It was perhaps the worst performance I've ever witnessed from the Sonics - at least for the first half, anyways. With a minute or so to go before halftime, the Supes had scored the grand total of 23 points (!), and I don't even know how they got that many.
Did I mention that Friday night's game was against Atlanta, at home? That Wally Szczerbiak had 2 points? That Jeff Green played the role of the Invisible Man, again? That Kurt Thomas looked like he was 55, not 35?
Kevin Durant spent the whole game looking for his shot, but never seemed to find it. With the exception of dunks, he was horrific, finishing 7 of 21 on the night. Granted, no one else seemed to have the touch last night either, as the Sonics went 0 for 11 behind the arc. Atlanta knew it was coming, too, as they sagged in around the basket all night and conceeded the outside shot they knew the Sonics were not going to make.
On the bright side, Johan Petro had a coast-to-coast dunk in the fourth quarter that brough the crowd to its feet. Yes, Petro and coast-to-coast in the same sentence. I'm still in shock myself. And Chris Wilcox and Luke Ridnour - in an attempt to make me eat my words about the two of them in my mid-season grades - seemed to be the only other Sonics with any sense of energy Friday night.
But, truly, the entire Sonic season could be summed up by one play in the second quarter. The Sonics had, again, let the clock run down to single digits, and panic set it on offense. Durant took the ball, split two defenders, twisted and turned his lithe frame in traffic, cocked his hand back ...
And threw a dunk off the front of the rim.
That's the 2007-08 Seattle Supersonics for you folks. Crappy at the beginning, crappy at the end, and a little bit of sun in between.
Saturday, January 26
Friday, January 25
Juxtaposition
It's not every day that two headlines - run the same day - give two completely opposite impressions about the same situation. But then, this is the Sonics, in a year in which we are fully expecting James Cameron to be brought on board to help them further explore the depths of the NBA. ("Look, over there, off the starboard side, I think I can see the remains of Joe Barry Carroll! And isn't that a 1981 Cavaliers jersey over there?")
But back to where I began. Here is the headline from today's PI, story courtesy of Gary Washburn:
Sonics' Watson stays positive despite losses, unsure future
And, from the TNT, this time from Eric Williams:
Watson’s frustration surfaces amid skid
In Williams' story, it is revealed that Watson was irked about riding the pines down the stretch of the past two games, to the point where Sam Presti had a conversation with him about said subject. Don't misread the headline, though, Watson didn't come out and demand a trade, he only expressed dissatisfaction with the team's season and his lack of interest in rebuilding seasons. We hear you, big guy.
Likewise, Washburn relays how Watson has decided to bite his tongue and not voice his displeasure with the ongoing minutes situation between himself and Luke Ridnour.
The upshot of all of this? The two stories are basically the same, with just slightly more information in one than the other, meaning, as always, that readers should always remember that the fellow who wrote the story isn't the fellow who put the headline on it.
But back to where I began. Here is the headline from today's PI, story courtesy of Gary Washburn:
Sonics' Watson stays positive despite losses, unsure future
And, from the TNT, this time from Eric Williams:
Watson’s frustration surfaces amid skid
In Williams' story, it is revealed that Watson was irked about riding the pines down the stretch of the past two games, to the point where Sam Presti had a conversation with him about said subject. Don't misread the headline, though, Watson didn't come out and demand a trade, he only expressed dissatisfaction with the team's season and his lack of interest in rebuilding seasons. We hear you, big guy.
Likewise, Washburn relays how Watson has decided to bite his tongue and not voice his displeasure with the ongoing minutes situation between himself and Luke Ridnour.
The upshot of all of this? The two stories are basically the same, with just slightly more information in one than the other, meaning, as always, that readers should always remember that the fellow who wrote the story isn't the fellow who put the headline on it.
Thursday, January 24
A Dirty Dozen
The only feeling more painful than enduring a 12-game losing streak, is enduring a 12-game losing streak wherein the 12th loss came when your team had a 13-point lead in the fourth quarter.
Ouch.
If Norman Vincent Peale were to review last night's loss to the Rockets, he would point to how the Sonics shot 52% from the floor, only committed nine turnovers, and basically showed they were as good as the Rockets, one of the better teams in the Western Conference.
Unfortunately, there are no moral victories in the newspaper agate, only carved in stone wins and losses. If Kevin Durant sinks the 3 at the end rather than sending it off the back iron, if the Sonics manage to keep the Rockets from going on an 18-4 run to close out the game, hey, we're not talking about any of this, now are we?
Sadly, it all happened, and now the Sonics are one game away from tying the longest losing streak in club history, and, thankfully, with the Hawks and Kings the next two opponents - at home - there is a good chance they'll keep it from happening.
Ouch.
If Norman Vincent Peale were to review last night's loss to the Rockets, he would point to how the Sonics shot 52% from the floor, only committed nine turnovers, and basically showed they were as good as the Rockets, one of the better teams in the Western Conference.
Unfortunately, there are no moral victories in the newspaper agate, only carved in stone wins and losses. If Kevin Durant sinks the 3 at the end rather than sending it off the back iron, if the Sonics manage to keep the Rockets from going on an 18-4 run to close out the game, hey, we're not talking about any of this, now are we?
Sadly, it all happened, and now the Sonics are one game away from tying the longest losing streak in club history, and, thankfully, with the Hawks and Kings the next two opponents - at home - there is a good chance they'll keep it from happening.
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