About to boom?
Go West, young men! That should be the motto for the NBA’s newest stars in Portland center Greg Oden and Seattle Sonic forward Kevin Durant. I cannot blame the Blazers for picking Oden first. After all, he is a bundle to work with at seven feet and 250-some odd pounds of fury. But I believe in some ways it’s easier to find seven-footers that can at the very least rebound and block a few shots. Shucks, the Chicago Bulls in their heyday had a three-headed monster at the pivot in Bill Cartwright, Bill Wennington and Will Purdue. It was almost as if what one couldn’t or wouldn’t do the other two would.
But just like Magic Johnson at 6-feet-9 was a freak of nature at point guard and Larry Bird was out of this world with the same size, the things that the 6-9 Durant can do at aren’t common. No, I’m not anointing Durant the next Bird or Magic. But let’s face it, folks… This guy has got something special with him.
Durant isn’t just talented at his size. He’s gifted. And gifted with a construction worker’s work ethic, which will make him all the more dangerous once he learns the nuances of the pro game. But with the way athletes train nowadays, I don’t suspect the physical part will be that hard for him. And so what he couldn’t bench press 185 pounds? It’s not like Seattle is looking for a bodybuilder.
Now a few of the Sonic moves are leaving me just a tad baffled, so you have wonder if there are other moves coming down the pike. For one, they are well overloaded at the small forward and point guard spot and barren at the two guard. If you pencil Durant in at the small forward spot and Chris Wilcox or Nick Collison at the power forward position, perhaps Robert Swift in the pivot and Earl Watson or Luke Ridnour at the point… Who plays the two guard? With Ray Allen dealt in the draft day trade with the Boston Celtics that brought back small guard Delonte West and forward Wally Szczerbiak, there is a gaping hole there. Rookie forward Jeff Green is a forward and Damien Wilkins is a swing player, but his shot isn’t nearly as deadly as Allen’s to keep defenses honest.
So it will be interesting to see just what Seattle is up to.
Just A Thought... Said,
July 4, 2007 @ 4:39 pm
I actually think Kevin Durant and Jeff Green can play together at the swingman positions. Kevin Durant can play the 2 on offence, Jeff Green can guard the 2 on defence. Jeff Green is an excellent defender and I believe that he can guard shooting guards while utilizing his 6′9 frame.
mikey Said,
July 4, 2007 @ 5:03 pm
i still think the sonics would have been better off drafting corey brewer, especially seeing that they traded ray ray
Ronald Said,
July 4, 2007 @ 6:04 pm
Durant’s gonna be great for the sonics, and they did well in trading away Ray Allen and his huge contract and making Durant the cornerstone of the francise, but that’s the extent of their success in last weeks draft. They snagged 6′9” forward Jeff Green, which no one had going no. 5 in this years draft. Not taking anything away from Green, but Durant’s the small forward of the future in Seattle. Instead, the Sonics could’ve picked Chinese sensation Yi Jianlian, an incredible offensive talent with tons of potential and more importantly, doesn’t play the same position as kevin Durant! Or perhaps, Brandan Wright, who many compare to All-Star Chris Bosh. Also, the Sonics face the problem of designating a starting point guard, acquiring Delonte West, and throwing him in the middle of an already shaky situation. West, Luke Ridnour, and Earl Watson are all young talents who are good enough to be starters in the league, but they can’t all share point guard responsibities. Meaning someone has to go, maybe even two or all three. Granted, drafting Durant was a good call, but the Sonics still need to solve some problems in their roster to become a legitimate powerhouse in the always dominant Western Conference.
Xavier Said,
July 4, 2007 @ 6:21 pm
because working on a big line up of
ridnour, west
durant, szcerbiak
green, wilkins
wilcox, collison
swift, sene
would be bad?
presti trading watson+petro/sene+filler for a C?
durant can score and could play the SG position
maybe defense would be different but if he’s feets are quick… he would be able to handle the shooters with his long wingspan
I like Presti, he’ll find out something good to go
hoopgod Said,
July 4, 2007 @ 6:59 pm
Xavier, I highly doubt that PJ goes with that lineup. You can’t start 2 rookie forwards and a raw center unless you’re trying to get back to the top of the lottery. I think Durant and Green will see a lot of floor time together, and maybe even start together by the end of the season. But for now they’re going to need at least some veteran presence, preferably a shooter, out on the floor. Wally will start at SG. I imagine that PJ will look to get Collison more minutes, too, maybe even start him ahead of Wilcox. They need someone to rebound and do the dirty work inside to let Swift develop. Collison fills that need better than Wilcox does. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Sonics try to move Wilcox, Wilkins, and Ridnour. Maybe also one of their centers, but I don’t think they want to give up on any of them until they have a better sense of which two they want to keep.
