Tag: sonics

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NBA General

Around the Rim: It could be a while before b-ball returns to Utah


1. SA is headed home with a big lead
After getting pounded in the second half of Game 3, San Antonio dropped their first game of the West finals and it was beginning to look like Utah had decided to make a series out of it. But after a fourth quarter surge in Game 4 the Spurs are once again in complete control (3-1) of the conference finals thanks to a 91-79 victory in Salt Lake City. Some questionable calls reared their ugly heads once again around the Spurs during the closing moments of a very physical contest as Derek Fisher picked up a pair of techs to get tossed and joined coach Jerry Sloan in the locker room early. Manu Ginobili had 22 points and three steals, to go along with several key flops in the Spurs first ever playoff win in Utah. Deron Williams (27 points, 10 assists) continues to shine as Mehmet Okur (7 points) continues to struggle offensively with a trip to the finals on the line. The Jazz definitely let a golden opportunity slip through their hands because they are now forced to win Game 5 on Wednesday in a city where they have gone winless since 1999 (0-18).

2. Show me the money!

Rashard Lewis has officially opted out of the final two years of his contract in Seattle, which makes him one of the biggest catches available on the free-agency market when the bidding wars begin on July 1. Lewis will make some team very happy with his long body and excellent scoring capabilities and there should be a long line of GMs lining up outside his door. In fact, Seattle would probably be thrilled to resign the small forward but their recent good fortune in the lottery will most likely land them Kevin Durant in the draft which would definitely make Lewis expendable. There is no telling where this kid is going to end up but we do know that teams could be paying as much as $15 million per season for Lewis.

3. Kobe wants to stay in LA
There were some rumors floating around that Kobe Bryant made a demand for a trade recently. But Bryant put those rumors to rest after he stated that “I want to retire a Laker. I want to fix this thing, or at least help any way I can.” Sadly, Bryant will never be helping himself to another championship as long as he remains in Los Angeles. You just have to look at the basic math of the situation to realize to Kobe has virtually no shot at playoff glory without a serious overhaul in LA or a trade. There are only eight playoff spots available each year. San Antonio, Phoenix, Dallas, Utah and Houston aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. That leaves just three spots for 10 other teams to fight it out over. Besides the Lakers, there are up and coming teams like Golden State, the Clippers, Denver and New Orleans wanting to get in on the action. Oh, and Denver and Seattle are probably going to be getting a little better after they make their first selections in this year’s draft. Face it Kobe, it’s time to get out of Hollywood and head out East.

Monday’s Player of the Day: Deron Williams vs. San Antonio 38 min, 27 pts (FG: 11-21, 3FG: 0-3, FT: 5-7), 3 reb, 10 ast, 3 stl, 1 blk

Buzzer Beater: After seeing a pair of 79-76 Detroit victories to open the Eastern Conference finals, we final were witness to a different score in Game 3 (88-82) and a different winner (Cleveland). Looks like LeBron James might not be that bad of a player after all. The King had been receiving serious heat for his late game decisions and the supposed lack of a killer instinct. Well, in Game 3, James had 32 points, nine rebounds and nine assists to go along with some legacy building buckets for good measure. Don’t believe us? Just ask Rasheed Wallace. The veteran Pistons aren’t going to be shaken that easily though because they know that they still have a healthy lead, 2-1, over an inexperienced Cavs club. However, Cleveland could create some Eastern Conference shock waves if they can grab another home court victory in Game 4 on Tuesday. Unfortunately, Larry Hughes is unlikely to play for Cleveland in the game which is a big blow for the Cavaliers. We’ll see if Daniel Gibson can continue to produce on the big stage.

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NBA General

Around the Rim: Portland gets a breath of fresh air



The next Jail Trail Blazer?

