Oklahoma just says no to Arena?

It sounds like Oklahoma taxpayers are starting to come around:

On March 4, 2008 Oklahoma City will decide if placing a Sales Tax on the entire population in order to fund arena upgrades for the benefit of the NBA is acceptable.

The upgrade Scope of Work calls for the arena to be remodeled to create more revenue streams so the team may increase profits.

The Sonics are owned by a group of local BILLIONAIRES who can easily afford their own upgrade without burdening the tax payers.

It's a bad deal for the hardworking people of OKC.

Read more about it here.

Watson, Watson, Watson!

Who had Earl Watson with a triple-double in the pool?

Anyone?

Bueller?

Didn't think so. Mad props (do people still say that?) to Watson for a terrific night. (Double props to Gary Washburn for referencing Ice Cube in his opening sentence: "Earl Watson messed around and got a triple double."). The Sonics, thanks to Watson, picked up their first road win since December 14, pounding the Kings 105-92 in Sacto.

And, once again, the injury gods smiled upon Seattle. First, it was the Parker-free Spurs, then the LeBron-less Cavs, then the Non-Curry Knicks, and now the Miller-Lite (!) Kings. On the flip side of that coin, imagine if the Sonics had lost all four of those games. There, makes you feel better, right?

More good numbers:

-Sonics outrebounded Sacto 54-42
-Sonics outassisted Sacto 27-14
-Sonics outshot Sacto 53%-37%
-Weezy picked up a double-double
-Johan Petro picked up 9 points in only 13 minutes

That's four out of five, folks. How far back of the #8 seed are we now?

Door Number 2

One other bit on the Shaq trade:

Before the season started, the Suns clearly were in a penny-conscious mode, so penny-conscious they traded away Kurt Thomas and two first-round picks in exchange for the trade exception the Sonics had acquired from Orlando in the Rashard Lewis deal.

Why do I bring this up? Because the Suns just acquired Shaquille O'Neal, who is due $20 million a year for three years, when they already had Kurt Thomas, whose $8 million per season deal ends this June. Thomas is the same guy who is a better defensive rebounder than Shaq, who commits fewer turnovers, and who is just as effective on defense.

Really, the only advantages of Shaq over Thomas are 1) Shaq's superior scoring ability in the paint and 2) Shaq's ability to block shots.

But that's it. The Suns are going to be paying $52 million more than they had to just for a few extra blocks and a couple of dunks. Oh, and they had to give up one of the premier talents in the league (Shawn Marion) for the right to overpay Shaq for three seasons.

Obviously, hindsight is 20/20 and if Steve Kerr had known that Thomas would have held up physically, maybe he wouldn't have made the deal. Maybe. But I'm curious: Considering that Thomas' deal expires this summer, isn't it possible that the Suns could have gotten alot more for Thomas and Marion in a deal than Shaquille O'Neal. Like, oh, I don't know, Jermaine O'Neal? Or Kevin Garnett?

Maybe we'll all look foolish when June rolls around and Shaq averages 20/10 in the playoffs, but it seems to me that Steve Kerr could be looking for employment in a year or two when Shaq plays fewer than 40 games, Steve Nash's injuries begin to mount, and the Suns become Amare & The Gang.

Sure makes those two picks the Sonics got look awful attractive, though, huh?

Can't Miss

Kudos to Damon Agnos for his hilarious story on Major League IV: It's Supersonic. The piece is in Seattle Weekly. You absolutely, positively must check it out.

Shaq's Debut Against ... Seattle?

In case you hadn't noticed, Shaquille O'Neal is apparently headed to Phoenix in exchange for Shawn Marion.

What you might not have realized however, is that Phoenix plays tonight (Wednesday) against New Orleans, a game in which O'Neal surely would not particpate.

However, the next game the Suns play is at home, Friday night, against your Seattle SuuuuperSonics. Meaning, of course, that Kurt Thomas will get a chance to audition for any number of playoff teams by showing how he can stand up to the Big Diesel.

As a side note, who the hell am I supposed to root for if/when the Suns plays the Lakers in the playoffs? As hard as it is to say, I've rooted for the Lakers the past couple of years because of my loathing for Steve Nash and the Suns.

But now? When it's Shaq v Kobe? Man, that's a hard call to make. I'll cop out on a decision for the time being by waiting for the trade to be made official, but one thing is certain if this trade goes down and if the Suns meet the Lakers in the playoffs:

David Stern will be very happy.

Crunching Numbers

We’re more than halfway through the season, which means we’re also well on our way to seeing the future for Kevin Durant. His numbers have been more than adequate – bearing in mind that he’s still very young and inconsistent – and as he’s the slam-dunk choice for rookie of the year, I think we can feel that the future is indeed bright.

Thanks to 82games.com, we can see beyond the superficial numbers of 19.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.8 turnovers, and so on, to look at more interesting results from the first half of his first season.