Personally, I like the idea of naming PJ coach if they stay in Seattle. PJ and Durant both have some motivation against Portland. I’m less crazy about it if it’s PJ in OKC with a very young team. But, as the Cavaliers have shown (by doing the opposite), it’s probably better to go with a good coach to develop your young star than it is to go with someone your young star will like. As great as LeBron is, he could be so much more already with a good, veteran head coach to teach him.
Meanwhile, hopefully PJ has learned that he can’t command respect from wealthy young men by barking at them and belittling them.
Joe Deegeling Said,
July 4, 2007 @ 7:15 pm
I’m sorry to tell you but the Sonics owners decided just having Durant would sell enough tickets and shipped out their contracts and let Lewis walk because they wouldnt pay him. This ownership is not halfway serious about winning.
Monsieur Mehdi Said,
July 4, 2007 @ 7:44 pm
Just a question, what about Gelabale?
Can’t he play in NBA?
(not as a starter of course)
Kozanski Said,
July 4, 2007 @ 11:25 pm
I have to assume the Sonics are not a completed picture yet, but they look like they will be exciting, that is for sure. I agree with mikey, I would have thought Brewer would have been the better pick, but Green is still quality. Swift is pretty much an addition as well given he didn’t play, so the future is bright.
Alex Said,
July 4, 2007 @ 11:34 pm
Are you crazy mikey? You think Brewer would have gone over Durant. You must knownothing about basketball you fuuckin idiot.
thomas Said,
July 4, 2007 @ 11:35 pm
the sonics wil be better than last year becuase they cant get any worse with their new young talent but they still can not make the playoffs for around 4 years or so untill durrant gets better and they get a suporting cast around him
Zack Lewis Said,
July 5, 2007 @ 2:15 am
No doubt, Corey Brewer was the pick to make. Jeff Green will be deep on someone’s bench in three years while Corey Brewer will be locking down the best players in this league. I looked at tapes of Green on youtube and yes he was a mature college player, but he doesn’t look very quick off his feet. Also, he did get four assists per game, but he also had three turnovers.
The bottom line is you are supposed to draft on potential Presti and Brewer hasn’t begun to tap into his. What can I say except, “Oh well.”
jason Said,
July 5, 2007 @ 2:39 am
While the Sonics could pull a trade for Jason Terry, Fred Jones or s&t Mickael Pietrus, it’s more likely they’ll just magically call Wally a SG while playing Green and Durant in the flex. Expect a PG and C to be packaged in a trade with eyes towards 2008/9 when Szczerbiak’s contract becomes appealing as trade bait and the Sonics can really make their move.
Alternatively, they could take back Bogans, Dooling or Reddick from Orlando in the Rashard Lewis deal. Lots of options. The real question is if Carlisimo knows how to coach a young team or will he destroy Durant’s confidence under his own ego and insecurities?
Krynn Said,
July 5, 2007 @ 7:17 am
I think this year won’t be any better for the Sonics. I just can’t see that Green and Durant be any better than Lewis and Allen. They really need changes down low if they are going anyplace better than last year. Maybe if Wilcox plays better this year like about 15-20 ppg or they get someone at the post who could score that big just maybe they would be better….
Eric Said,
July 5, 2007 @ 9:25 am
yall dont know jeff green. he is way better then corey brewer. the sonics are going to make some noise
Adam Said,
July 5, 2007 @ 10:11 am
The moves the Sonics have made have been intriguing me to say the least. I do like the addition of Delonte West as he’s a tough minded combo guard and has proven he can play both positions. I look for him to be our starting point guard unless we find a different point guard with more experience. I do feel as though Earl Watson is the new leader of this team because of his leadership and experience. I also believe that the Sonics NEED to trade Luke Ridnour, if tough minded Bob Hill made his confidence go down, what do you think PJ Carlisemos going to do for him??? I say package him, Petro, Wilkins and Gelabale in a deal or in seperate deals. At the 2, Wally, Wilkins (if not traded) and Green can alll play there. Sure that’s not their natural position but until they do something else. I do think Presti knows what he’s doing and I think the Sonics can be a 500 ball club IF they make the right moves.
bballchico Said,
July 5, 2007 @ 11:13 am
is there not another 6′9 guy playing the shooting guard in houston? the combo of wilkins/gelebale can fill the 2, we should be plenty dangerous in other areas. granted it will be a learning curve w/o ray and rashard as the scorers.dont even think of getting rid of ‘crabman’[gelebale] he is a guy who makes things happen.it will be a interesting year.
