Go (Albuquerque) Thunderbirds!

The NBA announced the Developmental League affiliations today.

But all we care about is where our kids are gonna get assigned, and which teams would also send their kids there:

Albuquerque Thunderbirds

• Phoenix Suns
• Sacramento Kings
• Seattle SuperSonics
• Utah Jazz

The T-birds are coached by Michael Cooper, the ex-LA Lakers player/LA Sparks coach/Denver Nuggets interim coach.

Newsflash: Merrills Add New Son for Frontcourt Depth

...And starting at power forward... from Ballard High School...

Paul, his wife Sue, and their son James rounded out their starting lineup with a new addition to the roster--Charles William Merrill. Weighing in at a hefty 8 pounds, 6 ounces, this highly touted rookie figures to be a dominating presence in the paint for years to come.

"He's a little butterball," a tired but proud Paul commented after Charles' arrival.

From everyone at Supersonicsoul, best wishes to the Merrill family! And Happy Birthday, Charlie!

Jerseys

After reading a good article on Bulls Blog regarding the topic, then referencing Harlan Schrieber’s epic piece about the same, it got me to thinking: Who should be the next Sonic to get his jersey retired?

Schrieber, while mistaken in categorizing Gus Williams as a “Longtime/Mainstay,” rather than a “Very Good” as he was, makes some good points in the article. Still, his list of should-be retired jerseys surprised me (he included Kemp, Detlef, and Spencer Haywood).

Here is one man’s list of players who ought to see their jerseys hanging from the Key Arena rafters (in order of merit):

1. Gary Payton
2. Shawn Kemp
3. Xavier McDaniel
4. Spencer Haywood
5. Dale Ellis
6. Tom Chambers
7. Detlef Schrempf

In all honesty, only the top 4 should really receive consideration, and if you’re holding a gun to my head, I could live with Payton and Kemp.

Thoughts?