We read plenty about Kevin Durant in the local dailies, so it's interesting to see what the papers from the towns the Sonics are visiting have to say about the phenom. Here's Brian Windhorst's opinion about KD, and, as you can imagine, it's focused on the LeBron-KD similarities.
Elsewhere, it appears the injury bug bit Damien Wilkins, but his ankle is not broken (it's a sprain) and he should be able to participate again soon. Bob Swift is still taking it easy after perhaps going at it too hard earlier in the pre-season, and Delonte West is suffering from a mild back strain.
On a side statistical note, Durant is averaging 20 points per 33 minutes (a random number I picked as a best guess at his per-game average this season) to go with 6 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 2.4 turnovers. Oh, and he's shooting almost 50% from behind the 3-point line.
Yep, just another 6'9" shooting guard who hits 50% beyond the arc.
Monday, October 15
Friday, October 12
Where Are They Now
First a quick update on Sedale Threatt. If you read this blog and TrueHoop, you already know this story, but in case you missed it, here’s a quick recap.
Not only is Threatt teaching basketball in Australia (as we noted last week), he’s also the father of 14 children, as this New York Times story from Michael Weinreb explains (including this chilling quote from Sedale Threatt, Jr.: “The No. 1 lesson my father did teach me is how not to be a father.” I’m guessing Hallmark won’t be including that in their cards next June). It’s a great story, though, and makes you want to nominate Threatt Junior and his mother for political office, or at least a daily talk show, because they’re just good people.
That said, what are the odds that Shawn Kemp did not father the most kids in Sonic history? Would you have even thought that it was possible he’d rank behind somebody else, let alone Sedale Threatt of all people? Come to think of it, Threatt and Kemp were joined on the 90-91 Sonics with Quintin Dailey – how may kids do you think ol’ Q had? I’m almost at the point where I expect to read that Warren Jeffs was the assistant trainer for that team.
But enough of that, on with your Friday Where Are They Now:
OLDEN POLYNICE – The 7-footer from Haiti who lasted an astounding 17 years in the NBA is now, even more unbelievably, a head coach. Granted it’s with the Long Beach Breakers of the ABA, but if you could have made a teaser bet in 1987 that OP would 1) play 1,000 games in the NBA and 2) eventually become a head coach, I think you might have made a fair bit of change. (Bonus note: the Breakers’ web site doesn’t have a roster yet, but they do have a dance team. At least they’ve got their priorities in order).
SCOOTER MCCRAY – McCray only lasted in Seattle for two seasons, and in the NBA for three, but the former Louisville standout hasn’t let that stop him from being a success off the court. McCray currently runs a number of La-Z-Boy stores in the Louisville area. I can think of at least one former Sonic who’d be a natural endorser.
MARTY CONLON – I always think of Conlon as having played 30 years ago for the Sonics, but he just retired last year from pro ball, spending the past half-decade in Europe. In addition, Conlon captained the Irish National Team, and currently lives in Manhattan where he does some coaching for prospective players.
Not only is Threatt teaching basketball in Australia (as we noted last week), he’s also the father of 14 children, as this New York Times story from Michael Weinreb explains (including this chilling quote from Sedale Threatt, Jr.: “The No. 1 lesson my father did teach me is how not to be a father.” I’m guessing Hallmark won’t be including that in their cards next June). It’s a great story, though, and makes you want to nominate Threatt Junior and his mother for political office, or at least a daily talk show, because they’re just good people.
That said, what are the odds that Shawn Kemp did not father the most kids in Sonic history? Would you have even thought that it was possible he’d rank behind somebody else, let alone Sedale Threatt of all people? Come to think of it, Threatt and Kemp were joined on the 90-91 Sonics with Quintin Dailey – how may kids do you think ol’ Q had? I’m almost at the point where I expect to read that Warren Jeffs was the assistant trainer for that team.
