Postcard from Cleveland

Carlisle out in Indy, in with the Sonics?

"Yes I can coach up-tempo, and yes I know Kung-Fu."

Could new Sonics GM Sam "Scooter" Presti be luring recently sacked Pacers coach Rick Carlisle to Seattle? Inquiring minds want to know:

Carlisle declined to comment Tuesday on the Sonics' position but said he understood the uncanny timing of his decision to break ties with the Pacers and Seattle's coaching search.

"My announcement was purely procedural in nature," he said by phone Tuesday. "According to my contract, there was a day I had to decide to return in a front-office capacity. Out of respect to the Pacers, I felt it was better to let them know sooner instead of later. The timing of this announcement has absolutely no connection to the Sonics' coaching opening."

There is a link, however, between Carlisle and new Sonics general manager Sam Presti, who has not acknowledged any coaching candidates since taking over on Thursday. According to an NBA source, Carlisle and Presti were seen talking at a Salt Lake City hotel during the Western Conference finals before Presti took the Sonics job.

Read the rest in the Seattle P.I.

Seen together at a hotel last week? It was either a job interview, or a love that dare not speak it's name. Either way, I'm cool with it.

The Rookie

This will come as no surprise to anyone who knows how the world works today, but as of June 12, 2007, Kevin (total 0 games played) Durant’s wikipedia.com article is as long as anyone on the Sonics, with the exception of Ray Allen, and he’s within a paragraph or so of eclipsing Ray. Or, you could look at it from this angle:

Total number of words for Kevin Durant: 736
Total number of words for Earl Watson, Mickael Gelabale, Johan Petro, Mo Sene, Robert Swift, and Damien Wilkins: 720

I think it’s safe to say that Kevin Durant will be the biggest profile rookie in Seattle sports history, with the only possible exceptions being Ken Griffey, Jr. and Brian Bosworth. Let us all hope he’s more like the former than the latter.