I’ve realized that if I want to continue writing a weekly “Where Are They Now?” piece, I’m going to have to limit the number of folks I look at each week. Otherwise, I’m going to have to run out of people in a couple of months, and by April I’ll be running stories on whatever Sonic is on the disabled list. So, with some prompting from the comments, here is Friday’s Where Are They Now?
HERSEY HAWKINS – If you think of Hersey Hawkins, you either remember him for winning the NBA Citizenship Award, for being traded for Brent Barry, or for being the quiet guy in the background on the great teams of the mid-90s.
The Hawk has been quiet in his retirement, not surprising considering the understated way he played in the NBA. After spending a couple of seasons post-retirement as a color commentator for the Grizzlies (where he served as the predecessor to Michael Cage), the former shooting guard spent 2006-07 as the Varsity Assistant Coach at Estrella Foothills High School in Goodyear, Arizona. A role he will continue this season as well.
Hawkins has two sons on the team, Brandon and Corey (note that this Brandon Hawkins is not that Brandon Hawkins). Interestingly, Corey was not only first-team all state in Arizona as a freshman, but he also found time to be number 2 on the golf team. Brandon is expected to play at the NCAA level, and is rumored to be choosing among USC, Bradley, Tennessee, and a couple of other schools.
Friday, October 19
Lakers Top Sonics
With less than two weeks before the first game of the season, the Sonics look to be fulfilling the expectations of prognosticators around the country:
That is, they won't be very good this year.
A 20-point loss to the Lakers in Bakersfield last night highlighted: 1) the Sonics lack of an inside presence to stop bigger, stronger big man, especially with Bob Swift still recovering from his injury last year; 2) inconsistent play from young players; 3) some absolutely awful 3-point shooting.
It's ironic that a team known the past few seasons as a chuck-em-up group has totally transformed. Think about it: With whom on this team would you feel comfortable on a last-second 3? Durant? Wilkins? Quite a difference from year's past, when Ray Allen, Rashard Lewis, or even Vlad Radmanovic were capable of sinking 5, 6, or 7 threes on a given night.
It's not all gloom and doom, though. Starting this weekend, if Percy Allen's intuition is correct, we'll be seeing more of the regular rotation and less of the free-for-all typical of pre-season games. I'm guessing that means more Nick Collison and Kurt Thomas and less of the French Connection. Seriously, whatever French fans of the Sonics remain, they might consider rooting for another team come November, because it does not appear Mickael Gelabale and Johan Petro are long for this roster.
That is, they won't be very good this year.
A 20-point loss to the Lakers in Bakersfield last night highlighted: 1) the Sonics lack of an inside presence to stop bigger, stronger big man, especially with Bob Swift still recovering from his injury last year; 2) inconsistent play from young players; 3) some absolutely awful 3-point shooting.
It's ironic that a team known the past few seasons as a chuck-em-up group has totally transformed. Think about it: With whom on this team would you feel comfortable on a last-second 3? Durant? Wilkins? Quite a difference from year's past, when Ray Allen, Rashard Lewis, or even Vlad Radmanovic were capable of sinking 5, 6, or 7 threes on a given night.
It's not all gloom and doom, though. Starting this weekend, if Percy Allen's intuition is correct, we'll be seeing more of the regular rotation and less of the free-for-all typical of pre-season games. I'm guessing that means more Nick Collison and Kurt Thomas and less of the French Connection. Seriously, whatever French fans of the Sonics remain, they might consider rooting for another team come November, because it does not appear Mickael Gelabale and Johan Petro are long for this roster.
Thursday, October 18
Viewing Pleasure
Just a reminder that tonight's Sonics-Lakers game will be broadcast on TNT at 7 pm. If you'd rather watch Bob Swift make his triumphant return to Bakersfield than see the Red Sox lose to the Indians, set your viewing plans accordingly. In all honesty, as much as I love baseball, the idea of sitting through 3 hours of Tim McCarver's horrific puns and Joe Buck's daily "Watch How Indignant I Can Get!" spiel is too much. I'm leaning heavily towards an hour of Sonics-Lakers, followed by "The Office" when I start remembering why networks almost never broadcast pre-season games.
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