But enough of that, on with your Friday Where Are They Now:
OLDEN POLYNICE – The 7-footer from Haiti who lasted an astounding 17 years in the NBA is now, even more unbelievably, a head coach. Granted it’s with the Long Beach Breakers of the ABA, but if you could have made a teaser bet in 1987 that OP would 1) play 1,000 games in the NBA and 2) eventually become a head coach, I think you might have made a fair bit of change. (Bonus note: the Breakers’ web site doesn’t have a roster yet, but they do have a dance team. At least they’ve got their priorities in order).
SCOOTER MCCRAY – McCray only lasted in Seattle for two seasons, and in the NBA for three, but the former Louisville standout hasn’t let that stop him from being a success off the court. McCray currently runs a number of La-Z-Boy stores in the Louisville area. I can think of at least one former Sonic who’d be a natural endorser.
MARTY CONLON – I always think of Conlon as having played 30 years ago for the Sonics, but he just retired last year from pro ball, spending the past half-decade in Europe. In addition, Conlon captained the Irish National Team, and currently lives in Manhattan where he does some coaching for prospective players.
Exhibitionists
It’s been strange so far for Sonic fans waiting for Kevin Durant to blossom. Everything we hear about the guy is so flattering, you half expect him to take off from half court and dunk.
And yet, after summer league and one pre-season game, well, he hasn’t exactly lit the world on fire, has he? His summer league numbers were excused because he was surrounded by less than NBA-quality talent, and the way he wowed everyone at the Team USA trial kind of amped up the excitement. His first pre-season game was less than thrilling, though, and it got me to wondering: Do pre-season stats really matter at all?
The received opinion has always been that pre-season numbers are as relevant as a politician’s promises on the campaign trail. Whether they’re good, bad, or indifferent, they don’t tell us what’s going to happen during the upcoming 82-game marathon. In fact, you can almost hear the cliches organization’s trot out when things don’t go as planned:
“He’s getting his feet wet. We’re confident that as he adjusts to the speed of NBA games he’ll feel right at home.” (We don’t know what the hell is the matter with this kid. Let’s just hope he figures it out before my contract is up.)
“We’ve been pleasantly surprised with what he’s given us.” (Thank God the Knicks picked the 6’11” Lithuanian I wanted, because this kid’s definitely better.)
“We’re sure his shot will start to fall as soon as he gets used to our playbook.” (Crap, we’re paying this bum for the next three years, and he can’t hit an open 15-footer?)
Well, I decided to take a look at last year’s crop of rookies and see how their pre-season stats compared to their regular season ones. I looked at 16 players who played regular minutes in both the pre- and regular seasons and tallied their numbers in four categories – field goal percentage, 3-point field goal percentage, points per 48 minutes, and tendex rating per 48 minutes (thanks to www.dougstats.com for the information, and to RJ for pointing out in the comments where I could find the info). Here’s some rough data, then interpretation:
Field Goal Percentage: Almost a 1:1 relationship; the players shot an almost meaningless 0.8% better during the regular season than during the pre-season.
3-Point Percentage: An exact 1:1 relationship.
Points per 48: Players scored 13% better in the pre-season than in the regular season.
Tendex per 48: Almost a perfect relationship, as players put up merely 3% better numbers in pre-season than in the regular season.
As you can see, with the exception of points per 48 minutes, there is a strong correlation between the pre-season numbers and the regular season ones. If you looked at the numbers as a whole, you might wonder why I’m not jumping off a bridge because of Durant’s middling play. Here’s why:
There’s a huge difference between top of the first round guys and bottom of the first and second round guys. For some reason, high draft picks – at least in the 2006 class – did much better in the regular season than in the pre-season, and the opposite was true for the lower class folks. There are a number of possibilities as to the cause – perhaps the lower-picked guys worked extra hard in the pre-season to wind jobs, maybe the higher guys knew they had roles already and they didn’t feel the need to over-exert, who knows. And, again, this is a small sample size. If I can find data on previous pre-seasons, I’ll run that as well just to see if this is an isolated occurrence or a regular one.
