosha, we're coming for you! D'or Fisher, you think we're afraid of an apostrophe? Hah! JamesOn Curry, your bizarrely spelled first name makes me laugh! Boo Davis? How about Poo Davis?
In all seriousness, the Bulls are fielding the most oddly-named team in the Rocky Mountain Revue this year, and that's not even counting the absent Joakim Noah. But, in an event that sounds as though it would be hosted by the Osmonds, perhaps it is apropos that they do.
The Bulls have featured a number of double-digit scorers, a technique the Sonics have yet to perfect this summer (anybody know a way to make up a clever rhyme along the lines of "Spahn and Sain and pray for rain", but suited for Durant and Green?).
One member of the roster who has performed decently is Aaron Gray (sadly, not this one). Mocked before the draft in the, well, mock drafts for his white skin and plodding ways, Gray has grabbed 13 rebounds in his two games, or more than Kevin Durant grabbed in four games, and blocked four shots. Hey, I know, stats don't matter in the Revue, but kudos to Gray for not pulling an Uwe Blab this summer.
Andre Barrett, who, like Sonics' coach PJ Carlesimo, spent time at Seton Hall, will be there as well. This in spite of the fact the Rocky Mountain Revue typists list his alma mater as "Sexton Hall." Something Freudian is lurking there, methinks ...
Game time is 4:30. No tv, but you can always imagine the game, and sometimes that's even more fun than the real thing.
Wednesday, July 18
Green & Durant, Yada, Yada, Yada
Man, this is getting lame. Once again, Jeff Green and Kevin Durant did all the scoring, shot poorly from the field, nailed a boatload of free throws ... and the Sonics lost in their debut showing in the Rocky Mountain Revue.
To liven things up a bit, the Sonics inserted some new background singers to the duet, but the record came out the same. Will Blalock, Elton Brown, Ryvon Coville, and Quinton Hosley all made their summer league debuts in Salt Lake City, but they weren't able to make any difference as the Supes fell to the host Jazz 102-88.
Durant was a big draw in SLC, filling the 5,000-seat arena to beyond capacity. The rookie finished with 29 points, while Green 25 points on 18 FTA. The Sonics had 59 free throw attempts to Utah's 34, but made 19 fewer shots from the field. The Sonics were also out-rebounded by a margin of 39 to 26. Oh, and only two Sonics managed an assist.
Altogether now: "It's only summer league. It's only summer league. It's only ..."
To liven things up a bit, the Sonics inserted some new background singers to the duet, but the record came out the same. Will Blalock, Elton Brown, Ryvon Coville, and Quinton Hosley all made their summer league debuts in Salt Lake City, but they weren't able to make any difference as the Supes fell to the host Jazz 102-88.
Durant was a big draw in SLC, filling the 5,000-seat arena to beyond capacity. The rookie finished with 29 points, while Green 25 points on 18 FTA. The Sonics had 59 free throw attempts to Utah's 34, but made 19 fewer shots from the field. The Sonics were also out-rebounded by a margin of 39 to 26. Oh, and only two Sonics managed an assist.
Altogether now: "It's only summer league. It's only summer league. It's only ..."
Tuesday, July 17
From Harlem to Colorado to Salt Lake
Quinton Hosley.
Ring any bells? Probably not. The 6’6” small forward is just another name on another roster in another summer league. Just filler.
But he’s not. He’s a young man whose story is as interesting as anyone in the summer league this year.
After all, how many other guys playing this summer are the son of Ron “The Terminator” Mathias, or the daughter of Hazel Hosley, both renowned basketball players from NYC. Mathias, whom Newsday’s Jim Baumbach wrote in a fine piece a few weeks back “is one of the greatest cases of wasted talent,” bounced around the CBA and overseas, never capitalizing on the ability that made him one of the legendary players in street ball history.
Hosley is hoping to not follow in his father’s angry footsteps. After being recruited by St. John’s, Oklahoma and a number of other schools, he committed to St. John’s, then saw that plan go up in smoke with a coaching change; then he decided on Providence, only to see nebulous academic reasons get in the way; enrolled at Lamar Community College in Colorado; transferred to Fresno State; sat out a year; then finally was able to parlay his potential into reality, leading the Bulldogs to the NIT.
