Second Rounders, Part III

11. Zabian Dowdell, 6’3”, Va. Tech, PG/SG
Another nice fit for the Sonics. Dowdell is a long-armed guy who can definitely handle the defensive responsibilities that have been left vacant ever since Antonio Daniels got a huge contract from Washington. He’d be a perfect fit behind Ridnour, and his lack of offensive abilities would be masked by the great offensive talent around him. He’s 6’3”, but he’s also 200+ pounds, which means the Sonics wouldn’t have to wait for a couple of years for him to grow into his body, which happens so frequently in the draft. You want more? How about that Dowdell – not a rich man by any stretch – pledged $5,000 of his own money to help people affected by the tragedy earlier this year at his school. Class act.

12. Aaron Gray, 7’, Pitt, C
Admit it – your first instinct when you see Aaron Gray is to think – oh, God, not another white center who can’t move. And you know what, there’s some credence to that thought. I’ve see more than a couple of instances of Gray’s name being linked to the Sonics first pick of the 2nd round, and the more I read about this young man, the less I like the idea. Slow, not capable of defending quicker big men, and not much range on his shot. You have to wonder – if the Sonics are playing the Suns and Nash and Amare run the pick and roll, is it possible for Gray to become the first guy in NBA history to break both of his ankles on one play?

13. Ramon Sessions, 6’4” Nevada, PG
Sessions was rumored to have received a promise from the Sonics to be picked at the #35 slot, so there is some smoke around his name right now in Seattle. Draftexpress compared him to Tony Parker (!) but his slim frame will mean some weight room time in the near future. Sessions made huge strides in his foul shooting and 3-point shooting at Nevada this year, which bodes well for the future. Like Dowdell, he would make a good backup for Ridnour at the point, but I don’t think he would contribute as much immediately.

14. Marc Gasol, 7’1”, Spain, C
Gasol is obviously the younger brother of Pau, so he’s got that going for him. He’s not as mobile as his brother, but he has the same basketball IQ that’s unusual for a guy his size. He is supposedly not the best-conditioned athlete. I think we can all agree that Marc Gasol is Spanish for Benoit Benjamin.

15. Kyle Visser, 6’11”, Wake Forest, C
Yet another white center ... you know, when you read “needs to work on his conditioning and muscle mass,” you think to yourself, why in the world would any time want anything to do with a guy like that? He gets to the line alot, but he doesn’t convert the free throws and never made more than 66% in his 4-year career. He hustles, but he can’t block shots. Ugh.

David Locke

We got this message from David Locke, the Sonics' now former play by play man earlier today. Here's what he had to say:

I wanted to take a moment and thank all of you for your support and fandom over the past years with the Sonics. Obviously, I am very disappointed that I will no longer be able to bring you the action of the Seattle Supersonics. It has been great to be involved with the Sonics organization over the past 9 seasons. Most of all it has been a real pleasure interacting with you via the radio, the blog or whatever.

It is irrelevant whether we agreed or disagreed, whether you like my work or not we were all fans of the same team with the same passion. In regards to the Sonics I want to make sure you all know this is a group worth rooting for. The players that put on the Green and Gold are good men that are worth cheering for. The upper management of the Sonics are high quality people. They are talented and working very hard to make sure you get the best product. Certainly, I wish they felt differently about my role, but that doesn't take away that the people I worked for, John Croley, Brian Byrnes, Karen Bryant and Danny Barth, are all solid people. Most importantly, the organization's core is a bunch of young people who work feverishly each day to make sure the Sonics are a great product. It was impressive to watch them day in and day out.

In closing, my termination doesn't change my belief that the NBA is a fantastic game, the Sonics are a team worth rooting for and worth working to keep in Seattle. Thanks again for all the fun times over the last 9 years. I will be right there with you rooting for Kevin Durant or Greg Oden next year.

Thanks,

David Locke

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.