For the time being, though, I would suggest you resist the urge to worry about Kevin Durant. The fact he hasn’t exploded for any huge games is likely not a big deal, and the odds of him being a Olowokandi-esque bust are slim. (Right? Right?) Just as we can’t expect Javaris Crittenden to average 18 points a game this season, don’t expect KD to be wallowing in the lower teens.
And yet, after summer league and one pre-season game, well, he hasn’t exactly lit the world on fire, has he? His summer league numbers were excused because he was surrounded by less than NBA-quality talent, and the way he wowed everyone at the Team USA trial kind of amped up the excitement. His first pre-season game was less than thrilling, though, and it got me to wondering: Do pre-season stats really matter at all?
The received opinion has always been that pre-season numbers are as relevant as a politician’s promises on the campaign trail. Whether they’re good, bad, or indifferent, they don’t tell us what’s going to happen during the upcoming 82-game marathon. In fact, you can almost hear the cliches organization’s trot out when things don’t go as planned:
“He’s getting his feet wet. We’re confident that as he adjusts to the speed of NBA games he’ll feel right at home.” (We don’t know what the hell is the matter with this kid. Let’s just hope he figures it out before my contract is up.)
“We’ve been pleasantly surprised with what he’s given us.” (Thank God the Knicks picked the 6’11” Lithuanian I wanted, because this kid’s definitely better.)
“We’re sure his shot will start to fall as soon as he gets used to our playbook.” (Crap, we’re paying this bum for the next three years, and he can’t hit an open 15-footer?)
Well, I decided to take a look at last year’s crop of rookies and see how their pre-season stats compared to their regular season ones. I looked at 16 players who played regular minutes in both the pre- and regular seasons and tallied their numbers in four categories – field goal percentage, 3-point field goal percentage, points per 48 minutes, and tendex rating per 48 minutes (thanks to www.dougstats.com for the information, and to RJ for pointing out in the comments where I could find the info). Here’s some rough data, then interpretation:
Field Goal Percentage: Almost a 1:1 relationship; the players shot an almost meaningless 0.8% better during the regular season than during the pre-season.
3-Point Percentage: An exact 1:1 relationship.
Points per 48: Players scored 13% better in the pre-season than in the regular season.
Tendex per 48: Almost a perfect relationship, as players put up merely 3% better numbers in pre-season than in the regular season.
As you can see, with the exception of points per 48 minutes, there is a strong correlation between the pre-season numbers and the regular season ones. If you looked at the numbers as a whole, you might wonder why I’m not jumping off a bridge because of Durant’s middling play. Here’s why:
There’s a huge difference between top of the first round guys and bottom of the first and second round guys. For some reason, high draft picks – at least in the 2006 class – did much better in the regular season than in the pre-season, and the opposite was true for the lower class folks. There are a number of possibilities as to the cause – perhaps the lower-picked guys worked extra hard in the pre-season to wind jobs, maybe the higher guys knew they had roles already and they didn’t feel the need to over-exert, who knows. And, again, this is a small sample size. If I can find data on previous pre-seasons, I’ll run that as well just to see if this is an isolated occurrence or a regular one.
For the time being, though, I would suggest you resist the urge to worry about Kevin Durant. The fact he hasn’t exploded for any huge games is likely not a big deal, and the odds of him being a Olowokandi-esque bust are slim. (Right? Right?) Just as we can’t expect Javaris Crittenden to average 18 points a game this season, don’t expect KD to be wallowing in the lower teens.