As a Bulldog, Hosley made a name for himself as a stellar defensive player, a terrific dunker in transition, a fantastic rebounder (more than 9 boards a game at 6’5” is saying something), and earned second-team all-WAC honors in both seasons at FSU. When you read his bio in the draft guides, words like “coachable,” “hustle,” and “team player” leap out at you, as if it was drawn from Spurs’ central casting.
It’s a long road for a young man who grew up in Harlem before moving to Colorado in the seventh grade. Expected to go in the second round this year, like Zabian Dowdell Hosley was bypassed, and now he’s trying to make it in the league any way he can. He was on Minnesota’s roster in Las Vegas, getting into three games and failing to make much of an impression.
Off the court, Hosley volunteered in a project involving the local Children’s Hospital while attending Fresno State, and it is clear he’s eager to avoid the mistakes his father made. Like Dowdell, he seems to be a hungry guy with a classy streak.
It almost makes you wonder, is it just a coincidence that Sam Presti has added such people as Dowdell, Hosley, and Jeff Green to the Sonics’ roster? Probably not. Perhaps – in addition to the defense-oriented culture Presti and Carlesimo are bringing from San Antonio – they’re looking to bring in good people.
It’ll be a difficult path for Hosley to make the Sonics’ roster, as Damien Wilkins, Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, and Mickael Gelabale all stand in his way as a small forward, and his lack of ball-handling skills mean he won’t make it as a 2-guard. But that’s probably not his goal, anyway. At this stage in his life, Quinton Hosley just wants to show he belongs, just like every other guy in the summer league.
He might be just another guy, on another roster, in another summer league, but it’s safe to say we’re rooting for him.
Monickers
One of my favorite books is the Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract. It’s not really a book, it’s more of an encyclopedia for baseball fans, but it makes for great reading sitting on the sofa when you don’t feel like committing an hour to a novel.
Within the book, James breaks down baseball history into decades, drawing out the unique highlights from history that statistics gloss over. Heaviest player, fastest player, worst fielders, best fielders, best young players, etc. Great stuff.
Anyway, one of the best parts is his recounting of the best nicknames from each decade, and how nicknames change throughout time. From Arlie “The Freshest Man on Earth” Latham to “Sudden” Sam McDowell to Larvell "Sugar Bear" Blanks, it’s an interesting insight into how the players were viewed in their times.
As I was reading about some 19th century nicknames, I got to thinking: What would Kevin Durant’s nickname be if he played in the 1920’s, or the 1950’s? Since the young man from Texas is still without a real nickname, I thought it would be a good warmup for those thinking of what he should be called.
1890s: Deerfoot
1900s: The Maryland Marauder
1910s: The Dark Destroyer
1920s: The Dalmation
1930s: The Flying Freshman
1940s: Kool Kat
1950s: The Texas Tornado
1960s: Apollo Kevin
1970s: Dunkalicious
1980s: Heavy D
1990s: Durantula
2000s: TBA
Within the book, James breaks down baseball history into decades, drawing out the unique highlights from history that statistics gloss over. Heaviest player, fastest player, worst fielders, best fielders, best young players, etc. Great stuff.
Anyway, one of the best parts is his recounting of the best nicknames from each decade, and how nicknames change throughout time. From Arlie “The Freshest Man on Earth” Latham to “Sudden” Sam McDowell to Larvell "Sugar Bear" Blanks, it’s an interesting insight into how the players were viewed in their times.
As I was reading about some 19th century nicknames, I got to thinking: What would Kevin Durant’s nickname be if he played in the 1920’s, or the 1950’s? Since the young man from Texas is still without a real nickname, I thought it would be a good warmup for those thinking of what he should be called.