Frank Davis Said,
July 5, 2007 @ 11:48 am
It’s obvious to me that the Sonics have conceeded this year. The’re building toward being a playoff team/contender in 3 years, after a few more lottery picks and a dip into free agency in two years when they should have buku cap dollars. They know there is no way that such a young team, no matter how talented is going to make the playoffs in the west. If they wanted to make the playoffs short term, they would have kept Allen or/and Lewis. If they really wanted to keep lewis, they wouldn’t have drafted Jeff Green. I like Durant and honestly think that their youth movement could be a good long term strategy for this team if they’re smart in the way they build around him.
I love Durant’s game, but they’re going to have to build wisely in order to build a contender. He may be a special player, but special wing players sell tickets but are hard to build championship teams around. That’s why Oden is the better pick. We have a number of special face the basket players who are between 6′8″ to 7′ in this league (Chris Bosh, KG, T-Mac, Dirk, Lebron, etc.) and not one has a ring and only Dirk has truly gotten close. Yes Magic and Bird won championships, but people tend to forget that both had hall of fame post players on their teams (Kareem, Mcchale and Parish). Go back as far as anyone can remember and only Jordan has bucked that trend. But that’s why he’s MJ and no one else is.
Steve Said,
July 5, 2007 @ 11:56 am
I have two comments, first and foremost Jerald Hoover should be whacked upside his head OVER AND OVER AND OVER again for even thinking to compare Greg Oden to the likes of Cartwright or Wennington (who, by the way genius, only played the 93-94 season together, the 1st year of Jordan’s retirement and needless to say they went titless). I mean what are you thinking??? Seven footers that can rebound and block a shot or two?!?! Are you kidding me? This guy is the most mobile, athletic, and already polished true posts to hit the league in 10 years and when he is done will probably be the most prolific shot blocker of all time (not named Hakeem or Russell).
This post takes NOTHING away from K. Durant…I think he is also going to be a very special player and is going to help return the Sonics to glory. And just so you all know, I’m a Sixers fan not a Blazers fan…but as a former college & prof. basketball player when somebody dumps on a player like Oden, you can’t keep your mouth shut.
Oh, and Alex…smarten up kidd, Mike was talking about taking Brewer over Green, not Durant.
Rainer Beach High Said,
July 5, 2007 @ 12:43 pm
I’m happy with all the moves they’ve made so far, sure Ray has the most deadly J in the league, but that wasn’t taking us nowhere near a playoff birth anytime soon. He’s 32, doesn’t play d for sh*t, so our future wasn’t looking bright at all. With the new young squad, it brings a new excitement back to the city for years to come. And the off-season changes have just begun so look for them to continue to make moves to boost their roster, even if we don’t do a sign and trade for Lewis and he just leaves, that clears his contract from us and gives us more cap space to chase potential free agents this year or next.
Everyone talks about Durant, and Green, but Delonte West is a highly gifted young talent also that people are really sleeping on in this trade, I’ve watched him since he was at St. Joseph’s teaming w/ Jameer Nelson, and once Boston gave him quality PT, he really started to shine, also he plays great man to man d, something Luke knows nothing about. We’ll be shipping Luke to another team sometime this season (thank god) and we should get something decent in return, even though we can’t ask much for him, some teams are highly interested in the guy that we should get future draft picks or another tough minded player (Dallas is trying to move Jason Terry, HINT HINT), which seems to be the way Presti is going with our team, young and tough minded. It’ll take a few years to grow as we continue to rebuild, but you have to be excited for the city with what we’re doing, we’ll be fun to watch during the whole growth period. Now if we can only KEEP THE SONICS IN SEATTLE!
Daniel Said,
July 5, 2007 @ 12:49 pm
OK, first off, let me say that Durant does have alot of potential & talent. About him not being able to bench press 185 lbs., I have to laugh. There is no shortage of 15-16 year old boys that can bench press that much. I am getting fed up w/ people acting as though a rookie is going to come in and immediately change the league. Not gonna happen
farman Said,
July 5, 2007 @ 12:50 pm
for a franchise that is in a free agent year, these moves that sam has made should make you consider looking for a new job. cause they are gone…..when a player is in a contract year, that player does everything and anything possible to get the best contract at the end of the season….by his play on and off the court. when you start rebuilding team with new players and still not knowing the future of the franchise, you are taking a big risk….the sonics have been in the playoffs like 3 times in the last 10 years and now have started a minimum process of 3 years.
i have no problem with the ray allen trade. i understand the reasoning behind it. i just think it was 1 year too early and the players you got doesn’t help it as well…with drafting two players at the small forward position means rashard is not coming back….got to hope at least for a sign and trade and it’s what are you gonna get for him…probably a player that is a piece of the puzzle. but that kind of player is good with 2 or 3 stars already on the team..
