You know, if you had to wager on how the vote will go in Oklahoma City today on their Ford Center improvement plan, you'd have to bet on the house to win. By the house, of course, I mean Clay Bennett Inc. And since that vote gives Bennett the hammer he may need to uproot our team, I guess I'm a little less than thrilled about our prospects. On the other hand ...
at the end of one quarter, the Seattle Salary Dumps are leading the Detroit Pistons 41-28, and Earl Watson has scored 12 points.
In Detroit.
Keep hope alive!
UPDATE:
Can I get a rain-check on that optimism? Looks like the election results for the Ford Center Tax come down with 61.8% yes, 38.1% no. Somewhere, Clay Bennett is taking a bath in $100 bills right now.
Oh, and the Sonics lost a 3-game to the Pistons. Seattle followed up a 41-point first quarter with a 13-point dud in the second (yeah, I saw it coming, too, smart guy). The starters did their job by scoring 86 points, but 11 points from the bench didn't quite cut it. 4 of 17 shooting by the reserves didn't help.
Tuesday, March 4
Investors Lining Up?
With the Oklahoma City vote set for today (and that's all I will say about that, thank you very much), it was revealed in the Seattle Times that two local businessmen have come forward with a proposal to a) buy the Sonics and b) refurbish KeyArena in a 50-50 split with local government.
The CEO of Costco, Jim Sinegal, and developer Matt Griffin are the twin faces of the group, but there are apparently more people with even deeper pockets involved.
Griffin, along with Tim Ceis, the Deputy Mayor of Seattle and noted Sonic proponent, met with Gov. Gregoire yesterday to review the plan. At this point, according to the story, it does not appear likely that anything will happen prior to the legislature's adjournment next week.
So, while residents of another city vote on spending their money to fix up an arena, it appears as though Northwesterners will have an opportunity to do so as well.
Sadly, I am not a voter in Washington, so I doubt the legislature cares too much about my opinion. That said, if you are a voter, politicians do care about your opinion. With that in mind, and drawing on the request of Brian at SonicsCentral, I urge our readers to phone the legislature today and tell them you want them to get on board with this plan. Here is the phone number:
1.800.562.6000
Honestly, time may be running out for the Sonics in Seattle, and this plan is as good as it is going to get for fans here.
The CEO of Costco, Jim Sinegal, and developer Matt Griffin are the twin faces of the group, but there are apparently more people with even deeper pockets involved.
Griffin, along with Tim Ceis, the Deputy Mayor of Seattle and noted Sonic proponent, met with Gov. Gregoire yesterday to review the plan. At this point, according to the story, it does not appear likely that anything will happen prior to the legislature's adjournment next week.
So, while residents of another city vote on spending their money to fix up an arena, it appears as though Northwesterners will have an opportunity to do so as well.
Sadly, I am not a voter in Washington, so I doubt the legislature cares too much about my opinion. That said, if you are a voter, politicians do care about your opinion. With that in mind, and drawing on the request of Brian at SonicsCentral, I urge our readers to phone the legislature today and tell them you want them to get on board with this plan. Here is the phone number:
1.800.562.6000
Honestly, time may be running out for the Sonics in Seattle, and this plan is as good as it is going to get for fans here.
Monday, March 3
Something is not OK in Oklahoma
As I’ve said before, I’m hesitant to comment on the Oklahoma City initiative regarding the Ford Center. After all, no matter what comment I make, it will be taken as interference in something which is, truly, none of my business.
But setting aside the merits of the initiative, you have to marvel at the propaganda being produced by Clay Bennett’s wife’s newspaper, the Daily Oklahoman. From the ads on every page of the site urging people to vote YES on the initiative, to the multiple editorials in support of the measure, to the dearth of investigating into whether this is something the city actually needs to do, you get the feeling the Oklahoman is, well, just a bit biased. You can imagine the conversations at the daily story meetings:
Cub Reporter: Hey, I was reading some stuff about how stadiums aren’t the economic drivers they’ve been made out to be. How about I do some writeups on that? I could study the situation in other cities, do some comparisons, you know that sort of thing.