1890s: Deerfoot
1900s: The Maryland Marauder
1910s: The Dark Destroyer
1920s: The Dalmation
1930s: The Flying Freshman
1940s: Kool Kat
1950s: The Texas Tornado
1960s: Apollo Kevin
1970s: Dunkalicious
1980s: Heavy D
1990s: Durantula
2000s: TBA
Monday, July 16
Scouting Report: Zabian Dowdell
Oh, please, like you didn’t know this was coming.
Everyone’s a Zabian Dowdell fan these days. Supersonicsoul, True Hoop, Kevin Pelton at supersonics.com ... for a guy who went undrafted, he’s getting a tremendous amount of ink.
So, it was with anticipation that I sat down to watch the Sonics-Blazers Summer League finale Sunday night. I was hopeful that 1) Dowdell would get some serious minutes and 2) that he would play well.
Well, at least I got one of the two.
Dowdell played about half the game Sunday night, subbing in for Brandon Heath in the second and fourth quarters, receiving more minutes than he had in any previous game. He finished with 5 points, 4 fouls, 4 boards, and an assist in 18 minutes.
So, what were my impressions of Dowdell? A lefty, he’s sort of a cross between Kenny Anderson and Khalid Reeves, at least physically. I know all lefties look alike when they shoot, but Dowdell did remind me of Anderson on his outside shot, although he’s a bit heavier than the lanky Anderson.
Dowdell lived up to his reputation as a shoot-first point guard, as most of his better plays came when he took the shot, and not when he was setting up his teammates.
The Virginia Tech grad entered the game at the 3:54 mark of the first quarter with the Sonics trailing Portland 15-9. On his first touch, he found Ronnie Burrell in the paint for an easy basket, a promising omen. The next time downcourt, Dowdell’s pass to Jeff Green resulted in another basket.
On defense, Dowdell was responsible for guarding the slippery Sergio Rodriguez, yet another daunting task for the Sonics’ challenged point guards this summer. Dowdell proved up to the task, generally staying in front of the quicker Rodriguez, although he did let Sergio slip by a time or two.
On his first shot attempt – still in the first quarter – Dowdell came up lame when he landed, but he re-entered the game after the next commercial break. It was on this re-entry that Rodriguez drove the lane and beat him, but we’ll chalk it up to the lingering affects of the sprained ankle (hey, we want Zabian to succeed; deal with it).
Dowdell found Kevin Durant in a semi-transition fashion the next trip down, resulting in a Durant 20-footer for two. As all point guards will learn for the Sonics this year, the smartest play is to throw it to the youngster and hope for the best.
Finally, halfway through his first tenure on-court, Dowdell showed some of the ability on offense that got him such reknown at Virginia Tech when he drove the basket, offered up a double-pump and came close to sinking a layup. No points, but a solid move that opposing point guards will have to respect. He followed it up on defense with a poor bit of communication on a screen and roll, leaving Rodriguez alone and resulting in an open Blazer jumper in the corner.
Not to be held down, Zabian parlayed a canny inbounds pass from Green (who is looking better and better as the summer progresses; can it be possible that he’ll be this generation’s Nate McMillan?) into an easy layup.
As the period progressed, Dowdell – as is the way for rookie point guards – alternated between smart and dumb plays, although he more than held his ground against Finnish youngster Petteri Koponen during their time matched up together. When he finally left the court, the score was 30-27 Portland, which meant the Sonics outscored the Blazers 18-15 during his time on the floor.
After resting up for halftime and most of the third quarter, Dowdell re-entered the game with about 4 minutes to go in the period, and he again found Jeff Green for a free throw opportunity. He later drove the basket and dished to an open teammate for a jumper, a promising sign.
I had Dowdell down for one 3PA, which he missed, but the boxscore said he had none, so who knows. I also figured him for 3 or 4 assists instead of the 1 he wound up with, but maybe the Blazers brought a road crew to run the stats department on Sunday.
Perhaps the most telling sign of the night came not on the court but in the broadcast booth, from the mouth of Kevin Calabro. In talking about the Sonics on the roster, Calabro offered this:
“Realistically, with the exception of [Brandon] Heath, who has an outside shot to make it, there aren’t any point guards on this roster who will be with the club this year.”