back to the players that we got. delonte west is not a better player than luke or earl. but they are not better than delonte. jeff green, is he gonna be better than rashard, or collison, and or wilcox? i will say no. wally s, 2 years about 24 million left on his contract. he is better than ray, HELL NO..at the age of 32, ray had his best year averaging 26 points a game and not showing a decline in his game…plus, he has 3 years left on his contract so keeping him for 1 more year doesn’t hurt his value at all……
plus from a PR stand point, ray allen probably is the second most famous sonic behind shawn kemp and ahead of gary hate to say cause everyone can relate to him from all races…white, black, hispanic, middle eastern what ever…his was a gentlemen, well spoken person, good looking guy, caring, and last but not least the smoothest person we have ever had.
if your trying to rebuild and cut salary, you really didn’t do that with wally coming on board…if they traded ray for the 5th pick and ratliff and his expiring contract at the end next year would’ve made much more sense…….
the theory that sam has that we want competitive players on the team is a bunch of crap…..ray allen is a top 10 player in the league and probably top 5 shooter of all time…yes he doesn’t play good defense, but dwayne wade didn’t either…he has a ring….you put and surrounding cast around ray and kevin durant….
also regarding durant, you think having ray next to him for 1 year to learn the game and not getting double teamed everytime he gets the ball everytime would help in a big way……
i just think being in a situation that the seattle supersonics are in, starting a rebuilding process is a big mistake and a year too early…..we need to keep the team here and having a team like this will not help and i kinda think that is what clay bennett wants……….
Slick Watson Said,
July 5, 2007 @ 1:27 pm
“Alex Said,
July 4, 2007 @ 11:34 pm
Are you crazy mikey? You think Brewer would have gone over Durant. You must knownothing about basketball you fuuckin idiot.”
You’d have to be a fuuckin idiot to think mikey was talking about Durant instead of Green.
Kelo Said,
July 5, 2007 @ 2:05 pm
Whit the frist pick in the 2008 draft the Seattle Super Sonic select ………. That what will be going on next year with the them they have going into the season so far. With a weak rookie as the main man I don’t see them winning 20 games.
Zack Lewis Said,
July 5, 2007 @ 3:57 pm
Monsieur Mehdi,
Gelabale will get be getting thirty minutes a game at the 2 in Seattle this year. Be sure to watch the Summer league (starting Friday), the Sonics are putting all their young talent on the roster–Zack
babymarx Said,
July 5, 2007 @ 7:09 pm
Alex,
I think you are sadly mistaken. I’m pretty sure ‘Mikey’ was talking about drafting Corey Brewer over Jeff Green…not Kevin Durant. So I think you owe Mikey an apology.
As for the other moves we should make this offseason…ship out Luke or Earl and have Delonte play the one, trade for Rip at the two, play Durant at the 3, Wilcox at the four and Swift at the 5, even though i think Swift is terrible.
Its a long summer to make moves.
jason Said,
July 5, 2007 @ 9:05 pm
Not to get into a flame war or anything, but Steve - you just said the non-Jordan Bulls went “titless”. I have to dispute this since, as I recall, Cartwright had a pretty nice rack and I think Longley was a C cup.
Greg Said,
July 5, 2007 @ 9:46 pm
defensively were in the toilet at the two. however, i would like the starting lineup of
ridnour
west
durant
collison
wilcox
in reality the rest of the team need to be worked into a trade or phase out except possibly swift and watson
Chill Out... Said,
July 5, 2007 @ 9:54 pm
The Sonics are REBUILDING. That’s gotta be clear, that’s the reason why Allen & Lewis were let go. The face of this franchise is Kevin Durant and next year will be a year of learning for most everyone on the roster. This nucleus is shaping up nicely, just some experience and some pieces in the coming year’s drafts are all that is needed to continue to get this team in the right direction. Getting the chance to draft Kevin Durant was lucky enough to jumpstart the rebuilding process.
brandon Said,
July 5, 2007 @ 10:01 pm
I loved the comment above me
anyway…
-Durant can play the 4, green plays the 3.
-Alex, think before yo call someone a fuckin idiot, and please spell fuckin right next time (one u not two).
-The not being able to bench 185 thing isn’t very important.
-Gelabale is more of a 3 not a 2, he will get some minutes this year behind Green
-If the sonics do pick number one next year, fine. They have one more talented young player for the future. The draft is loaded with guards especially at the top, so if we still need a 2 or if watson and/or ridnour is gone we can get a pg
-Ray has 2 years at 20+ ppg left max
-There was a rumored trade that had rip hamilton and nazr mohammed to the sonics for wilkens watson wilcox, hoow does that sound and does anyone think it has any truth to it. I like the idea, Hamilton is younger and cheaper than Allen and averaged just under 20 ppg last season
mark Said,
July 5, 2007 @ 10:17 pm
Does seattle have any cap room currently to grab another marquee player like a ray allen or rashard lewis? any1 no?plz reply back if u do thanks..
jdawg Said,
July 6, 2007 @ 2:20 am
I highly doubt Carlesimo will make Durant play at 2 position.
