Get ready to read alot more of this stuff this summer.
NBA to study possible move to Vegas
Friday, April 20
Predict-o-Meter
I thought I’d take a look back at how Chris Wilcox’ season went, based on the predictions I made for him at the start of the year.
In my prediction, I figured Wilcox would play 33 minutes (he averaged 31.5), score 14 points (13.5), average 8 boards (7.7), 2.5 turnovers (1.6), and 3.5 fouls (3). All of that came according to plan, including:
“On the whole, Wilcox should be a plus for the Sonics this season. I expect him to commit too many fouls, enabling Collison to get more PT (fine with me), to be occasionally frustrated with his role in the offense, to put up as many 25/15s as he does 8/6s, and to be generally acceptable as the team’s starting power forward.”
I’d say generally acceptable would apply for Wilcox. Of course, all of that verbiage above didn’t mention his “defense,” which makes sense because his defense this year was unmentionable anyways.
As for other predictions, here’s one that turned out well:
“No, the real breakout guy should be Deron Williams of the Jazz, who’s already putting up solid numbers in the pre-season. If AK-47 is healthy, and Jerry Sloan doesn’t kill someone on the sidelines, the Jazz could be pretty tough this year.”
And one that, unfortunately, was even worse than I expected:
“Total Wins: 37”
It’s pretty sad when you’re pessimism about the team turns out to be optimism.
In my prediction, I figured Wilcox would play 33 minutes (he averaged 31.5), score 14 points (13.5), average 8 boards (7.7), 2.5 turnovers (1.6), and 3.5 fouls (3). All of that came according to plan, including:
“On the whole, Wilcox should be a plus for the Sonics this season. I expect him to commit too many fouls, enabling Collison to get more PT (fine with me), to be occasionally frustrated with his role in the offense, to put up as many 25/15s as he does 8/6s, and to be generally acceptable as the team’s starting power forward.”
I’d say generally acceptable would apply for Wilcox. Of course, all of that verbiage above didn’t mention his “defense,” which makes sense because his defense this year was unmentionable anyways.
As for other predictions, here’s one that turned out well:
“No, the real breakout guy should be Deron Williams of the Jazz, who’s already putting up solid numbers in the pre-season. If AK-47 is healthy, and Jerry Sloan doesn’t kill someone on the sidelines, the Jazz could be pretty tough this year.”
And one that, unfortunately, was even worse than I expected:
“Total Wins: 37”
It’s pretty sad when you’re pessimism about the team turns out to be optimism.
Thursday, April 19
Not With a Bang, But a Whimper
Well, is that how it all ends, then? Is a Mo Sene missed 15-footer the final play in Seattle Sonics history? Downtown, Gus, Lenny, DJ, X, Tommy, Det, the Glove, the Reignman, Sugar Ray, Rashard ... does it all come down to this?
Nobody can possibly know the future of this franchise, and I mean nobody. In the next three months we’re going to hear five pounds of speculation for every ounce of fact, and it would be wise to keep that in mind whenever some “expert” details what the future of the Sonics is.
One more piece of nostalgia before I go. Last night marked Kevin Willis’ appearance in Seattle for the first time in a couple years. Willis has been plying his trade since the 1984-85 season and I thought you might get a laugh out of some of the other folks picked in the 1984 draft, along with Kevvy Kev:
Sam Perkins. Charles Barkley. Alvin Robertson. Otis Thorpe. Michael Cage. Terrence Stansbury. Vern Fleming. Danny Young. Rick Carlisle.
Hakeem Olajuwon.
Michael Jordan.
Congratulations, Mr. Willis, you’ve outlasted all of them, and you may have outlasted Seattle’s basketball team as well.
Nobody can possibly know the future of this franchise, and I mean nobody. In the next three months we’re going to hear five pounds of speculation for every ounce of fact, and it would be wise to keep that in mind whenever some “expert” details what the future of the Sonics is.
One more piece of nostalgia before I go. Last night marked Kevin Willis’ appearance in Seattle for the first time in a couple years. Willis has been plying his trade since the 1984-85 season and I thought you might get a laugh out of some of the other folks picked in the 1984 draft, along with Kevvy Kev:
Sam Perkins. Charles Barkley. Alvin Robertson. Otis Thorpe. Michael Cage. Terrence Stansbury. Vern Fleming. Danny Young. Rick Carlisle.
Hakeem Olajuwon.
Michael Jordan.
Congratulations, Mr. Willis, you’ve outlasted all of them, and you may have outlasted Seattle’s basketball team as well.
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