Thursday, October 11
Rookie Report
A quick look at what’s happening to the draftees of 2007:
1. Greg Oden – Ouch
2. Kevin Durant – 12 ppg, 3 rpb, 0 apg
3. Al Horford – 8.5, 7, 1
4. Mike Conley- 4, 1, 3
5. Jeff Green – 6, 2, 2
6. Chairman Yi – 7.5, 2, 1
7. Corey Brewer – 2, 2.5, 1
8. Brandan Wright – 0, 0, 0
9. Joakim Noah – 6, 4, 4
10. Spencer Hawes – Ouch
11. Acie Law – 7.5, 2, 3
12. Thaddeus Young – 7, 1, 0
13. Julian Wright – 5.5, 9, 2.5
14. Al Thornton – 13.5, 8, 0.5
15. Rodney Stuckey – 15, 1, 0
16. Nick Young – 2, 1, 0
17. Sean Williams- 0
18. Marco Belinelli – 8, 0, 0
19. Javaris Crittenton – 18, 1, 1
20. Jason Smith – 7, 7, 0
21. Daequan Cook – 7, 2, 0
22. Jared Dudley - 0
23. Wilson Chandler – 9, 6, 1
24. Rudy Fernandez - 0
25. Morris Almond – 10, 5, 0
26. Aaron Brooks - 0
27. Arron Afflalo – 9, 3, 2
28. Tiago Splitter - 0
29. Alando Tucker -
30. Petteri Koponen – 0
That’s just a down-and-dirty look at only two games or less. I’ll try to keep it updated as training camp progresses, as well as throw in a few 2nd-rounders as their play merits.
1. Greg Oden – Ouch
2. Kevin Durant – 12 ppg, 3 rpb, 0 apg
3. Al Horford – 8.5, 7, 1
4. Mike Conley- 4, 1, 3
5. Jeff Green – 6, 2, 2
6. Chairman Yi – 7.5, 2, 1
7. Corey Brewer – 2, 2.5, 1
8. Brandan Wright – 0, 0, 0
9. Joakim Noah – 6, 4, 4
10. Spencer Hawes – Ouch
11. Acie Law – 7.5, 2, 3
12. Thaddeus Young – 7, 1, 0
13. Julian Wright – 5.5, 9, 2.5
14. Al Thornton – 13.5, 8, 0.5
15. Rodney Stuckey – 15, 1, 0
16. Nick Young – 2, 1, 0
17. Sean Williams- 0
18. Marco Belinelli – 8, 0, 0
19. Javaris Crittenton – 18, 1, 1
20. Jason Smith – 7, 7, 0
21. Daequan Cook – 7, 2, 0
22. Jared Dudley - 0
23. Wilson Chandler – 9, 6, 1
24. Rudy Fernandez - 0
25. Morris Almond – 10, 5, 0
26. Aaron Brooks - 0
27. Arron Afflalo – 9, 3, 2
28. Tiago Splitter - 0
29. Alando Tucker -
30. Petteri Koponen – 0
That’s just a down-and-dirty look at only two games or less. I’ll try to keep it updated as training camp progresses, as well as throw in a few 2nd-rounders as their play merits.
Mask
Looks like the idea of Luke Ridnour donning a mask will come to fruition. All 3 dailies report today that the young point guard has a "non displaced fracture of the nasal bone," which means for the next 4 to 5 weeks he'll be sporting a mask. Ridnour was hurt about halfway into the first quarter of the Kings game the other night when he got an up close and personal interview with Ron Artest's elbow, and it's unknown if he'll play in both, either, or neither of the back-to-back games coming up on the road this weekend. Considering the importance, or lack thereof, of training camp games, is it really necessary to risk any more problems?
More importantly, what will Frodo's mask look like? There's always this possibility, or this one, or even this one.
But, heck, Halloween is right around the corner, right? And the Sonics are hungry for money, right? So wouldn't it be a perfect tie-in if Ridnour were to emerge on the court at the next Sonic home game with, oh, I don't know, something that looks like this?
More importantly, what will Frodo's mask look like? There's always this possibility, or this one, or even this one.
But, heck, Halloween is right around the corner, right? And the Sonics are hungry for money, right? So wouldn't it be a perfect tie-in if Ridnour were to emerge on the court at the next Sonic home game with, oh, I don't know, something that looks like this?
Wednesday, October 10
One in the Books
The big news out of last night's loss was Luke Ridnour's broken (?) nose, suffered at the elbow of Ron Artest in the first quarter. Ridnour will have a CT scan today to determine if indeed the nose is broken. It remains to be seen if he will sport a Rip Hamilton-style face mask. Perhaps he can borrow Nick Collison's from a year or so ago.