Ridnour will play starting point,
Szerbiak or possibly another trade deal coming up
Durant (Green sub)
Wilcox
Collison
Rainer Beach High Said,
July 6, 2007 @ 5:33 am
Kelo called Durant a “weak rookie”, let me guess, your a baseball player? I’ve heard some dumb@$$ comments on here, and I don’t doubt that the young sonics will struggle until they grow, but your a damn idiot for calling Durant a weak rookie! hahahahah
Oh and for Ray being the nicest person to be around, being a goodlookin guy lol, so what, Seattle needs to change it’s soft @$$ image. Who cares if people like him better than GP or Kemp, What those 2 did for our city is alot more than what Ray and Rashard have done when it comes to winning games and excitement. I mean think about it, why is Seattle in this f*cked up position?? Low amount of wins, no excitement, no future, no reason for tax payers to want to put in more money for a new arena.
Stuart Said,
July 6, 2007 @ 5:39 am
Okay so, most of you are completely clueless… The point spot is gunna be Ridnour and Delonte splitting time, the 2 and 3 spots will be run by Durant, Wilkins, Wally, and Gelabale, sometimes Green(he’ll be spitting time at the 3 and the 4), then we got big Wilcox and Collison at the 4, and HOPEfully a healthy robert swift and a more developed Mouhamed Sene and Petro at the Center spot. The reason I didn’t bring up earl is because hes on the trading block. What we should do with him is exchange him for either a veteran point guard or a veteran post(center). And a couple of you said something about Damien not being able to play 2? what are you talking about. We’ve had Damien start at point guard a couple games the past few seasons…and he is a decent shooter, but his minutes are always so up and down he can never get into a groove. If you ask me, our starting lineup should be luke, durant, wilkens, collison, and swift.. i dont care what you think, collison is a much better defender than wilcox, and damien will be key defending guys like kobe and lebron. Having delonte, wally, jeff green, and wilcox off the bench would be a huge scoring boost for when our starters are on the bench..and we are gunna play D this year. So quit bagging on Carlesimo, you don’t know anything about ball..
BectonD Said,
July 6, 2007 @ 7:16 am
The Sonics seem to be in cost cutting mode. The owner seems to be looking for ways to save money during his last few lame duck years in Seattle. I think Green will most likely play the 4 and Durant will play the 3. Why force Durant to play the 2 and have to deal with running thur all those screens on the defensive end of the floor. Make Wally World and Wilkens chase 2’s thur screens or package some of their ineffective bigs for a veteran 2 at the end of his contract.
The Sonics selected P.J. as the coach and he has twice proven that he is the owner of a extremely low IQ. He may force some players into uncomfortable positions, nag his star player to death, refuse to doulbe team the opposing teams best player etc… After watching the problems Flip Sanders had making adjustments in last years playoffs, why hire P.J. He is ten times worse than Flip, he refuses to double team the freakin post. The dude is not an NBA caliber coach, he does not make timely adjustments and can can’t cultivate the proper type of relationships needed to manage grown men. With his hiring I don’t see the Sonics being able to attract any top-notch free agents or being able to retain their young stud once he becames a free agent. The young G.M. made a pretty big mistake with that hire. Hoepfully P.J. will be gone by the time the Sonics reach Oklahoma City.
PJ Carlesimo Said,
July 6, 2007 @ 7:52 am
PG — Ridnour, Watson, West
SG — Szczerbiak, Wilkins, (*Dahntay Jones*)
SF — Durant, Green, Gelabele
PF — Wilcox, Collison, (*Lawrence Roberts*)
C — Swift, Petro, Sene
Ultimately, PJ is coming into a great situation with Seattle. Not only does he have a tremendous young nucleus with players like Swift, Durant, Green, and Ridnour, but he also has some veteran presence in Watson, Szczerbiak, Collison, and Wilcox.
The team will struggle this season and I doubt they will reach their win total of last season (31).
But the question originaly raised was: who will play 2-guard? It seems obvious to me that PJ will insert Szczerbiak into the SG spot. Sure, he is a liability defensively (who isn’t on this roster), but he can really shoot the rock. In this system, he can average between 17 and 20 PPG. He will get a ton of looks on the edges and lines.
**I firmly believe that Seattle should go after two Memphis Unrestricted FA’s: SG Dahntay Jones & PF Lawrence Roberts. They had extended minutes last season in Memphis and they should become classic role players in the San Antonio-mold. Plus, they can both of them on the cheap!**
It should be a long, arduous season and they may surprise some teams sleeping because they will be competitive, but, for Supersonics’s fans, 2009-10 is when a perennial playoff team will arise.