Editor: Shut up.
And that brings me to this opinion piece from Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry. Henry tosses out the standard adjectives regarding the improvements (“astounding”, et al), but focuses the latter half of his piece on motivating voters to build upon the existing momentum in downtown Oklahoma City. As Henry puts it, by renovating the Ford Center, Oklahoma City will have a chance to be a, ugh, “big league city.”
You know, like Green Bay. Or Jacksonville.
But the icing on the cake is Henry’s final line, wherein he admonishes his constituents to heed the words of Will Rogers: "Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there.”
Sadly, Henry neglected to mention another quote from Rogers, one I feel is closer to how the late independent thinker would feel about this particular flim-flam act. I’ll let Will tell it:
"There's no trick to being a humorist when you have the whole government working for you."
Amen.
Sonics Top T-Wolves
Do the writers assigned to cover Sunday night's "contest" between Seattle and Minnesota receive hazard pay, especially in light of the fact they had to stick around for an entire extra overtime period?
(Speaking of writers, you have to admire the gallows humor from Gary Washburn at the PI. "Well at least we know the Sonics are a better team than the Minnesota Timberwolves.")
The game was a tale of two halves, with the Sonics dominating the first and throwing away their good efforts in the second, before rebounding to grab a win in OT. Luke Ridnour's 3 with 11 seconds remaining in the fourth was a key, as was Kevin Durant's layup with 4.2 on the clock. Statistical leaders included Durant's 7 turnovers (ouch), Ridnour and Earl Watson combining for 28 points and 16 assists, Chris Wilcox with an 18-15 performance, and a 14-8 from Nick Collison.
(Speaking of writers, you have to admire the gallows humor from Gary Washburn at the PI. "Well at least we know the Sonics are a better team than the Minnesota Timberwolves.")
The game was a tale of two halves, with the Sonics dominating the first and throwing away their good efforts in the second, before rebounding to grab a win in OT. Luke Ridnour's 3 with 11 seconds remaining in the fourth was a key, as was Kevin Durant's layup with 4.2 on the clock. Statistical leaders included Durant's 7 turnovers (ouch), Ridnour and Earl Watson combining for 28 points and 16 assists, Chris Wilcox with an 18-15 performance, and a 14-8 from Nick Collison.
Saturday, March 1
Heat Burn Sonics; More Lame Puns to Follow
How do you lose a game to the worst team in the NBA, at home no less? Hey, no job's too lax for the Men of Bennett!
The Heat rode Dwyane Wade's coattails to their - wait for it - first win on the road since December. The Sonics have now dropped four straight and are about to begin a seven-game road trip. Can you say 10-game losing streak?
Chris Wilcox keyed the Sonics' success for the first three quarters, finishing with a season-high 30 points, and Nick Collison registered yet another double-double. Yet despite all that, the Sonics were unable to beat a Miami team led by a gimpy D Wade and minus their third-best player, Udonis Haslem.
Johan Petro followed up his strong performance against Denver with 0 points in about 15 minutes of play, while Mickael Gelabale hit 1 of 8 shots to finish with two points.
On a side note, here's some homework for the weekend: In his column on espn.com, writer Bill Simmons floated the idea of Sonic fans staging a protest by walking onto the court en masse at some point during the rest of the season. The thought being that such a move would garner national attention and drawing some much-needed publicity to the plight of Sonic fans.
Your homework is to come up with some alternatives to this idea. For example, noting the half-a**ed way Clay Bennett has tried to keep the Sonics in Seattle, perhaps we could leave a game at halftime and not return. We're open to other suggestions, so feel free to shoot us a note with your ideas in the comments section. Please try to use something other than anonymous so that if your idea gains some traction you can receive the adulation you deserve.