In other news from the game, it appears that Bob Swift played well before tiring down the stretch, Johan Petro was a foul machine, Delonte West played pretty well, the Sonics turned the ball over waaaaaay too much, Damien Wilkins made the most of his starting nod with 18 points in 27 minutes, Jeff Green was a non-factor, and Chris Wilcox did well.
Oh, and what's that rookie's name again? Right, Kevin Durant. Well, The Franchise wasn't exactly earth-shattering in his debut, only picking up 12 points, but he showed a nice touch on the jumpers I saw on the news, and he was poor at the line for some strange reason. As all the reporters said, chalk it up to a first-game learning experience.
In other news from the game, it appears that Bob Swift played well before tiring down the stretch, Johan Petro was a foul machine, Delonte West played pretty well, the Sonics turned the ball over waaaaaay too much, Damien Wilkins made the most of his starting nod with 18 points in 27 minutes, Jeff Green was a non-factor, and Chris Wilcox did well.
Oh, and what's that rookie's name again? Right, Kevin Durant. Well, The Franchise wasn't exactly earth-shattering in his debut, only picking up 12 points, but he showed a nice touch on the jumpers I saw on the news, and he was poor at the line for some strange reason. As all the reporters said, chalk it up to a first-game learning experience.
Tuesday, October 9
The Omen
Looks like Damien Wilkins will get the call for the Sonics' first pre-season game, and not Jeff Green.
Percy Allen reports in his Sonics' blog that the starting five for tonight's game with Sacto are:
Ridnour, Durant, Wilkins, Collison, and Swift
Wow, I've got to agree with Allen that Bob Swift in the starting lineup is not something I expected to see, and likewise with Collison replacing Wilcox, although the recent minor injury troubles for Weezy might have played a role. And The Omen? Who saw that coming?
And, it's entirely possible that Carlesimo is just interested in seeing how certain fit together. As he and the rest of the coaching staff have said repeatedly, this is just another version of practice and we shouldn't read anything into who starts or gets the most minutes. At this point, it's a case of the coaches getting a better feel for their roster.
Percy Allen reports in his Sonics' blog that the starting five for tonight's game with Sacto are:
Ridnour, Durant, Wilkins, Collison, and Swift
Wow, I've got to agree with Allen that Bob Swift in the starting lineup is not something I expected to see, and likewise with Collison replacing Wilcox, although the recent minor injury troubles for Weezy might have played a role. And The Omen? Who saw that coming?
And, it's entirely possible that Carlesimo is just interested in seeing how certain fit together. As he and the rest of the coaching staff have said repeatedly, this is just another version of practice and we shouldn't read anything into who starts or gets the most minutes. At this point, it's a case of the coaches getting a better feel for their roster.
Nancy, With the Laughing Face
In case you've forgotten, at SuperSonicSoul we've got it bad for erstwhile Va Tech guard Zabian Dowdell. After his failure to latch on with an NBA team in either round of the June draft, Dowdell drifted to France, where he now takes up residence with the Nancy Cougars (and, no, I don't know if that's really their nickname, but it appears to be).
Thus far, Dowdell has registered an average of 13 ppg through two games. Interesting or no, you've got to be intrigued by the first piece of artwork you see when loading up the Nancy team page.
Thus far, Dowdell has registered an average of 13 ppg through two games. Interesting or no, you've got to be intrigued by the first piece of artwork you see when loading up the Nancy team page.
I honestly have no idea what it says, but kudos to the folks designing the team website for throwing something onto their page that includes: 1) a cross-dressing moose and 2) French General Joseph "Papa" Joffre from World War I.
Pre-Season Begins
So, the long haul kicks off tonight in Sacramento. You know Sacramento; it's the place David Stern pays attention to.
(Sorry, how about a moratorium on arena- and owner-bashing for the rest of the pre-season. At least until Clay Bennett's inevitable press conference the day after opening night).
