Sonic Notes for a Monday

Paul Westhead has been offered a spot on PJ Carlesimo’s coaching staff, according to Norm Frauenheim of the Arizona Republic. Westhead is currently the head coach of the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA and has known PJ for 30 years. The casual observation is that Westhead would provide offensive know-how to Carlesimo’s defensive excellence. ... Sonicscentral has good coverage of the rumored deal between the Muckleshoot Indian Casino and the Sonics. The press conference today from the Muckleshoot folks was in regard to the feasibility of an arena at their casino, and NOT any agreement to build an agreement, which would obviously keep Clay Bennett’s team firmly in Seattle for the long-term. According to this story by Jeff Meisner in the Puget Sound Business Journal, the cost of a new stadium on the tribe’s land would be $452 million, about $78 million less than the previous arena proposal in Renton. Of special note in the study the Muckleshoot presented today (put together by Brailsford & Dunlavey) is the statement that luxury boxes and suites in the Seattle area have reached a “saturation point,” and that no additional suites beyond what are currently in KeyArena would be built – which completely goes against what Howard Schultz was complaining about two years ago. From what Schultz, and to a degree, Clay Bennett, said, one would get the impression that more suites were needed to keep up the pace with the other newly constructed arenas in the NBA. But what this study details is that is untrue, and that additional suites would sit vacant. In addition, the new stadium the tribe proposes would seat 18,500. And, as Jim Brunner points out in the Seattle Times, Brailsford & Dunlavey’s consultant indicated “improvements to roads in the area would likely be required.” In other words, $450 ain’t even close to the total bill on this deal.

Comics for Sonics--TUESDAY NIGHT!

The line-up has been announced for tomorrow night's "Comics for Sonics" benefit show for Save Our Sonics, and it's pretty damned impressive, if I don't say so myself:Travis Simmons, Harrold Gomez, Brad Upton, and headlined by Rod Long.

(NOTE: Despite what the poster says, it's really only $10!)

If you aren't familiar with the Seattle comedy scene, these folks are all headliners and outside of Bumbershoot, you would never see them all in one show. I also heard there might be a surprise guest appearance from a certain Last Comic Standing runner-up. (Oh, and the editor of Supersonicsoul is hosting it, but don't let that dissuade you.)

Since it's for a good cause (and for only ten bucks) this is a show you don't want to miss.

(Click on Raf's awesome poster for details.)

Odds

This is a thoroughly unscientific piece of research, but after Greg Oden's season-ending microfracture surgery on Thursday, the oddsmakers have made some changes as to how likely the Blazers are to win the Finals.

Previous to yesterday, you could get about 50/1 odds on either Seattle or Portland to win the Finals. However, at newbodog.com this morning, the Sonics are still listed at 50/1, while the Blazers have dropped to 65/1.

The crazy thing is, the Blazers are still better than the Sonics, even without Oden, right? Yes, they've lost Zach Randolph and now Oden, but they've got Brandon Roy back in what should be an even better season, Jarrett Jack, and improving LaMarcus Aldridge, Rudy Fernandez, a healthy Raef LaFrentz (I kid), and, well, I just see the Blazers winning more games this season than a Sonic team that features two rookies and a bunch of other guys. Maybe the oddsmakers expect more from Kevin Durant than me, but I just can't see the Sonics winning more games than Portland this season, injuries aside.