The Heat rode Dwyane Wade's coattails to their - wait for it - first win on the road since December. The Sonics have now dropped four straight and are about to begin a seven-game road trip. Can you say 10-game losing streak?
Chris Wilcox keyed the Sonics' success for the first three quarters, finishing with a season-high 30 points, and Nick Collison registered yet another double-double. Yet despite all that, the Sonics were unable to beat a Miami team led by a gimpy D Wade and minus their third-best player, Udonis Haslem.
Johan Petro followed up his strong performance against Denver with 0 points in about 15 minutes of play, while Mickael Gelabale hit 1 of 8 shots to finish with two points.
On a side note, here's some homework for the weekend: In his column on espn.com, writer Bill Simmons floated the idea of Sonic fans staging a protest by walking onto the court en masse at some point during the rest of the season. The thought being that such a move would garner national attention and drawing some much-needed publicity to the plight of Sonic fans.
Your homework is to come up with some alternatives to this idea. For example, noting the half-a**ed way Clay Bennett has tried to keep the Sonics in Seattle, perhaps we could leave a game at halftime and not return. We're open to other suggestions, so feel free to shoot us a note with your ideas in the comments section. Please try to use something other than anonymous so that if your idea gains some traction you can receive the adulation you deserve.
Friday, February 29
Late Friday News
Some last bits of news before the weekend:
1. Ira Newble has been waived to clear space for 10-day signee Mike Wilks. This proves, once again, that anyone I spend more than 20 minutes studying on the internet will be waived within two weeks. (Lightbulb! Start studying more about Clay Bennett!)
2. Robert Swift will undergo arthroscopic surgery this coming Tuesday. He's out for the year, as you would expect. The surgery will be performed by Los Angeles doctor Stephen Lombardo who, surprisingly, is not this guy.
3. Hoopshype has a enjoyable story up at the moment about all-time Sonic great Jack Sikma.
4. The Sonics have a chance at one of their seven wins before the end of the season tonight when they play the Heat. Here's a mother-in-law-driving-off-the-cliff-in-your-new-Ferrari question for you:
-Every game the Sonics lose will help the Sonics get a Derrick Rose-type PG in the draft, which is good for Sonics fans if the team stays in Seattle, but it also simultaneously helps Clay Bennett by improving the overall value of his team. So ... should we hope for a win? Hope for a loss? Hope for Clay Bennett and David Stern to be involved in some horrible, non-life-threatening accident which nevertheless compels them to forgo involvement in their day-to-day business activities?
These are the tough questions, friends.
1. Ira Newble has been waived to clear space for 10-day signee Mike Wilks. This proves, once again, that anyone I spend more than 20 minutes studying on the internet will be waived within two weeks. (Lightbulb! Start studying more about Clay Bennett!)
2. Robert Swift will undergo arthroscopic surgery this coming Tuesday. He's out for the year, as you would expect. The surgery will be performed by Los Angeles doctor Stephen Lombardo who, surprisingly, is not this guy.
3. Hoopshype has a enjoyable story up at the moment about all-time Sonic great Jack Sikma.
4. The Sonics have a chance at one of their seven wins before the end of the season tonight when they play the Heat. Here's a mother-in-law-driving-off-the-cliff-in-your-new-Ferrari question for you:
-Every game the Sonics lose will help the Sonics get a Derrick Rose-type PG in the draft, which is good for Sonics fans if the team stays in Seattle, but it also simultaneously helps Clay Bennett by improving the overall value of his team. So ... should we hope for a win? Hope for a loss? Hope for Clay Bennett and David Stern to be involved in some horrible, non-life-threatening accident which nevertheless compels them to forgo involvement in their day-to-day business activities?
These are the tough questions, friends.
Sonics News
Forget trying to fight it, according to King County Executive Ron Sims, because the Sonics are already gone.