Anyhow, PJ Carlesimo has yet to release a starting lineup for tonight's affair at Arco Arena, but from all reports it sounds as though the game will be even more pre-season than normal, and that the coaching staff is looking at it as merely another form of practice.
As Kevin Pelton points out at the supersonics.com blog, Gelabale, Szczerbiak, Swift, and Thomas will likely all sit out due to minor injuries.
One minor thing I'm trying to find information on: pre-season stats. I can't seem to find info anywhere on pre-season stats from previous seasons, and I would like to do a comparison of highly touted rookies in the past few years to see how their exhibition stats stacked up to their regular season ones. It might be illustrative for Durant and, to a lesser extent, Jeff Green. Any help would be appreciated.
Go Sonics!
(Sorry, how about a moratorium on arena- and owner-bashing for the rest of the pre-season. At least until Clay Bennett's inevitable press conference the day after opening night).
Anyhow, PJ Carlesimo has yet to release a starting lineup for tonight's affair at Arco Arena, but from all reports it sounds as though the game will be even more pre-season than normal, and that the coaching staff is looking at it as merely another form of practice.
As Kevin Pelton points out at the supersonics.com blog, Gelabale, Szczerbiak, Swift, and Thomas will likely all sit out due to minor injuries.
One minor thing I'm trying to find information on: pre-season stats. I can't seem to find info anywhere on pre-season stats from previous seasons, and I would like to do a comparison of highly touted rookies in the past few years to see how their exhibition stats stacked up to their regular season ones. It might be illustrative for Durant and, to a lesser extent, Jeff Green. Any help would be appreciated.
Go Sonics!
Monday, October 8
Fantasy Season starts NOW!
With the draft less than an hour away, the first annual Supersonicsoul Fantasy League kicks off tonight. Who will get the first pick? Who will get Sene? The suspense . . . is . . . killing me!(By the way, we were flooded with requests from readers to join the league, but sadly only the first 18 could get in. If anyone of you Supersonicsouliacs want to start a rival league, let me know and I'll post your stats along with ours when I update.)
Friday, October 5
Where Are They Now?
Friday Where Are They Now?
Late 80s Edition
So much of the fun of being a fan is remembering the players from when you were first a fan. It’s great to root for Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, Wally Szcz..., well it’s great to root for Durant and Green, anyway, but isn’t at least as much fun to recall people like Michael Cage and Sedale Threatt?
Well, maybe it’s just me, but I miss those guys. Here’s a quick update on some greats from Seattle’s hoops history.
SEDALE THREATT – Threatt was part of a quartet of great Sonic point guards – Avery Johnson, Nate McMillan, and John Lucas were the other three (and they got Gary Payton within a year or two!), all on the roster at the same time. Best known for his tremendous speed and defense, Threatt wound up being dealt to the Lakers for three 2nd-round picks, then spent half a decade in LA before finishing his career in Houston. Anyway, the former Sonic is now living Down Under, working with And1 Elite Camps as well as coaching. You can find more here.
MICHAEL CAGE – You can’t be a Sonic fan and not love Soul Glo, right?
Cage, in addition to his duties working for FOX covering Memphis Grizzlies games, referees girls’ soccer games in San Diego, where he attended college. It’s refreshing to see that Cage, even though he’s now a part-time ref, has little or no sympathy with the NBA or its refs (and this article was written before the Tim Donaghy scandal broke).
DANA BARROS – While Barros is best remembered in Seattle for draining 3’s, I loved the way he battled Tim Hardaway in the playoffs more than a decade a go. But Barros’ recent life hasn’t been as smooth as his jump shot would lead you to believe. Folks in Massachusetts know this story better than us Westerners, but Barros has been embroiled in legal trouble over the Dana Barros Sports Complex, which failed and has placed him on the nasty side of some massive lawsuits. After the failure of his complex, Barros accepted a position as an assistant at Northeastern University for old friend Bill Coen in May 2006. Within a couple of months, he quit the Northeastern gig, opting to take a job as the Director of Recreation of City of Boston. After less than a year, Barros resigned from his job at the city, citing “personal reasons.” A great quote from the city, after Barros had been missing from his job for a couple of weeks: “We were wondering what happened to him.” Note to prospective employers of Dana Barros: Caveat emptor.
