Levy, Alexie Testimony Challenged

The Sonics have made a motion to suppress the testimony of KJR's Mitch Levy and The Stranger's Sherman Alexie in the upcoming suit between the team and the city of Seattle.

In other news, the team also wishes to suspend the printing presses of the Seattle Times, Seattle PI, and Tacoma News Tribune, as well as the broadcasting capabilities of all AM and FM stations (except, as the statement makes clear, "those who broadcast that easy listening stuff, because nobody with a pulse listens to that stuff anyways.") As Clay Bennett makes clear in the statement:

I have grown tired with the inquisitive nature of the Seattle media, and its ability to point out my shortcomings, and therefore wish to silence any possible future embarrassments which may be discovered by the press. While I understand some may take this as an impingement upon the First Amendment, I believe it is completely in line with my belief that the local media should always be under the thumb of the wealthiest person(s) in its respective municipality.

Expert Picks

Here are how others see the Sonics leaning with the first round:

CHAD FORD, espn.com
#4: "[Jerryd] Bayless is an excellent athlete who can really shoot. Of all the combo guards in the draft, he also has shown the most ability, so far, to run the point. Luke Ridnour and Earl Watson have not taken excelled at the position in Seattle. So, of the first four picks in the draft, this one looks like the closest to a lock."
#24: Serge Ibaka

DRAFT EXPRESS
#4: Bayless
#24: Alexis Ajinca

NBA DRAFT.NET
#4: Bayless
#24: Kosta Koufos

Also, DraftExpress notes that the Sonics are appearing to "lock in" on Bayless (making me wonder - who was first with the "lock," Chad Ford or DraftExpress?). Apparently, Sam Presti thinks Bayless would be a good fit alongside either Earl Watson or Luke Ridnour "until he's ready to man the position full-time."

Which makes me think: Who cares? Ridnour is expected to be traded very soon, and Watson is probably on the trading block as well. Five years from now, will it have been a good decision to have selected Jerryd Bayless to play alongside Watson or Ridnour when neither of them are on the roster?

Of course not. By that point, the two existing PGs on this roster will have as much relevance to Seattle's fortunes as Danny Vranes or Gus Williams - none. I'm not saying that Presti is thinking this way - in fact, I doubt he is - but it always frustrates me when "experts" make decisions for a team's future based upon players who will be gone from the roster in the near future.

It's not that I think Bayless is a bad choice, although I wonder about his ability to function as a combo guard in the NBA with his lack of point guard experience, it's that making a choice based on soon-to-be-irrelevant players is rather foolish. Add to the fact that the Sonics would be expecting a guy who has never played full-time at point guard to be their point guard of the future and, well, is that really a smart move?

Bennett Joins the Chorus

"Please stay WAY AWAY from talking about our investment in the building."

Clay Bennett, to PR Consultant Brent Gooden, via email

That quote comes courtesy of Greg Johns' article in the PI today. You'll also read about Bennett's empathy towards the players' desire to remain in Seattle ("Boo hoo") as well as Aubrey McClendon yet again showing why he was so sincere about keeping the team in Seattle ("The truth is we did buy it with the hope of moving to Oklahoma City.")

It just never ends, does it?

Bennett was referring specifically to getting caught making a financial commitment towards building a new arena in Renton, the same arena which would cost $500 million, and which he would contribute only the amount of money he could raise via naming rights. In other words, nothing.

Nothing, as in Bennett's chances of playing a game in Oklahoma City before the end of the decade.