Sims appeared on 950 KJR-AM yesterday and stated he was completely convinved that the team would be leaving, regardless of the decision in the upcoming court case.
"Even if they have to keep them here two more years," Sims said, "I suspect Clay would hold on to that team and take then down to Oklahoma City when he has a chance."
Sims argues that even if the case is decided in the city's favor, and Bennett is forced to remain in Seattle until after the 2009-10 season, that such a decision will not automatically force the new ownership group to sell. In a sense, their deep pockets are apparently deep engough - Sims believes - to weather the two-year storm.
While I'm on the topic, please indulge me for skewering one of Sims' arguments, that, well, let me make his point:
"Do you think the NBA hasn't noticed the revenues coming to MLB from Mariners telecasts in Japan?" Sims said. "Safeco and Seattle are very attractive places for the telecasts. ... That's part of why Bennett wanted such an elaborate arena in Seattle."
Honestly, my eyes could not roll further back into their sockets. Really, Bennett wanted a great, big palace because of the Asian market? Hmm, what market was Orlando vying for when it approved its' palace, the Dominican Republic? Or perhaps Guyana? Please, Bennett wanted a palace because everyone else has one.
But back to the meat of the comments. Sims mentioned at the same time that two or three other local ownership groups are ready to go to purchase the team, but even those groups anticipate that they will not be buying the Sonics, but another team.
If Sims is correct - and that is a great, big IF - moving the Sonics to Oklahoma and allowing the city of Seattle to buy, say, the Hornets (no offense to New Orleans intended; believe me, we know what it's like to have other people speculate on your team's future), is sure idiocy, when the simplest solution would be to allow Bennett to take over the Hornets and force him to give the Sonics to the local owners.
But, then, the NBA is anything but idiocy-free, right?
Sims appeared on 950 KJR-AM yesterday and stated he was completely convinved that the team would be leaving, regardless of the decision in the upcoming court case.
"Even if they have to keep them here two more years," Sims said, "I suspect Clay would hold on to that team and take then down to Oklahoma City when he has a chance."
Sims argues that even if the case is decided in the city's favor, and Bennett is forced to remain in Seattle until after the 2009-10 season, that such a decision will not automatically force the new ownership group to sell. In a sense, their deep pockets are apparently deep engough - Sims believes - to weather the two-year storm.
While I'm on the topic, please indulge me for skewering one of Sims' arguments, that, well, let me make his point:
"Do you think the NBA hasn't noticed the revenues coming to MLB from Mariners telecasts in Japan?" Sims said. "Safeco and Seattle are very attractive places for the telecasts. ... That's part of why Bennett wanted such an elaborate arena in Seattle."
Honestly, my eyes could not roll further back into their sockets. Really, Bennett wanted a great, big palace because of the Asian market? Hmm, what market was Orlando vying for when it approved its' palace, the Dominican Republic? Or perhaps Guyana? Please, Bennett wanted a palace because everyone else has one.
But back to the meat of the comments. Sims mentioned at the same time that two or three other local ownership groups are ready to go to purchase the team, but even those groups anticipate that they will not be buying the Sonics, but another team.
If Sims is correct - and that is a great, big IF - moving the Sonics to Oklahoma and allowing the city of Seattle to buy, say, the Hornets (no offense to New Orleans intended; believe me, we know what it's like to have other people speculate on your team's future), is sure idiocy, when the simplest solution would be to allow Bennett to take over the Hornets and force him to give the Sonics to the local owners.
But, then, the NBA is anything but idiocy-free, right?
Letterpalooza Lifts Off!
That's not the mailbox you're looking for. Move along. Move along.
Just 24 hours after beginning Operation: Letterpalooza, it appears we have our first victory. According to Bill Simmons, the response from Sonics fans from all over the country has been overwhelming:
In six years of writing for ESPN.com, this is the longest piece I've ever sent to my editors -- nearly 15,000 words of anguished e-mails from Sonics fans around the country. I spent the past 24 hours sifting through them and whittling them down the best I could. Don't print this baby out. Read it, skim through it, do whatever you need to do. But definitely check it out.Thanks to everyone who took the time to write an email--stay tuned for our next mission!