CLEMON JOHNSON – Finally, a little more enjoyable tale. Best known to Sonic fans for his odd platoon with Alton Lister (Clem would start the games, but Lister got the bulk of the minutes), Johnson is the head coach at the University of Alaska. Belying the stereotype surrounding most pro athletes, Johnson holds a Bachelor’s of Economics and a Masters in Sports Administration. Better yet, he hasn’t quit the position for something better, and with some recent recruits as evidence, seems to be helping in bringing the program to a new level.
Late 80s Edition
So much of the fun of being a fan is remembering the players from when you were first a fan. It’s great to root for Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, Wally Szcz..., well it’s great to root for Durant and Green, anyway, but isn’t at least as much fun to recall people like Michael Cage and Sedale Threatt?
Well, maybe it’s just me, but I miss those guys. Here’s a quick update on some greats from Seattle’s hoops history.
SEDALE THREATT – Threatt was part of a quartet of great Sonic point guards – Avery Johnson, Nate McMillan, and John Lucas were the other three (and they got Gary Payton within a year or two!), all on the roster at the same time. Best known for his tremendous speed and defense, Threatt wound up being dealt to the Lakers for three 2nd-round picks, then spent half a decade in LA before finishing his career in Houston. Anyway, the former Sonic is now living Down Under, working with And1 Elite Camps as well as coaching. You can find more here.
MICHAEL CAGE – You can’t be a Sonic fan and not love Soul Glo, right?
Cage, in addition to his duties working for FOX covering Memphis Grizzlies games, referees girls’ soccer games in San Diego, where he attended college. It’s refreshing to see that Cage, even though he’s now a part-time ref, has little or no sympathy with the NBA or its refs (and this article was written before the Tim Donaghy scandal broke).DANA BARROS – While Barros is best remembered in Seattle for draining 3’s, I loved the way he battled Tim Hardaway in the playoffs more than a decade a go. But Barros’ recent life hasn’t been as smooth as his jump shot would lead you to believe. Folks in Massachusetts know this story better than us Westerners, but Barros has been embroiled in legal trouble over the Dana Barros Sports Complex, which failed and has placed him on the nasty side of some massive lawsuits. After the failure of his complex, Barros accepted a position as an assistant at Northeastern University for old friend Bill Coen in May 2006. Within a couple of months, he quit the Northeastern gig, opting to take a job as the Director of Recreation of City of Boston. After less than a year, Barros resigned from his job at the city, citing “personal reasons.” A great quote from the city, after Barros had been missing from his job for a couple of weeks: “We were wondering what happened to him.” Note to prospective employers of Dana Barros: Caveat emptor.
CLEMON JOHNSON – Finally, a little more enjoyable tale. Best known to Sonic fans for his odd platoon with Alton Lister (Clem would start the games, but Lister got the bulk of the minutes), Johnson is the head coach at the University of Alaska. Belying the stereotype surrounding most pro athletes, Johnson holds a Bachelor’s of Economics and a Masters in Sports Administration. Better yet, he hasn’t quit the position for something better, and with some recent recruits as evidence, seems to be helping in bringing the program to a new level.
Thursday, October 4
Injuries
The Times' blog has info on the injury front at camp, where Delonte West, Bob Swift, Kurt Thomas, and Mickael Gelabale had pains of varying degrees of severity.
Swift's is the most worrying, as "Robert Swift" and "right knee tendinitis" are two phrases we'd hope would not be printed this season. It's early, obviously, but you've got to imagine there are going to be more than a few days like this for Swift this season.
Swift's is the most worrying, as "Robert Swift" and "right knee tendinitis" are two phrases we'd hope would not be printed this season. It's early, obviously, but you've got to imagine there are going to be more than a few days like this for Swift this season.
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