Second Round, Part II

Are you ready for KYRYLOMANIA?! Neither are we.

More possibilities with the Sonics’ two second-round picks ...

6. Kyrylo Fesenko, 7’, Ukraine, C
Oh, please, they wouldn’t kill us 4 years in a row, would they? Would they?

7. Gabe Pruitt, 6’4” USC, PG
Pruitt is an intriguing possibility for the Sonics. By intriguing, I mean, of course, that he could very easily never play a game in the NBA, or he could develop into someone who teams regret passing (man, I’m glad I don’t have to make these decisions with my salary riding on it). He has the athletic ability to defend NBA PGs and he’s creative enough to get his own shot off, but his passing ability and consistency ... well, that’s a whole other issue. Shooting 41 percent from the field doesn’t help, either.

8. Marcus Williams, 6’7”, Arizona, SG
Gotta like a guy from Seattle, and it wouldn’t kill the Sonics to make Williams the first guy they’ve take from in-state in what seems like 15 years. Williams is tall, which is nice, and gets sub-par ratings on defense, which sucks. Still, he’d make a nice reserve for Ray Allen, and the fact he has a decent touch at his height is a plus. All in all, a very nice pickup for the second pick of the second round.

9. Alando Tucker, 6’5”, Wisconsin, SG
Tucker began his college career as more of an inside scorer, then gradually became more of a scorer from the outside, which bodes well for his role in the NBA. Unfortunately, his jumper isn’t quite as good as you would hope from an off guard, and he’s not going to come in and drain 3’s all night. That said, his post moves are much better than a typical 6’5” guy, and I like the idea of pairing him on offense with Rashard or Durant, who are taller guys that can shoot from the outside. Will he be around in the 2nd round? Hard to say, but he’d make a solid acquisition for Seattle.

10. Arron Afflalo, 6’5” UCLA, SG/SF
Afflalo is a true San Antonio Spurs kind of guy – mentally tough, a strong defender, a strong FT shooter, not outstanding athletically, not a great scorer. In other words, a wonderful fit for this team as a backup to Ray Allen. If the Sonics were to acquire Afflalo, I’d be ecstatic. The fact he played lousy against Florida in the tournament should help the Sonics’ odds at picking him up.

Sonics: Goodbye Locke, Hello Marques?

"Scooter" Presti's extreme make-over of the Seattle Supersonics continued today as the team announced the firing of radio announcer David Locke:

The team removed his posts from its Web sites on Friday, terminated his two-year contract and notified employees of the decision in an e-mail.

The Sonics are expected to announce the decision today, although it is not clear if the team will replace Locke with another announcer or return to a simulcast with the television broadcast.

Locke, 36, took over last year when the Sonics became the last NBA team to separate its broadcasts and moved to KTTH-AM (770). He had worked at KJR (950 AM) for the previous eight years and was a play-by-play announcer for the Seattle Storm for seven seasons.

from the Seattle Times

Frankly, ever since the Sonics stupidly moved the radio broadcasts to the right-wing toilet bowl known as KTTH, I refused to listen to games on the radio. Plus, as much as I like David Locke, Kevin Calabro is the voice of the Sonics (sorry Bob!).

Things look brighter on the TV side, though, with the P.I. and Times reporting that Supersonicsoul's all-time favorite color commentator Marques Johnson may soon be returning to Seattle. KC and Marques together again? It's like Christmas in July.

Looking at the 2nd Round

Kevin Durant will be a Sonic, or, if Kevin Pritchard has a heart attack next week and he’s relieved by a demon from 1984, Greg Oden will be a Sonic. Either way, we can all agree we’re as pleased as punch.

But what about the second round? I’ve heard numerous times that the Sonics will be dealing one or both of the picks they have, but will they? And what if they don’t? Here are some options for Seattle, and how they might fit in:

1. Petteri Koponen, Finland, PG, 6’5”
You know the old saying about Finnish point guards? You do? Well, can you email it to me, because I don't have the faintest idea about what the heck is going on over there. If the Sonics draft Koponen, do they give out Finlandia Vodka every time he gets 10 assists? Will this induce Ballard to declare war on the Sonics in historic respect for the Norway-Finland rivalry? It's all so hard to say.

Say this, though: Koponen is no Euro, he’s the real deal, at least in what limited exposure to North America he’s had. At 19, he’s still quite young and it’s possible he wouldn’t come to the States for another year or two, which would be great for the Sonics. He’s tough, a good outside shooter, handles the ball well, looks to create shots for others before himself, runs the pick and roll very well, and plays beyond his years. I haven’t read much about his defense, which scares me a bit since that’s the area the Sonics need help the most from a potential PG, and his slim frame is a cause for concern as well. I would have no problem with the Sonics going for Koponen and letting him develop overseas for a year.

2. Taurean Green, Florida, PG, 6’1”
Everyone knows Taurean from his play for the Gators. Since he led two teams to national titles, he’s got plenty of confidence. Then again, Chris Wilcox won a national title at Maryland, and he ain't exactly bursting with NBA playoff success. But his lack of size and defense worries me: Is he just another Luke Ridnour? If the Sonics were to draft Green, I’d be very concerned that they’d two guys in Frodo and Green that aren’t capable of defending tougher NBA point guards, something that caused trouble at times last year. I can see Green being a strong backup in the NBA, but not for Seattle. The big question is: Is Taurean Green the H Waldman of 2007?

3. Jared Dudley, Boston College, 6’7”, SF
If the Sonics draft Jared Dudley, then the past two months have been a mirage and Rick Sund is still running the team because they need another SF like Paris Hilton needs more press exposure. That’s too bad, though, as Dudley is a tough player who can rebound, works hard, hits his free throws, and does all the other things you need for a winning team. Unfortunately, the Sonics already have Gelabale, Wilkins, Durant, and Lewis.

4. Glen Davis, LSU, 6’8” PF/C
I don’t know about Davis. Part of me wants to think he could be effective in the league, that he won’t gain 60 pounds and become Danny Fortson redux, that he’ll parlay his unique athletic ability to score in the paint often. But another part of me thinks: Wait, his two biggest causes for success are his ample backside and the fact he played against 7' centers about as often as he said "no, thanks, I'm full" in college? He’s taken off the weight ("dropping" to around 280 or so if I remember correctly), but he’s still only 6’8”. How he fits into the Sonics’ plans is another difficult question to answer, as Collison and Wilcox already gobble up the PF minutes. If he’s available at the 2nd pick, he wouldn’t be a terrible selection.

5. Morris Almond, Rice, 6’6”
Now this is what the doctor ordered ... almost. Almond can score, gets to the line like a young Adrian Dantley, and is built to be an NBA 2 guard. He’s 6’6” and strong, and would make an ideal fit for Ray Allen’s caddy for the next couple of years ... except that his defense is the weakest part of his game, and he’s not going to learn how to do it from Sugar Ray. They say you can teach defense, and that shooting is like a gift, but why hasn’t anyone ever taught Allen how to be a tougher defender? I think it’s a mindset, and if Almond doesn’t have it yet, he’s probably not going to get it in the NBA. That said, Almond would be a decent fit off the bench for the Sonics if he’s still available.

I'll have more during next week as we get closer to the big day.