How Long till Lenny?

After the Seattle Sonics 10th straight road loss last night, the Bob Hill death watch has officially begun.

Whether it's today or a week from now, Bob Hill is going to be fired. Despite repeated denials, Sonics vice-chairman (?) Lenny Wilkens (who happens to have the most wins in NBA history and coached the beloved '79 champs) is likely to replace him.

As much as I love Lenny, I will miss Hill. He's a throwback to the angry, profanity-spewing, beer-swilling coaches of old, like Doug Moe and George Karl. And those kind of coaches don't cut it in the NBA anymore.

Will Lenny the Legend make a difference? Probably not.

For better or worse, authority figures today are largely ignored or mocked by anyone under 30. And unless you're a living legend like Pat Riley, it's near impossible to motivate young players by yelling at them. That's probably a good thing, but a makes for a damn boring coach.

A new coach might light a fire under these Sleepy Sonics, and hiring Lenny or even assistant coach Jack Sikma would a be a nice touch for the 40th Anniversary, but whether it makes any difference down the road will remain to be seen.

Mavs Maul Sonics

What's the opposite of a halftime pep talk? Because that's what we need to call what Bob Hill did last night - the Sonics were outscored by 6 points in the 3rd quarter and by 18 points in the 4th.

With Chris Wilcox continuing to do his best to prove that I was right when I said the Sonics should avoid signing him, Hill is likely one more 3 point-4 rebound night away from dumping the $8 million man in Puget Sound with Andreas Glyniadakis tied around his ankle.

To make things worse, the Sonics are in Houston tonight, where they will undoubtedly fall behind by 12 points in the first quarter, rally in the second, then put on a Mike Wilks Show in the fourth. Seriously, can anyone think of a reason why you would want to watch the Sonics tonight?

The rumors are swirling that the Sonics are looking at NBDL players to fill a void at center, which has got to make you cringe, in that the Sonics have drafted big men with their #1 picks for the past three seasons yet don't have anyone ready to play the position right now.

Oh, right, I forgot, Robert Swift was going to average 20 points and 11 boards this year. My bad.

New Year, New Rumors

Is it "go time" foe Wee Wilks?

Like most of us, the Seattle Supersonics woke up this morning with a hell of a holiday hangover. After the thrilling high of a one-game win streak, the Sonics face the harsh realities of the New Year:

• Who do they cut on Jan 10th (the day contracts must be guaranteed for the rest of the season)?
• Is Danny Fortson really the starting center?
• Which is worse: Oklahoma City or RENTON?

Discuss!