Thursday, February 28
25 Up
Man, what a miserable outing last night.
Last night's loss leaves the Sonics with 25 games left. By my figuring, Seattle has about seven winnable games left on the schedule, depending on how the playoff seedings shake out and how important the last couple of weeks of the season are to certain opponents. What does that add up to?
22-60.
22-60!
The franchise of Payton, Kemp, Gus, DJ, Lenny, Haywood, Rule, Mac-10, Karl, Sam ... reduced to a 22-win season, and this coming off consecutive 30-odd win seasons?
How does that sound, folks? 22 flippin' wins, another lottery selection ... and how many wins next year? 25? 30?
I don't think it would be unrealistic to expect the Sonics to enter the lottery again next spring, considering the odds of them picking up any true help this summer is somewhere between slim and none. Short of dealing away the entire non-Durant portion of the roster for more expiring contracts, this team just doesn't look capable of winning 30 games next year, either.
Thanks alot, NBA. I didn't know it was possible to destroy a 40-year-old business in the span of two years, but, well, when you've got Clay Bennett doing David Stern's dirty work, I guess anything is possible.
Last night's loss leaves the Sonics with 25 games left. By my figuring, Seattle has about seven winnable games left on the schedule, depending on how the playoff seedings shake out and how important the last couple of weeks of the season are to certain opponents. What does that add up to?
22-60.
22-60!
The franchise of Payton, Kemp, Gus, DJ, Lenny, Haywood, Rule, Mac-10, Karl, Sam ... reduced to a 22-win season, and this coming off consecutive 30-odd win seasons?
How does that sound, folks? 22 flippin' wins, another lottery selection ... and how many wins next year? 25? 30?
I don't think it would be unrealistic to expect the Sonics to enter the lottery again next spring, considering the odds of them picking up any true help this summer is somewhere between slim and none. Short of dealing away the entire non-Durant portion of the roster for more expiring contracts, this team just doesn't look capable of winning 30 games next year, either.
Thanks alot, NBA. I didn't know it was possible to destroy a 40-year-old business in the span of two years, but, well, when you've got Clay Bennett doing David Stern's dirty work, I guess anything is possible.
Operation: Letterpalooza
Yes, that's Stan 'The Man" Lee dressed as a mailman. Yes, I am a nerd.
Like most Seattle basketball fans, I've spent the last few years trying to think of a way to help keep the Sonics in town without licking the manure-soaked boots of Clay Bennett.
The best way, of course, would be a giant public outcry. A "Rock out the Vote" political movement that would make Barrack Obama jealous. This, sadly, just doesn't happen in Seattle. WTO riots aside, Seattleites just really aren't in to public displays, or even going out in public at all, for that matter (one of the things I adore about this city).
So how in Sam Hill are we going to gather an angry mob to chase the Sonic-Stealers out of town? One word: outsourcing.
It's time to get the national media involved. It's clear looking at websites like ESPN that no one outside of Oklahoma and David Stern's office wants the Sonics to move from one of the top media spots in the country to a dustbowl. And, unlike Stern and Bennett, they don't want to urinate on 40 years of Sonics history.
So let's bring this fight to the nation, peoples! First stop: Bill Simmons.
The ESPN writer is going to highlight letters from beleaguered Sonics fans next week. So bust out your Angry Font and send him an Email! Now! GO!
Wednesday, February 27
Tale of a Sub
Alongside the two Kurt Thomas items which have been marked down to $5 in the Sonic on-line “Team Shop,” is another t-shirt.It begs the question, does Robert Swift still fit into Seattle’s long-term plans, or has he, like his shirt, been relegated to the clearance rack?