1. The West just got even better
It was one of the more shocking lotteries in recent history, as neither Memphis nor Boston grabbed either of the top two picks, a.k.a. Greg Oden or Kevin Durant, despite being the worst teams in the league, but instead it was a pair of Northwest Division clubs who changed their fortunes. With just a 5.3 percent chance of winning the whole shebang, the Portland Trail Blazers grabbed the top pick while Seattle ended up with a heck of a consolation prize. The beauty of this is that these two kids will grow as rivals for at least the beginning of their careers as they compete for the same division title every year. Unfortunately they will have some stiff competition for the crown as Utah, Denver and Minnesota all reside in the Northwest. But the real losers in this year’s lottery are those pathetic Grizzlies, Celtics and Bucks who put up some horrid regular season records but still had the statistical advantage slip through their fingers, giving their fans no reason to attend any home games in the next few years. That really sucks for those guys but our “kick to the crotch award” goes to Atlanta who came so freakin’ close to grabbing a franchise cornerstone but instead is going to have to settle for the La Toya Jackson of the draft. (Full lottery results)

2. Spurs dominate again

Like in Game 1, the Jazz put together a late run but they couldn’t escape from San Antonio with a victory as the Spurs grabbed a 2-0 lead in the West finals behind a 105-96 Game 2 win. Tim Duncan continued his run of playoff domination as he finished with 26 points and 14 rebounds while Tony Parker dished out a career playoff-high 14 assists to go with his 17 points. Utah had better hope that their home crowd gives them some added umph because the Spurs are starting to make this look way too easy. Sure, Carlos Boozer (33 pts, 15 reb) and Deron Williams (26 pts, 10 ast) are getting it done on the blue team but at this point it is a two man show against a cohesive unit. Sorry, but without some help from the role players, this is going to be a quick and easy series for the West crown.

3. Another Denver delinquent
Ron Artest might have found a new home after pretty much wearing out his welcome in Sacramento by being involved in several incidents with the law since arriving. So, what whacked out coach would possibly be willing to take a ride in the Artest demolition derby? Why, George Karl of course. Yup, the Denver Nuggets are looking to add rapper extraordinaire “Tru Warier” Artest to their bad boy lineup of Kenyon “Microfracture” Martin, Allen “Practice” Iverson and Carmelo “Sucker Punch” Anthony. We’re guessing that Artest would fit right in with this crew and we’re also guessing that in typical Karl fashion he wouldn’t be able to handle his malcontent cast and end up blaming the Nuggets management for his poor compilation.

Tuesday’s Player of the Day: Tim Duncan vs. Utah 38 min, 26 pts (FG: 10-15, FT: 6-8), 14 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl, 5 blk

Buzzer Beater: Well it sure didn’t take the Rockets very long to find a replacement for Jeff Van Gundy after the front office decided to give him the boot on Friday, because Rick Adelman is expected to be introduced as the new coach on Wednesday. It should be a good fit; Houston definitely needs a veteran coach who can properly utilize his tools and Adelman has proven that he can win. Hey, this guy got some great mileage out of Vlade Divac for cryin’ out loud; surely he can turn Yao Ming into a beast. And if you don’t think Adelman desperately wants to win a ring then just remember that he has the highest winning percentage (.610) of any coach who doesn’t have a championship.

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NBA General

Around the Rim: Fun ‘n’ Run


1. What a Game!
No, we’re not in the 1980’s again. And no, you’re not experiencing a flashback. Phoenix actually did beat New Jersey by a score of 161 to 157. It took two overtimes but the Suns won the game that tied for fourth highest in league history. Fans were witnesses to a game that compiled 318 points, 27 three pointers, 89 rebounds and 80 assists! But what would expect from two of the best point guards in the league who both love to run? Jason Kidd picked up his third triple double of the season with 38 points, 14 rebounds and 14 assists and tied Wilt Chamberlain for third all-time in triple dips with 78 (its unknown where Kidd ranks on Wilt’s impressive love list), but the reigning MVP wouldn’t let Kidd get the PG glory or the W. Steve Nash ended the game with a career high 42 points to go along with six rebounds and 13 assists while nailing the critical free throws which proved to be the final points of the game.

