Friday, June 27

Hold the Mayo

Boy, it's too bad the Sonics didn't have something of value to deal to Minnesota, so that they might have walked away from the draft with 3rd-most talented player (OJ Mayo) in exchange for a guy they didn't want (Kevin Love).

You know, maybe a large expiring contract, or perhaps a defensive-minded point guard who can shoot the three.

Yeah, you always hold onto guys like those until a great deal comes along and sweeps you off your feet.

Thursday, June 26

Rounding Out the Draft

To finish off the night, the Sonics added two more picks in the second round.

#20, Devon Hardin, Cal, Center
#26, Sasha Kaun, Kansas, Center

Please, try to reign in your enthusiasm.

Before I sign off for the night, a few thoughts:

-I can live with the Westbrook pick. He's not going to help the Sonics as a 30-minute-a-night guy immediately and he's not a true point guard in the sense of Paul or Williams or Kidd, but he has loads of talent, great speed, and, worst case, he's a top guy off the bench.

-The Ibaka pick mystifies me. My only hope is that Presti worked out a deal with the guy ahead of time, and the whole "don't pick me" routine was an act to scare other teams away. Honestly, I don't buy that as the truth, but it's the only thing keeping me from thinking this was a total farce.

-DJ White isn't a star by a long shot, but he has some low-post ability, works hard, and is still better than almost anyone else on the roster down low.

-The 2nd rounders? No clue.

-On the whole, I give the draft a very early grade of a B-. Normally, in school, a B- is okay, especially in a class where the notes and homework are killing you. But this is a B- in a class like PE; there's no way with 6 picks the Sonics should be coming out of here with such a craptacular haul. Seriously, are you more or less excited about the Sonics' future after today? At what point do we start thinking, "Hey, is Sam Presti ever going to deliver on his genius label? How much of a line of credit do we extend to this guy?"

Sonics Add DJ White

Climb back down off the ledge, and add "Genius" to the "Boy Genius" label for Sam Presti again (for awhile there, I was beginning to think he was more of the former and less of the latter). The Sonics have selected DJ White from Indiana with the 29th pick of the first round.

Seattle dealt their #32 and #46 picks in the second round of this year's draft in order to pick up White with Detroit's first round pick (got that?). White is a good back to the basket player, he's a senior, and he instantly becomes one of the two or three best post players on offense on the entire team (yeah, we're that bad, folks). Seattle still has two remaining second-rounders available.