Dealing With Durant
We’ve all read about the rookie wall, when first-year NBA players, unaccustomed to the rigors of an 82-game schedule, start seeing their numbers drop.
(On a side note, is “rigors” used anywhere but in sportswriting? Does anyone ever say, “Boy, the rigors of the traffic on the bridge today were terrible!”)
But back to what I was saying about that wall. Kevin Durant has received some negative publicity lately about his game, and I got to wondering how he has done this season at fighting off the rookie wall. Here are some numbers to consider:
MONTH – PPG – FG%
November – 20.6 - 41.4
December – 18.8- 40.8
January – 19.4 - 40.0
February – 17.3 - 36.9
Obviously, we can see a trend towards lower field goal percentages, but that’s just a rough estimate of what’s going on. Another way to look at it is to compare how Durant played against a team the first time he saw them versus how he did the second or third or fourth times. With the recent comments in the PI from Gary Washburn about how teams are learning to play Durant differently, I thought that might make an interesting chart. Here goes, with averages on a per 40 minute basis:
1ST TIME VS OPPONENT
23.9 points, 41 FG%, 4 turnovers
2ND OR 3RD TIME VS OPPONENT
22.5 points, 39 FG%, 2.64 turnovers
As expected, his points and shooting percentages suffered when defenses had a chance to get to know him. Surprisingly, the effect Washburn noted, that people were saying Durant held the ball too low and was causing too many turnovers, is not borne out in the stats, as Durant actually committed fewer turnovers the more often he faced an opponent.
Obviously, the sample sizes are quite small, and other factors come into play. After all, Durant’s games the second or third time around are, by necessity, coming at a point in the season at which experts would expect his play to suffer due to fatigue. Is it fatigue? Is it familiarity? That’s for smarter people than me to deduce.
But since we’re here, let’s take a closer look at some other numbers. For example, free throws. Durant’s games with 10 or more FTA have gone 4, 1, 1, 0 on a per month basis. Likewise, his 3-point shot attempts have declined each month, from a high of 4.4 in November to a season-low 1.1 in February.
In fact, in more than half of the games he played in February, Durant failed to sink a single 3-pointer, and he’s only attempted 11 all month. Considering that he attempted 13 in his first two games and 28 in his first four, this is a startling change of offensive tactics.
Just as interesting, his turnovers have also declined each month on a per-minute basis, to the point where he now averages close to 1.5 fewer miscues per game, a massive change. (Of course, as soon as I started writing this piece, Durant managed to cough the ball up nine times in two games; shows what I know).
So, in some ways you could say Kevin Durant has changed as a player and become a player of contradictions. He’s taking fewer shots, but hitting them at a lower percentage. He’s facing teams multiple times, but committing fewer turnovers when he does.
But worse than all the numbers is his style of play. I do not like to comment on players’ attitudes, since giving meaningful insights into the emotions of a 19-year-old is a dicey proposition at best. That said, I think it is painfully obvious that this season is beginning to wear on Durant. The turmoil surrounding the franchise’s future, the chaotic nature of the roster, the starting roster which seems to vary every two days, and, more than anything, the continual, unending losing – it all must be simultaneously frustrating and tiring for him.
Watching the young man walk back to huddles with slumped shoulders, his body tired, you get the feeling that there are times when he must be wondering what he has gotten himself into. Who mentors a 19-year-old wunderkind on a team composed of mishmashed, mediocre “veterans”? Think of the Sonic roster, of the assistant coaches, whom among them has any idea what Durant is going through? None of them know what it is like to be so talented at such a young age.
It all makes you think – are the Sonics providing Kevin Durant the best environment in which he can truly develop his talents? Would hanging onto Ray Allen for one more season before dealing him have hurt his trade value that much? And wouldn’t it have been better for Durant’s career progress to have spent his rookie season with someone like Allen to guide him, to take the heat for the losses, to show him how to be a true professional?