For example, you could see how Durant worked with specific players on the Sonics roster. You might be interested to know that Durant’s statistics are much more impressive playing alongside Earl Watson (25.5 points, 41.5 FGP, 6.9 FTA) than with Luke Ridnour (19.6 points, 38 FGP, 4.1 FTA), but that the Sonics win their possessions 50% of the time with Ridnour/Durant, and averaged 105 points per game, compared to only 28% with Watson/Durant and an average point production of 95 points. (To be fair, Durant has only played 213 minutes with Ridnour as opposed to 970 with Watson, and those numbers do not figure in quality of opponents).

On the same vein, Durant’s win percentages with Nick Collison and Chris Wilcox are 28 and 31%, respectively, while Durant/Thomas check in at 41%. On the whole, Durant’s best +/- numbers came with Ridnour, Szczerbiak, Wilcox, Thomas, and Petro, while his worst numbers were with Green, Wilkins, West, and Watson. In fact, the Durant/Green tandem’s +/- of -264 is the worst pairing on the team, and a stark reminder of the mistakes young players make in their rookie seasons.

Looking further at Durant’s numbers this year, we see that the Sonics allow 112.7 points when he is on the court, as opposed to 101.3 when he’s sitting on the bench, further illustrated by the 51% opponents shoot with Durant on-court compared to 45% when he’s sitting.

On a more promising note, while most of the five-man groups Durant is paired with have lost their battles, the Watson-Durant-Szczerbiak trio seems to be effective, whether they are paired with any combination of Wilcox, Thomas, or Collison (so long as Jeff Green isn’t involved, anyways).

There are plenty more numbers to look at, but that gives a quick insight into what has transpired so far. Let’s just hope that Green continues to improve his play, and that the struggles the two rookies have experienced are nothing more than growing pains.

Allen vs Allen

A long time ago, August of 2004 to be exact, a hot topic surrounding the Sonics' franchise was the possibility of Ray Allen being traded and the Sonics acquiring Allen Iverson.

At the time, I wrote that it was exactly what this franchise needed to do, but that in the safe mode that Seattle always seems to operate it would never happen. Quite a few folks wrote in to say that I was an idiot, that Iverson's contract was untenable, that Allen's career would proceed much more smoothly, and that the Sonics would be foolish to do what I suggested.

Well, here we sit, almost four years later. I was thinking about that piece last night as the Blazers and Nuggets went to war in Portland. It was a great game, and I envied the Blazer fans for the playoff atmosphere in a February game. Iverson, Melo, Roy, Martin, heck, even Martell Webster in the third quarter - it was just a tremendous display of what makes the NBA great.

But back to AI. In the fourth quarter, and with his team trailing by two, Iverson drove left, received a pass from Melo out of the post, and promptly nailed a three to give Denver a one-point lead with 39 seconds remaining. It was just an unbelievably clutch shot, and Iverson's demeanor before and after it just made me smile. It was as if he had no doubt the shot would fall, despite the fact he was leaning left as he took it.

But he wasn't finished. With the game knotted at 103 in overtime, and the Nuggets with the ball coming out of a timeout, everyone in the arena knew AI was coming for the win. Heck, a three year old girl from Abu Dabi would have known what was coming. Sure enough, Iverson was up to the task, draining a 14-footer to give Denver the lead with .9 seconds remaining. Again, he had no doubt the shot would fall.

But what's your point, Pete, you ask, or are you just being an NBA voyeur who abandons his team's miserable Monday showing for more titillating sights south down I-5?

Here's the point: Four years ago virtually anyone in the NBA would have argued that it was smarter to sign Ray Allen to a long-term contract than to pick up Allen Iverson and his bloated deal. Iverson's attitude, his unpredictability, and, of course, the economics of it dictated the safe choice.

But how about now? Would anyone argue that it would be smarter to have Ray Allen's 2 1/2 years of contract or AI's 1 1/2? Considering that Iverson is still one of the best scorers in the game and Ray Allen is averaging less than 20 ppg, would anyone still take Sugar Ray's side?

I don't think so. Which leads to my point - nothing is for certain in this league, and sometimes you have to take chances. When the chances come, I'll take mine with a guy like Iverson.

Streak Is Struck

As I predicted, the Bulls played well in the first half last night. Unfortunately, my expectation that the Sonics would recover to win in the second half proved to be sorely wrong.

In the good news department, Robert Swift returned from injury, and managed to can two baskets in limited action. In the bad news, Jeff Green continues to sit out, nursing his sore left ankle.

In an interesting twist, Earl Watson was benched for the entire fourth quarter in favor of Luke Ridnour, and that turned out to be the only quarter the Sonics didn't lose. Their combined stats of 21 points and 12 assists certainly looked good in the boxscore, though.

But the key to the game was twofold, really. 1) the Bulls killed the Sonics on the boards and 2) the Sonics did not come ready to play defense. When you give up 118 points to this Chicago team, you're not working as hard as you can, and that was plainly evident last night.

Bullish

Maybe it's the leftover giddiness from seeing Richard M. Belichick go down in flame of glory on Sunday, but I'm actually excited about a Sonic win tonight.

Again, excited about a Sonic win.

What are we, four months into the season, and I think that's the first time those words have been typed on this site. Sad, but true.

