Dwane Casey to coach T-Wolves

Coach Casey: "So long, and thanks for all the fish."

According to the Seattle P.I., longtime Sonics coach Dwane Casey is expected to become head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves as early as this week:

A year ago, Dwane Casey sat in his office and joked he had earned Ph.D. status in the NBA.

"Paid his dues," Casey said.

It should pay off this week with his first head-coaching job in the NBA. According to multiple sources, the Minnesota Timberwolves are ready to name him their new head coach as soon as contract specifics are worked out.

The sides were in negotiations yesterday and could have reached an agreement last night. One source said there aren't any snags anticipated and an announcement could come as early as this week.

Casey, 48, has been a Sonics assistant coach since 1994 when he was hired by George Karl. When Nate McMillan was promoted to head coach after Paul Westphal was fired in November 2000, Casey became associate head coach, the position he has served in the past four seasons.

Read the rest here.

Well, everyone here at Supersonicsoul is sorry to see Coach Casey leave (especially to coach our biggest division rivals!), but as Zach said in the comments below, it's about damn time someone made him a head coach. Good luck, D.C.!

Paying Respects... Better Nate Than Never

"Let's see now. New York: Spike Lee. Detroit? Slim Shady and Kid Rock. Portland? That fat kid in the Shilo Inns t-shirt."

Nate McMillan's stock seems to be rising during a Finals series he's not even involved in.

In Tuesday morning's Daily Dime, Marc Stein gives Coach and the Supes some props for giving the Spurs some competition this year:

McMillan's Seattle SuperSonics, remember, toppled San Antonio twice early in the regular season and then did what Brown's Pistons are trying to do now in the NBA Finals.

...The Sonics know how to erase a 2-0 playoff deficit after San Antonio opens a series with two cushy home wins … even though without the team's second-best player (Rashard Lewis) and the best scorer off the bench (Vladimir Radmanovic).

Similar thoughts have comforted me in this early off-season. "We woulda won that series if we had Rashard and Vlade!" "We coulda beat Phoenix AND Detroit no problem if we got past San Antone!" Ah, where would sad-sack sports fans be in the offseason without their trusty Coulda-Wouldas?

[Hm. Coulda-Wouldas. Sounds like an 80s animated cartoon/toy line. "Up next on NBC: 'The Fuzzy Wuzzy Coulda-Woulda Fun-Time Hour!'" Probably coulda matched up well with the Mon Chi-Chis and Care Bears of that era. Curses! If only I'd been a marketing prodigy in 5th grade instead of a "Yars Revenge" prodigy.]

Oh, and Stein also casually mentions Nate as a possible successor to Larry Brown, should Brown leave Detroit for Cleveland. Just imagine the coulda-wouldas then:

"We coulda won the 06 'Chip if Nate woulda stayed instead of going to the Pistons."

--chunkstyle23
SuperSonicSoul Summer Intern

Where Are They Now? The Other K-G

Kendall "Don't Hit Me in the Face" Gill

Former Sonic Kendall Gill is taking his I Wanna Be Like Mike obssession beyond wearing a sweatband on his bicep, with his own pursuit of "a lifelong dream."

Thanks to B "Huggy Bear" Soto for the tip.