Thursday, November 15

Seen & Heard

I haven't been keeping up with rumors about Sonic players and trades lately, simply because it's hard enough to keep up with all the losses.

But I found a couple of rumors out there that were of passing interest.

1. Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald in Chicago writes: "So this is all a pipe dream, but a player such as Seattle's Wally Szczerbiak would look good atop the Bulls' wish list. Last week, he scored 32 points and hit 12 of 16 shots in a game at Sacramento. But Szczerbiak has little future with the rebuilding Sonics. He played nine minutes in a loss to Utah three days later.
The bad news is Szczerbiak makes $12 million this season and $13 million next season. He'll be an attractive mid-level exception candidate, but not until 2009."

2. John Denton of the Florida Today writes: "Some power forwards or centers who the Magic might have interest in trading for include: Michael Doleac, Mark Madsen, Wayne Simien, Robert Swift, Saer Sene, Calvin Booth, Lorenzen Wright, Earl Barron, Melvin Ely, Johan Petro, Jarron Collins, Aaron Williams and Brian Skinner."

Yikes, that's one scary list, and further reinforces the notion that if you have a young son, you should be strapping his legs to a stretching apparturs every night. Because, quite clearly, no matter how bad you are, if you are 7' tall, there will always be a job for you.

Phew

Finally, the Sonics grabbed a win. I never thought I’d be happy with a 1-8 record, but, well, when the alternative is 0-9, I suppose happy is the way to be.

Unfortunately, it appears Luke Ridnour is out for two to four weeks. In a way, it helps Carlesimo by reducing his options at the point, but the way Earl Watson has shot the ball this year, it really reduces his options to one (Delonte West). Luckily, West offset Watson last night in Miami (Watson: -1, West: +9; seriously, how bad do you have to play to finish at -1 as the starting point guard when your team wins by 9?).

In any event, it’ll be Watson and West for the next month or so, and Gary Washburn muses in the PI that it’s possible the Sonics will look to add a temporary body while Ridnour recovers.

“Paging Mateen Cleaves, Mateen Cleaves please answer the white courtesy phone ...”

But before we get to fat and happy with last night’s win, remember that:

- The Sonics were outscored 54-43 in the second half
- The Sonics had 16 turnovers and 14 fouls in the second half

Those are discouraging signs, and, maybe I’m crazy, but it seems to be that the only reason the Sonics didn’t blow a lead as they had so many times this season was twofold:

1. The lead was too big
2. The Heat are just too lousy

Whatever the case, the credit for last night’s win has to go to Chris Wilcox, who finished at +24 on the night. and Nick Collison, who scored five of Seattle’s 11 in an 11-0 run to start the fourth quarter, throwing in four rebounds and an assist for good measure.

(And kudos to Percy Allen for getting Chris Wilcox to comment on the mystery of being left off the all-star ballot. Somebody at the NBA office has some explaining to do why Wilcox is off and people like Wally Szczerbiak, Luis Scola, and Luke Walton are in).

Sonics Win! Sonics Win!

MIAMI - NOVEMBER 14: The Seattle SuperSonics celebrate against the Miami Heat on November 14, 2007 at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2007 NBAE (Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)<br />NBAE/Getty Images
OMFG! SONICS WIN!

Read the glorious details here.