I don’t know if Calabro’s opinion was his alone, or if he’s getting that from talking to the Sonics’ braintrust, but that’s a harsh sign for Dowdell. Of course, KC was assuming that Watson and Ridnour will be on the opening day roster, an assumption even he mentioned was tenuous at best judging the Sonics’ level of activity this summer.
Bottom line: Zabian Dowdell is not ready to be a starting point guard in the NBA, and he’s barely ready to be a #3 point guard. Still, his defense was adequate and his offensive abilities are there when it comes to scoring. His passing and playmaking abilities aren’t there, though, at least not yet. Suffice it say he’s a work in progress; a work we’re rooting for.
Everyone’s a Zabian Dowdell fan these days. Supersonicsoul, True Hoop, Kevin Pelton at supersonics.com ... for a guy who went undrafted, he’s getting a tremendous amount of ink.
So, it was with anticipation that I sat down to watch the Sonics-Blazers Summer League finale Sunday night. I was hopeful that 1) Dowdell would get some serious minutes and 2) that he would play well.
Well, at least I got one of the two.
Dowdell played about half the game Sunday night, subbing in for Brandon Heath in the second and fourth quarters, receiving more minutes than he had in any previous game. He finished with 5 points, 4 fouls, 4 boards, and an assist in 18 minutes.
So, what were my impressions of Dowdell? A lefty, he’s sort of a cross between Kenny Anderson and Khalid Reeves, at least physically. I know all lefties look alike when they shoot, but Dowdell did remind me of Anderson on his outside shot, although he’s a bit heavier than the lanky Anderson.
Dowdell lived up to his reputation as a shoot-first point guard, as most of his better plays came when he took the shot, and not when he was setting up his teammates.
The Virginia Tech grad entered the game at the 3:54 mark of the first quarter with the Sonics trailing Portland 15-9. On his first touch, he found Ronnie Burrell in the paint for an easy basket, a promising omen. The next time downcourt, Dowdell’s pass to Jeff Green resulted in another basket.
On defense, Dowdell was responsible for guarding the slippery Sergio Rodriguez, yet another daunting task for the Sonics’ challenged point guards this summer. Dowdell proved up to the task, generally staying in front of the quicker Rodriguez, although he did let Sergio slip by a time or two.
On his first shot attempt – still in the first quarter – Dowdell came up lame when he landed, but he re-entered the game after the next commercial break. It was on this re-entry that Rodriguez drove the lane and beat him, but we’ll chalk it up to the lingering affects of the sprained ankle (hey, we want Zabian to succeed; deal with it).
Dowdell found Kevin Durant in a semi-transition fashion the next trip down, resulting in a Durant 20-footer for two. As all point guards will learn for the Sonics this year, the smartest play is to throw it to the youngster and hope for the best.
Finally, halfway through his first tenure on-court, Dowdell showed some of the ability on offense that got him such reknown at Virginia Tech when he drove the basket, offered up a double-pump and came close to sinking a layup. No points, but a solid move that opposing point guards will have to respect. He followed it up on defense with a poor bit of communication on a screen and roll, leaving Rodriguez alone and resulting in an open Blazer jumper in the corner.
Not to be held down, Zabian parlayed a canny inbounds pass from Green (who is looking better and better as the summer progresses; can it be possible that he’ll be this generation’s Nate McMillan?) into an easy layup.
As the period progressed, Dowdell – as is the way for rookie point guards – alternated between smart and dumb plays, although he more than held his ground against Finnish youngster Petteri Koponen during their time matched up together. When he finally left the court, the score was 30-27 Portland, which meant the Sonics outscored the Blazers 18-15 during his time on the floor.
After resting up for halftime and most of the third quarter, Dowdell re-entered the game with about 4 minutes to go in the period, and he again found Jeff Green for a free throw opportunity. He later drove the basket and dished to an open teammate for a jumper, a promising sign.
I had Dowdell down for one 3PA, which he missed, but the boxscore said he had none, so who knows. I also figured him for 3 or 4 assists instead of the 1 he wound up with, but maybe the Blazers brought a road crew to run the stats department on Sunday.