-PJ
Shaddy Said,
July 6, 2007 @ 11:07 am
I think the Sonics loss of Rashard and Ray was gained by there two draft picks. This will go well with there young core of Nick Collison, Chris Wilcox, Robert Swift, and LUke Ridnour. Let us net forget they also gained a great young Point Guard in Delonte West and a vetern 2 guard who’s contract expiries next off season. They also have drafted a center the last two years.
space Said,
July 6, 2007 @ 1:26 pm
i REALLY don’t want to touch this question. i love seattle and it hurts to see this kind of mismanagement going down.
the minute the draft order was determined and seattle got the 2nd pick, there was a collective moan after the cheer.
then ray got shipped.
then seattle lost rashard.
case closed.
go out and find another established 1-2 punch sonics owners. what’s that you say? competition? don’t worry you are the only team in the league who wants and will go after good players. you’ll get whatever you want. send the ones you don’t like all away.
rashard lewis. one of the top small forwards in the league. quick, aggresive, decent defender with no major injuries and a versatile game. i guess the thought of running durant next to him was too hard. seattle’s trade should have been a few of their young centers and ray for a blockbuster point guard and a veteran center. as it stands, green will never get the same opportunities as their new franchise player and will live his career as the #2 guy who: ‘wasn’t worth ray allen’ if he has a less than stellar career. green played the 4spot in college next to a 7′2″ center. his future position will most likely be as a small forward tweener/power forward. the same as durant, which is trouble. green may make some nice moves in summer league but i have a feeling that wilcox will punish him in camp. as long as the wilcox [only 25years old]/collison duo is there, green will be coming off the bench. ray was not his defensive best but has been playing hurt for a very long time while trying to keep his team afloat. he was THE man in seattle. he stepped up to take that responsibility. a backcourt never looks good when there is no threat in the middle to keep the penetrators honest. just watch jarrett jack and brandon roy look like defensive studs a few miles down the road in portland with greg oden behind them. a smooth shooter like ray allen is just the veteran a player like durant needed to teach him the nuances and subtleties of nba scoring. durant could’ve borrowed some of allen’s approach the same way michael jordan did the same from orlando woolridge. in a few years time he would’ve had the tools and tutelege to challenge for league scoring leader. kevin durant could have been a beast in a true trifecta of allen, rashard, durant [with wilcox in the wings]. with that set of mismatches, seattle could’ve challenged for a playoff spot. maybe a conference title with the right additions.
right now they have this giant-looming-gaping-massive-incredible-hole at the two-guard spot?? nix the idea of durant [a 2 guard in a small/power forward's body] can play the two, and can check the likes of kobe bryant, monta ellis, magette, kevin martin, iverson and tmac every night. this goes double for [insert career former bench player name here].
wally Z is coming off surgery [again] and is just a slower, shorter, broken up clone of durant [sans attitude and ahleticism]. i am not sure if he still has starter ability at this point in his career. Gelabale is the best question mark. he has skills, but will he thrive now? same for delonte west. what are all of their roles?
the next season is a complete throw away for the sonics. just some moves to see what bubbles up… then they start to rebuild. sad for true sonics fans. if they leave, the real plan and show of any results will begin after this season, their last one in seattle?? the sonics are stuck with suspect centers [4 of them], a developing wilcox, a top draft pick, a suspect AND possibly fragile point guard, a malcontent backup point guard, a displaced shooting point guard, 3 career backups now starting at shooting guard, a broken slow defensive liabitlity in wally, poor outlook in future drafts and an aimless non-veteran bench [suspect new coach, management issues and angry seattle fan-base aside].
most importantly-
carlesimo’s is not an attractive coach from both the perspective of the x’s & o’s as well as poor player management. the same nba players who shy away from boston will most likely stay away from this franchise as long as he is coach. many past and current players still side with latrell sprewell to this day… both directly and from related personal situations with OTHER poor coaches. this stigma will not go ignored. say farewell quality free agents. i could go on about this.
i sense major trouble. durant is a stunner and i know he can average about 18-25, but they’ll win only 25+ games at best. all signs point to rebuilding and all the emotional destruction that comes with it. THERE WILL BE TURMOIL if they lose alot. they have talent, but they are all individual pieces with no core, identity or purpose. PJ carlesimo is not the man to bring this together.
…………..
Paul Said,
July 6, 2007 @ 2:30 pm
Alex, read it again fuckbag: mikey said that Brewer instead of Gren would have ben the better pick.
Mawell Said,
July 6, 2007 @ 3:19 pm
I find it very interesting that people keep mentioning Robert Swift..Didn’t this guy just tear his ACL, MCL etc. next, I seriously hope that they decide to trade Delonte West for a shooter I.E J.J Reddick (Orlando). Seattle sends out Rashard, Delonte and sene for Darko, Redick and Dooling.