Anyhow, the Bulls are really a mess right now. Anybody who scores less than 170 points in back to back losses to Sacto and Minny ain't exactly firing on all cylinders. Which leads to a couple of points for tonight's game:

1. The Bulls played well in both of those games in the first half before faltering in the 2nd. If the Sonics can keep it close, I feel pretty good about tonight.

2. The Swiss Mister and Joachim Noah both racked up double-digit negatives in the +/- column in each of the two losses.

3. We could really use Wally tonight.

Go Supes!

Gelabale Getting PT in Idaho

Mickael Gelabale, the former Sonic who has been sent to the D-League to rejuvenate his career, has managed to find his offensive touch, albeit against competition a bit easier than what he encounters at the NBA level.

Through two games in Boise, Gelly has averaged 14 points, 4.5 boards, 3 assists, and one block - exactly the kind of numbers we had hoped to see in Seattle from the dreadlocked one.

Gelabale's former teammate in Seattle, Mo Sene, has shown considerable improvement when you look at his stats this year compared to last down in Boise. His field goal percentage is hovering around 60% this season, compared to 51% last year, his rebounding numbers - especially on the defensive end - are much more impressive, and in his last four games he's committed only three turnovers, a marked improvement over his numbers even just from earlier in the season, let alone last year.

And, in an ironic twist, the Sonics' D-League affiliate, the Idaho Stampede, have rattled off a 16-game win streak. For the season, the Stampede own the best record in the league at 21-5. Perhaps the Sonics could send PJ Carlesimo and his staff down to the Stampede, just so they could, you know, get a feeling for what it's like to win on a consistent basis again.

3! 3! 3!

Mired in a season-long Death March, the Sonics have brought some sunshine to the rainiest state in the union as they earned their 3rd consecutive win with a one-point win over the Knicks on Saturday.

With Jeff Green, Wally Szczerbiak and Robert Swift all sidelined, the Sonics rode Chris Wilcox and Kevin Durant to a one-point win. Green's sprained left ankle will take a while to heal, so that means more minutes for Damien Wilkins, who responded by posting the best +/- of the night for the Sonics (+16) in only 29 minutes. Durant's 3 with 59 seconds left was the difference, although his turnover on the next possession almost cost the Sonics the game.

Regardless, it's a win. This season has been a tough one to swallow, and the team's multiple long streaks have sort of endeared them to me. It's difficult to ridicule a group of players who are so badly outclassed on so many nights. Eventually, you have to start pulling for the underdog (how 'bout them Giants, huh?), and I think we've reached that stage for these Sonics.

Now, let's knock off the Baby Bulls and make four in a row!

Devil's Advocate

With the Sonics headed to court this June (not that court, or, sadly, that court, but this court), anyone who ever rooted for this team has a vested interest in seeing how the scenario unfolds.

One important aspect of the case will be the folks doing the talking – the lawyers. Everyone knows about Slade Gorton and the group of folks the city will employ, but what about Clay Bennett’s cadre of hired guns? Who dey?

Byrnes and Keller LLP, that’s who. Who is Byrnes and Keller? Well, here is one biography of the famed litigators:

... best known for its products liability work, particularly tobacco defense. The group is “the epitome of the hard-working hired gun of the litigation boutique, the kind of firm that you go to if you are in a lot of trouble and you need determined and passionate advocates.”

You read that right. Clay Bennett, not satisfied with being known as the most evil man in the Evergreen State, went and hired a group of lawyers best known for defending tobacco companies. Even on their own website BK minces no words, explaining how it not only vigorously defended tobacco companies, but pharmaceutical companies and (alleged) securities fraud artists.

Hey, I’m not so naive as to think that firms such as Byrnes and Keller are the devil. They obviously fill a need in our legal system in defending people the rest of us despise. And it makes sense for Bennett to hire the best defender he can to argue his case.

But before I get too friendly about the situation, let me shed some light on another case. Toure Butler, a former football player at the University of Washington. Butler, from Cascade HS in Everett, suffered from a learning disability, causing him to struggle in school. Eventually, his school came up with a way to teach him more effectively, enabling him to graduate.

Butler, an exceptional football player coveted by the University of Washington, was offered a full scholarship upon graduation. Great, right?

Wrong. The NCAA determined that because Butler did not take what they deemed “core” classes in school they would revoke his scholarship.

In other words, a fellow who passed all the aptitude tests, graduated from high school, and gained admittance to university was kicked out because his learning disability required him to learn differently than other students.

Obviously, the state of Washington and Mr. Butler thought this to be a gross miscarriage of justice, and they sued the NCAA, claiming that it had violated the American Disabilities Act. The suit was successful, eventually, in that it forced the NCAA to re-evaluate its arcane and depraved rules regarding situations such as Butler’s. Eventually, Butler attended school, played for the football team, and put the pigheadedness of the NCAA behind him.

Oh, right, the attorneys the NCAA called upon when they needed help defending their scum-infested position? You guessed it, Byrnes and Keller LLP.

Tobacco companies, the NCAA, the pharmaceutical industry, Clay Bennett. Sounds about right.