Perhaps the most telling sign of the night came not on the court but in the broadcast booth, from the mouth of Kevin Calabro. In talking about the Sonics on the roster, Calabro offered this:
“Realistically, with the exception of [Brandon] Heath, who has an outside shot to make it, there aren’t any point guards on this roster who will be with the club this year.”
I don’t know if Calabro’s opinion was his alone, or if he’s getting that from talking to the Sonics’ braintrust, but that’s a harsh sign for Dowdell. Of course, KC was assuming that Watson and Ridnour will be on the opening day roster, an assumption even he mentioned was tenuous at best judging the Sonics’ level of activity this summer.
Bottom line: Zabian Dowdell is not ready to be a starting point guard in the NBA, and he’s barely ready to be a #3 point guard. Still, his defense was adequate and his offensive abilities are there when it comes to scoring. His passing and playmaking abilities aren’t there, though, at least not yet. Suffice it say he’s a work in progress; a work we’re rooting for.
Durant in Nikes
Cue the Mars Blackmon clips, Kevin Durant's shoe saga has apparently ended, and he'll be wearing Nikes this year.
Sportsbusinessradio.com is reporting the story, and, honestly, I couldn't care less. I've avoided this story for the past couple of weeks, because I just don't see why anybody cares about this stuff. I like the shoe ads like everyone else, but is it really all that interesting what type of shoes any athlete wears? I can see if you're in high school or junior high and you want to emulate your idol, but c'mon, should a 35-year-old man really give a crap what kind of shoes the forward on his favorite basketball team wears?
Maybe I'm just getting old ...
Sportsbusinessradio.com is reporting the story, and, honestly, I couldn't care less. I've avoided this story for the past couple of weeks, because I just don't see why anybody cares about this stuff. I like the shoe ads like everyone else, but is it really all that interesting what type of shoes any athlete wears? I can see if you're in high school or junior high and you want to emulate your idol, but c'mon, should a 35-year-old man really give a crap what kind of shoes the forward on his favorite basketball team wears?
Maybe I'm just getting old ...
All Green & Durant in Sonic Loss
I'm not one for moral wins (I overdosed on them during the 80s rooting for the Mariners), but last night's loss to the Blazers might qualify.Jeff Green's wonderful 32 point, 13 rebound night was almost matched by Kevin Durant's 28 point effort in a 84-78 loss to Portland in Las Vegas that left the Sonics 0-for-Las Vegas in the Summer League.
All I'll say about former first rounders Johan Petro and Mo Sene is this:
11 fouls, 2 points, combined.
Ack.
Now it's off to Salt Lake City, as the NBA continues in its quest to find the most morally opposite communities in which to hold its summer league festitivites. Rumor has it that next year's twin billing will be Riyadh and Sao Paolo.
Saturday, July 14
Durant Shines; Sonics Lose
Man, that's a headline I'm not looking forward to this season, but it's one that I think we can expect to see about as often as "Rain Expected This Weekend" for Seattle in November.Kevin Durant poured in 32 points in his best effort of the Summer League, Jeff Green tossed in 15 of his own ... and the rest of the roster added 27 points. Ugh.
The Sonics were much-improved on the offensive glass with 49 boards to Golden State's 36, but it wasn't enough as the Warriors raced to a 85-74 win.
The Summer League concludes with the much-anticipated Durant v Oden matchup on Sunday night. Oh, except that Greg Oden won't be there because of tonsillitis. So, it will be the no-so-much-anticipated Kenny Adeleke v Stefano Mancinelli matchup instead.
Friday, July 13
Mo Needs to Get Better
Last Tuesday’s game against the Bucks was a bit of a snoozer (And did anyone else catch the NBA broadcast? What’s up with the lack of commentary? Are you telling me there wasn’t a single guy looking to make a name for himself in that industry that would be willing to call the game for peanuts?). No Durant, no Jeff Green, no Gelabale ... suffice it to say no one will be adding that link to their favorites list anytime soon.Since there wasn’t much to catch my interest, I decided to take a look at just one player from the game for a mini scouting report: Mo Sene.
