Gelabale Getting PT in Idaho

Mickael Gelabale, the former Sonic who has been sent to the D-League to rejuvenate his career, has managed to find his offensive touch, albeit against competition a bit easier than what he encounters at the NBA level.

Through two games in Boise, Gelly has averaged 14 points, 4.5 boards, 3 assists, and one block - exactly the kind of numbers we had hoped to see in Seattle from the dreadlocked one.

Gelabale's former teammate in Seattle, Mo Sene, has shown considerable improvement when you look at his stats this year compared to last down in Boise. His field goal percentage is hovering around 60% this season, compared to 51% last year, his rebounding numbers - especially on the defensive end - are much more impressive, and in his last four games he's committed only three turnovers, a marked improvement over his numbers even just from earlier in the season, let alone last year.

And, in an ironic twist, the Sonics' D-League affiliate, the Idaho Stampede, have rattled off a 16-game win streak. For the season, the Stampede own the best record in the league at 21-5. Perhaps the Sonics could send PJ Carlesimo and his staff down to the Stampede, just so they could, you know, get a feeling for what it's like to win on a consistent basis again.

3! 3! 3!

Mired in a season-long Death March, the Sonics have brought some sunshine to the rainiest state in the union as they earned their 3rd consecutive win with a one-point win over the Knicks on Saturday.

With Jeff Green, Wally Szczerbiak and Robert Swift all sidelined, the Sonics rode Chris Wilcox and Kevin Durant to a one-point win. Green's sprained left ankle will take a while to heal, so that means more minutes for Damien Wilkins, who responded by posting the best +/- of the night for the Sonics (+16) in only 29 minutes. Durant's 3 with 59 seconds left was the difference, although his turnover on the next possession almost cost the Sonics the game.

Regardless, it's a win. This season has been a tough one to swallow, and the team's multiple long streaks have sort of endeared them to me. It's difficult to ridicule a group of players who are so badly outclassed on so many nights. Eventually, you have to start pulling for the underdog (how 'bout them Giants, huh?), and I think we've reached that stage for these Sonics.

Now, let's knock off the Baby Bulls and make four in a row!

Devil's Advocate

With the Sonics headed to court this June (not that court, or, sadly, that court, but this court), anyone who ever rooted for this team has a vested interest in seeing how the scenario unfolds.

One important aspect of the case will be the folks doing the talking – the lawyers. Everyone knows about Slade Gorton and the group of folks the city will employ, but what about Clay Bennett’s cadre of hired guns? Who dey?

Byrnes and Keller LLP, that’s who. Who is Byrnes and Keller? Well, here is one biography of the famed litigators:

... best known for its products liability work, particularly tobacco defense. The group is “the epitome of the hard-working hired gun of the litigation boutique, the kind of firm that you go to if you are in a lot of trouble and you need determined and passionate advocates.”

You read that right. Clay Bennett, not satisfied with being known as the most evil man in the Evergreen State, went and hired a group of lawyers best known for defending tobacco companies. Even on their own website BK minces no words, explaining how it not only vigorously defended tobacco companies, but pharmaceutical companies and (alleged) securities fraud artists.

Hey, I’m not so naive as to think that firms such as Byrnes and Keller are the devil. They obviously fill a need in our legal system in defending people the rest of us despise. And it makes sense for Bennett to hire the best defender he can to argue his case.

But before I get too friendly about the situation, let me shed some light on another case. Toure Butler, a former football player at the University of Washington. Butler, from Cascade HS in Everett, suffered from a learning disability, causing him to struggle in school. Eventually, his school came up with a way to teach him more effectively, enabling him to graduate.

Butler, an exceptional football player coveted by the University of Washington, was offered a full scholarship upon graduation. Great, right?

Wrong. The NCAA determined that because Butler did not take what they deemed “core” classes in school they would revoke his scholarship.

In other words, a fellow who passed all the aptitude tests, graduated from high school, and gained admittance to university was kicked out because his learning disability required him to learn differently than other students.

Obviously, the state of Washington and Mr. Butler thought this to be a gross miscarriage of justice, and they sued the NCAA, claiming that it had violated the American Disabilities Act. The suit was successful, eventually, in that it forced the NCAA to re-evaluate its arcane and depraved rules regarding situations such as Butler’s. Eventually, Butler attended school, played for the football team, and put the pigheadedness of the NCAA behind him.

Oh, right, the attorneys the NCAA called upon when they needed help defending their scum-infested position? You guessed it, Byrnes and Keller LLP.

Tobacco companies, the NCAA, the pharmaceutical industry, Clay Bennett. Sounds about right.