2. Texas Exes
If you’re a Texas Longhorn fan, then you had to enjoy the game between Cleveland and Toronto on Wednesday evening. That’s because Daniel Gibson got his first start since leaving the Horns for the NBA. Gibson looked good as he hooked his team up with 18 points, hitting three treys, and grabbing five boards. Oh, but Gibson wasn’t the only player to get the Longhorn reunion invitation. The greatest player to ever dawn the burnt orange was starting at point guard for the opposition as T.J. Ford dished out 10 assists. If only P.J. Tucker could have made it into the game.

3. Sub-Par Sonics
Seattle has been struggling through the early part of this season and there luck isn’t going to be changing any time soon. Ray Allen was diagnosed with a bone bruise in his right ankle and will miss at least the next seven games before being reevaluated in two weeks. That’s bad news for the Sonics but there is a small silver lining in the cumulonimbus cloud that hangs over a soggy Seattle. This is a terrific opportunity for Rashard Lewis to fully extend his wings and soar. At 6-10 he’s a tough defensive assignment for any small forward and he has one of the most complete games around. Lewis is scoring a career high 22.9 points and can improve on that number with the increased workload. With trade rumors swirling, Lewis might not be not be in Seattle much longer. It looks like the sun might be starting to shine on Lewis in more ways than one.

Thursday’s Player of the Day: Jason Kidd vs. Phoenix 48 min, 38 pts (FG: 13-26, 3FG: 3-6, FT: 9-9), 14 reb, 14 ast, 1 stl

Friday’s Game to Watch: Detroit (12-7) @ Orlando (14-6) It’s a match-up between the two best teams in the Eastern Conference as Detroit hopes to continue their winning ways after knocking off the Mavericks last night in Dallas. Orlando is 7-1 at home and will be looking forward to some home cookin’ after playing the last six games on the road. Dwight Howard was magical for Orlando as he led the team in both scoring and rebounding during the entire road trip.

Buzzer Beater: Devin Harris is suppose to be the point guard of the Mavericks future, but last night he looked like a point guard from Dallas’ past. And I’m not talking about Kidd, Nash or Derek Harper. More like Ollie Mack or Jim Spanarkel. Harris started the game but did nothing with his floor time. He ended with one point and four assists. Chauncey Billups abused Harris for the 28 minutes that Avery Johnson wasted with him on the court.

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Seattle Supersonics

Seattle: Say goodbye to your Sonics

Yesterday, the Sonics were sold to a group of businessmen from Oklahoma lead by Clay Benett called Oklahoma Professional Sports whose sole goal was to lure a major franchise to Oklahoma City. Yet, during their press conference to announce the sale, the group maintained that it was not their intention to move the team out of Seattle. This is like a bunch of crackheads telling you they only want to look at the 50 vials of crack they just bought from the corner. Time to make your peace now, Seattle.

The provisions of the sale allow for the group to move the team after 12 months if no deal is made for a new arena with the city of Seattle. Despite the fact that the best offer the city could come up with was $198M for a new arena, Bennett is going to demand a $400M+ deal. To paraphrase Nick Hornby, that’s like making out with a girl, getting denied on second base and trying to steal third instead.

Despite all the denials (and there are plenty — Starbucks chairman Howard Schultz said during the press conference, “I believe strongly this new group has a commitment to staying, provided elected officials meet him halfway. I do not believe the team is moving.”), the Sonics will be in Oklahoma City by 2008.

Speaking of denials, Sonics Central is in serious denial. There’s even a new website called “Save Our Sonics“. Good luck folks but it’s really just good night.

Links:
[Yahoo]: Seattle’s Sonics, Storm sold to Oklahoma City group
[Seattle PI]: Sonics flight plan on file
[MSNBC]: Buyers’ roots suggest they’ll move Sonics