Sene’s been a bone of contention in the Sonics’ organization ever since they drafted him a year ago in the first round. After a season where he really should have been playing in the NBDL, Sene saw his name linked to Rick Sund as the reason for Sund’s dismissal. Lenny Wilkens – since departed from the organization – held up Sene’s “wasted” selection as proof of Sund’s ineptitude in the draft.
So it was an interesting year for the young Senegalese center. This summer, Sene and the Sonics hope he will capitalize on his intriguing promise as a mobile big man with a tremendous wingspan. No one’s expecting him to become Hakeem Olajuwon by November, but improvement would be appreciated. It was with that in mind that I watched the Bucks-Sonics replay.
Suffice it say, Mo Sene was not impressive.
Sene continually stood around on offense, rarely venturing to the basket for offensive or defensive rebounds. Sene seemed disinterested, tired, ill, or just plain out of sorts on both ends of the court. His body language resembled that of a teenager avoiding yardwork,
Early in the first quarter, his man beat him on the baseline for an easy bucket, something that a supposedly agile big man with his lengthy arms should never let happen.
Finally, midway through the first quarter, Sene got a chance to score, when he was given the ball near the elbow in a post-up opportunity. Sene – facing a man 5 to 6 inches shorter – backed him down for three dribbles, then abandoned the opportunity and hoisted an ill-advised 15-foot fadeaway jumper, which not surprisingly drew iron.
After a few more possessions that saw him out of the scrum of action, Sene finally looked good later in the first when he spun by his man on the left block, reaching the basket for an easy finger-roll. It was a nice move, and one he should be able to employ often if he looks for it. Since he won’t be double-teamed very often, he ought to be able to use his quickness to get by slower big men.
On the next possession, Sene drew a foul with a jump hook on the right block. His free throw technique was decent enough for a big man (and, to be fair, it’s a lot prettier than Julius Hodge’s – what’s up with that hideousness?). Sene went to the jump hook again later in the first, begging the question – is he afraid of contact, or is he just too timid to go strong to the hoop?
Sene sat down soon after, relieved by Johan Petro for the remainder of the first half. Thankfully, someone must have talked to him about his lackadaisical effort, because he seemed to have much more of a spring in his step in the second half. He blocked one Buck’s shot (called off on a foul), and just went about his business with a little more effort than in the first half.
Still, his defensive energy was sorely lacking, and his inability to grab rebounds points to two things, from my viewpoint: a lack of effort and a lack of training.
Sene desperately needs more practice and game time to adjust to the NBA. I’m hopeful the Sonics don’t plan on keeping him on the league this season, and will let him grow in the NBDL, where he can get more minutes and learn the proper footwork and technique necessary to be a capable big man.
Can you tell from one game if Sene is a wasted pick? Absolutely not. He’s still incredibly young, lacks experience, and, hey, he’s still 7’ and strong. There’s hope for Mo Sene, but not this year, I’m afraid.
Thursday, July 12
In Defense of Rashard
On what should have been the happiest day of his life, Rashard Lewis instead heard his name dragged through the mud all over the internet yesterday, on the heels of signing a six-year deal with Orlando. From Bill Simmons to every blogger on the planet, Lewis couldn’t turn around without reading how ridiculous the Magic were for giving a punk like him so much money.
And while it’s fashionable to say that the Magic overpaid Lewis, that Lewis is a one-dimensional player who isn’t even that good at the one dimension, that Orlando is going to be handicapped in the future by the combination of Lewis and Howard’s contracts, allow me to say one thing:
Rashard Lewis is not a limp-wristed, shoot-only player whose contract is the worst in the history of professional sports. Rashard Lewis is a solid player who rarely if ever gets hurt, who doesn’t complain about minutes, shots, or anything else, and who is the perfect fit alongside Dwight Howard.
It’s true, Rashard is not a good defender. Heck, he’s barely an average defender. But the man is 6’10”, can handle the ball, can post up, can hit 3’s, and can score in transition. How many guys do you know who can do all of those things today in the NBA? 2? 3? 5?