These are questions only the future will tell. I hope, for our sake and for Durant’s, Sam Presti has thought about them as well.
(On a side note, is “rigors” used anywhere but in sportswriting? Does anyone ever say, “Boy, the rigors of the traffic on the bridge today were terrible!”)
But back to what I was saying about that wall. Kevin Durant has received some negative publicity lately about his game, and I got to wondering how he has done this season at fighting off the rookie wall. Here are some numbers to consider:
MONTH – PPG – FG%
November – 20.6 - 41.4
December – 18.8- 40.8
January – 19.4 - 40.0
February – 17.3 - 36.9
Obviously, we can see a trend towards lower field goal percentages, but that’s just a rough estimate of what’s going on. Another way to look at it is to compare how Durant played against a team the first time he saw them versus how he did the second or third or fourth times. With the recent comments in the PI from Gary Washburn about how teams are learning to play Durant differently, I thought that might make an interesting chart. Here goes, with averages on a per 40 minute basis:
1ST TIME VS OPPONENT
23.9 points, 41 FG%, 4 turnovers
2ND OR 3RD TIME VS OPPONENT
22.5 points, 39 FG%, 2.64 turnovers
As expected, his points and shooting percentages suffered when defenses had a chance to get to know him. Surprisingly, the effect Washburn noted, that people were saying Durant held the ball too low and was causing too many turnovers, is not borne out in the stats, as Durant actually committed fewer turnovers the more often he faced an opponent.
Obviously, the sample sizes are quite small, and other factors come into play. After all, Durant’s games the second or third time around are, by necessity, coming at a point in the season at which experts would expect his play to suffer due to fatigue. Is it fatigue? Is it familiarity? That’s for smarter people than me to deduce.
But since we’re here, let’s take a closer look at some other numbers. For example, free throws. Durant’s games with 10 or more FTA have gone 4, 1, 1, 0 on a per month basis. Likewise, his 3-point shot attempts have declined each month, from a high of 4.4 in November to a season-low 1.1 in February.
In fact, in more than half of the games he played in February, Durant failed to sink a single 3-pointer, and he’s only attempted 11 all month. Considering that he attempted 13 in his first two games and 28 in his first four, this is a startling change of offensive tactics.
Just as interesting, his turnovers have also declined each month on a per-minute basis, to the point where he now averages close to 1.5 fewer miscues per game, a massive change. (Of course, as soon as I started writing this piece, Durant managed to cough the ball up nine times in two games; shows what I know).
So, in some ways you could say Kevin Durant has changed as a player and become a player of contradictions. He’s taking fewer shots, but hitting them at a lower percentage. He’s facing teams multiple times, but committing fewer turnovers when he does.
But worse than all the numbers is his style of play. I do not like to comment on players’ attitudes, since giving meaningful insights into the emotions of a 19-year-old is a dicey proposition at best. That said, I think it is painfully obvious that this season is beginning to wear on Durant. The turmoil surrounding the franchise’s future, the chaotic nature of the roster, the starting roster which seems to vary every two days, and, more than anything, the continual, unending losing – it all must be simultaneously frustrating and tiring for him.
Watching the young man walk back to huddles with slumped shoulders, his body tired, you get the feeling that there are times when he must be wondering what he has gotten himself into. Who mentors a 19-year-old wunderkind on a team composed of mishmashed, mediocre “veterans”? Think of the Sonic roster, of the assistant coaches, whom among them has any idea what Durant is going through? None of them know what it is like to be so talented at such a young age.
It all makes you think – are the Sonics providing Kevin Durant the best environment in which he can truly develop his talents? Would hanging onto Ray Allen for one more season before dealing him have hurt his trade value that much? And wouldn’t it have been better for Durant’s career progress to have spent his rookie season with someone like Allen to guide him, to take the heat for the losses, to show him how to be a true professional?
These are questions only the future will tell. I hope, for our sake and for Durant’s, Sam Presti has thought about them as well.
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