As far as the Brewer topic goes…I see why they picked Green. Brewer can’t handle the ball that great. Not sure if you’ve noticed that . And with Luke and Earl manning the point guard position well…they need someone who can handle the ball a little better.
Harry Said,
July 6, 2007 @ 4:02 pm
While I think the world of Durant, can someone explain to me how a 19 year old kid is going to survive being “the man” in his first year in the NBA? I just think it is a set up to fail by putting that much on Durant’s shoulder’s.
I’m not so concerned about his failure to bench 185 lbs, except to say that it eliminates any possibility of him playing the 4 in the western conference. But his over all body simply isn’t “NBA ready” and its going to take a toll on him. Durant doesn’t compare to LeBron in stature or body type. Give him a few years and he will be great. But right now, the Sonics have put him a position where he is going to get he brunt of the other teams defense and I don’t think he is physically mature enough to handle it.
K Said,
July 7, 2007 @ 9:13 pm
Well….This is our most likely lineup….
1- Ridnour
2-West
3-Durant
4-Wilcox (showed lots of improvement @ the end of last year although this and the 5 spot are very iffy, and depending on the offense carlesimo wants to run, subject to a lot of debate)
5-Prolly swift, just bc petro and sene still suck, even though swift blows, hes still not as totally raw as sene or petro.
as for green, he will get sub’d in to get experience as Carlesimo makes in game changes with a small lineup. maybe he’ll be the 6th man.
I think the best move in the draft would have been getting Yi. It would have given the sonics some much needed size, and scoring power, with his ability to shoot, Yi could be instant offense, and take some pressure off Durant.
1.) for those of you who say durant will play 2 or 4…
A.) his natural position is 3
B.) he’s not a good enough ball handler
C.) He’s not NEARLY big enough nor does he have enough post moves to play 4 in the league ( the ONLY place where benchin 185 matters)
D.) 3 is where he can dominate and learn and grow, its his NATURAL position… so how the hell would a coach let a new young star player play a position hes not accustomed to, when hes never played in the NBA?
so therefore he’s a lock @ 3.
as far as any other possibilities @ 1,2,or 3: #1, Delonte West is the closest to a shooting guard we have, even though hes a combo, and ridnour is easily the best pure point on the team. Sczerbiack is a horrible ball handler so scratch him @ two, bc thats just the same as playing a 3 forward set, plus hes a defensive liability @ 2; he has no lateral quickness… and can’t guard most 2’s on the perimeter…. And we ALL know Carlesimo’s a defensive guy.
Forget the lineups… what the hell kinda offense is Carlesimo gonna run? A princeton type offense may be feasible, but u NEED to be able to play pick and roll, I mean even the wiz kids in DC play pick n roll SOMETIMES. But pick n roll with durant? I just don’t see durant as a pick n roll kinda guy, do you? ( note the sarcasm) The sonics sucked last year bc we had no big man. No real pick and roll threat. And if u wanna say wilcox… u need to start watching sonic games, bc he got all his points on cuts, putbacks, looseballs, etc. NOT on post ups, pick and rolls, or give n gos. As we all know the NBA is 70% pick and roll. w/o the ability to play pick n roll especially in the West, u lose a LOT of ur games. Expect the sonics to be in the lottery again. And this time expect them to find a BETTER shooting guard than brewer.
K Said,
July 7, 2007 @ 9:16 pm
excuse me. I edited a little bit and deleted a line, and forgot to delete the not the sarcasm part, disregard that please.
Easterday Said,
July 7, 2007 @ 10:36 pm
1)The sonics should have let Jesus (Ray Allen,He got Game) finish out his contract in Seattle. He is the best pure shooter in the game right now. Also if you recall in the 2005 playoffs vs the kings and spurs he was killing, disamantled the spurs two games with out two of the top three scorers(Rashard Lewis-toe,Radmonovic-ankle.
2)Sonics should have drafted Yi instead of Jeff Green. High Risk, High Reward, greater overall potential.
3)Sonics should have chose Paul Silas or Dwyane Casey to keep pride and tradition within the Sonics organization. PJ Carlisamo Does not diserve a second chance. He called Latrell Sprewell a Ni**er and got choked out. He does not work well in developing young players.
4)In my opinion sonics are gearing towards moving somewhere else and have no desire to meet sonic fans feelings and desires.
Jeffro Said,
July 8, 2007 @ 1:51 pm
Durant will start probably at the 3. West and Watson may see a little time at the 2 spot but with Wally and Damien at that position, I would hardly call it a hole. Damien and Wally both are capible of putting up 15 ppg, plus Damien is a great defender with his good hands, gets in passing lanes and rebounds a little.