Yes, Rashard is going to be wildly overpaid, especially at the end of his contract. But he’s only 27 years old and has at least 3 to 5 more years of peak productivity before his skills begin to decline. In other words, barring an unforeseen injury, he will give the Magic what they are expecting for the majority of his contract.
In my mind, that’s the crucial issue. After all, what’s worse – to pay Jerome James $5.4 million to score 1.9 points per game, or to pay Rashard Lewis $15 million to score 23? Is giving an all-star small forward max money worse than paying Adonal Foyle $9 mil a season to do whatever it is he does? Is Lewis’ deal worse than Raef LaFrentz’? Steve Francis’? Say what you will about Lewis, but the man is not a clubhouse cancer that will bitch to anyone who listens that he ought to be the star of the show.
Fine, the Magic overpaid Lewis, and his max salary will hurt the team’s flexibility in the future. His defense is weak, and he’s not the best rebounder in the history of basketball. But if I’m giving max contracts to people, I can do a lot worse than Rashard Lewis.
Durant Gone, Green Hurt; Sonics Lose
The Sonics managed to make it three in a row, as Kevin Durant attended the ESPYs and Jeff Green tended to a sprained ankle in a loss to Milwaukee in the Vegas Summer League on Wednesday.
Noel Felix was the standout performer, as the former Sonic Summer Leaguer contributed 27 points, while Lynn Greer cemented the argument that the Sonics need some point guard help in this league, finishing with 19 points and 8 assists.
Meanwhile, Johan Petro was, once again, awful. Pepe Le Petro finished with 8 fouls, 2 turnovers, and 0 rebounds in 22 minutes. No rebounds! A 7-footer entering his third year in the league, and he couldn't manage a single board despite playing half the game. Johan, I take back the nice things I said the other day - step it up, man!
Kenny Adeleke was strong in a starting role, grabbing 10 points and 8 boards, and Julius Hodge turned in his second good performance in three games. All in all, it was probably the best performance yet from Seattle, which isn't saying much, I know. The Sonics are off today, and then take on Golden State on Friday. We'll see if they hold Belinelli to under 50.
Wednesday, July 11
Summer League Game 3: Bucks
The Sonics will try to finally put one in the W column tonight in a 5:30 game against Milwaukee in the Las Vegas Summer League.
I'm not sure if the game will be webcast or not. You can check out nba.com as it gets closer to game time, but I can't make out whether you'll be able to watch anything.
The Bucks' roster includes former Sonic summer-leaguer Noel Felix, ex-Temple guard Lynn Greer (Go Owls!), late-season Sonic point guard Randy Livingston, 2nd rounder Ramon Sessions ... and a bunch of other guys.
Second-year player David Noel was Milwaukee's leading scorer in their last game, a loss to the Lakers. It'll be interesting to see if the Sonics' point guards are able to contain either Greer or Livingston, or if it'll be another display of olé defense.
As you may or may not have heard, Kevin Durant will be in LA for the ESPYs (he's filling in for Danny Fortson, who couldn't get out of his liposuction appointment), so Jeff Green will get another chance to show me why I was an idiot for criticizing the Sonics on draft day.
Go Jeff!
I'm not sure if the game will be webcast or not. You can check out nba.com as it gets closer to game time, but I can't make out whether you'll be able to watch anything.
The Bucks' roster includes former Sonic summer-leaguer Noel Felix, ex-Temple guard Lynn Greer (Go Owls!), late-season Sonic point guard Randy Livingston, 2nd rounder Ramon Sessions ... and a bunch of other guys.
Second-year player David Noel was Milwaukee's leading scorer in their last game, a loss to the Lakers. It'll be interesting to see if the Sonics' point guards are able to contain either Greer or Livingston, or if it'll be another display of olé defense.
As you may or may not have heard, Kevin Durant will be in LA for the ESPYs (he's filling in for Danny Fortson, who couldn't get out of his liposuction appointment), so Jeff Green will get another chance to show me why I was an idiot for criticizing the Sonics on draft day.
Go Jeff!
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