Luke may get traded… who knows. Watson has already proved that he doesn’t mind coming off the bench which makes him a strong back up if they choose to start Delonte and the 1. Jeff Green will probably be a 6th man coming off the bench this year. There has even been talk of Durant playing at SG a little to create some mis-matches. McGrady is 6′8 and plays SG for Houston so it wouldn’t be a total surprise. The big question is whether Swift is going to be a solid contributer this year. That may determine who gets time at center. I also heard that Swift has bulked up even more coming in around 260!
Eric Ogden Said,
July 8, 2007 @ 1:59 pm
Let’s clear up a few issues here…
Ray (aka Jesus Shuttlesworth) Allen will now be playing on Boston with his doppleganger, Allen Ray… …and no, Jesus does not play D… Prettiest jumper in the game, though.
Yes it hurts to lose Rashard since he has improved every year and will continue to do so, but he didn’t fit in the picture once Durant was selected. Also he has shown a lack of confidence in himself in subtle ways… For instance in his first comments to the Orlando media he said he “hopes” they can win a championship in Orlando “someday”.
Durant’s going to change the game… …in time… Depending on the opponent, Durant will play positions 2 through 4.
Green is a solid man and player who is more mature than a typical NBA draftee and will contribute at the 4 and 3 immediately.
Luke Ridnour should blossom this year running a much faster-paced offense. He will split time with Earl Watson primarily with Delonte west will also get some time at 1, but Delonte will get most of his time at 2.
Everyone seems to totally miss the point on Michael Gelebale… They gave him big minutes at the end of the season after Ray got ankle surgery, and he shined. He can be a defenseive stopper, but moreso he is super quick and smooth and depsite his high-flying abilities, plays the game from a very fundementally sound persepective. Ask Tony Parker about his countryman. Gellyballs is a future star and will be the starting 2.
Swift and Durant have something in common. MVP of the McDonald’s High-School All-Star game. Swift’s ACL injury was a clean “pop” injury due to a quick self-inflicted hyper-extension with no surrounding tissue damage. His recovery is ahead of schedule. Most athletes with this type of clean ACL injury suffered at a young age return to 100%. Reports indicate that Swift has gained in excess of 25 pounds of muscle. Look for a very potent defense stopper who can score in a variety of moves around the basket as well as effectively pop out to 15 feet for a pretty jumper. Petro will be back to his role of excellent, defensive-minded center off the bench for energy and attitude. He was thrust in to a starting role last year when Swift was hurt and he struggled but aquitted himself well. His 15-18 foot jumper is very nice Sene is not a bust, but will be primarily a back-up shot-blocking, rebounding center similar to Mutumbo.
THE SONICS HAVE THREE TALENTED 7 FOOTERS WHO ARE 21 YEARS OLD OR YOUNGER!!!!
Collison is a guy who provides blance and stability on offense or defense at the 4 or at the 5 against smaller teams. He started to find his stride last year. He is fundementally sound in virtually every area. He is slightly athletically challenged but makes up for it by being in the right place and making the right play. Wilcox is althletically gifted but lacks low post moves. He has started to develop a better hook going either way.
Wally will get some time at shooting guard, but his defensive liabilities will limit this. The Sonics may be better off getting a pure shooter (like Riddick in a trade-back from Orlando) and trading Wally to a team who will need his cap relief after next year. Wilkins has abilities, but he doesn’t seem to have what the Sonics need. He will see lengthy bench time and may be packaged in a trade.
The Sonics have the best young nucleus in the league and a savvy move or three from Presti will take them to a championship level within three years.
Also, the Muckelshoot indians have announced they are studying the prospect of building a state-of-the-art arena - the Sonics will remain in this area….
Sikma!!
NiWdLe Said,
July 9, 2007 @ 3:16 am
Guys, seattle got jeff green because they have to dump big contract of ray allen to make room for rashard but it just so happen that rashard wanted went to orlando which is a better fit and can make a name for himself out in the east because obvious advantages playing east… if you guys want corey brewer then they should have traded ray allen to minnesota but the wolves are looking to cut their payroll so it isn’t likely that they can get brewer for allen. the sonics should’ve phoned the celtics to pick brewer if they plan to trade allen in the first place. Sam Presti just made a great decision to build from scratch starting from this great additions from this years draft… another thing that i want the sonics to start at center would be nick collison! i played fantasy draft this last NBA season and Nick Collison is really a stud! Collison, Durant and Ridnour. They should keep delonte west and ship watson out! Ridnour will can still be somewhat a decent defender if he works hard and having a great playmaker is hard to look these days… delonte west will make up for what luke lack which is height and defense… robert swift should be shipped and develop saer if they see great potential… saer will become the next diop in my opinion… if you want swift to stay then so be it but he’s more of a back up center than a starter to me… shooting guards can be played by durant, wally and delonte(great addition since to me he’s a combo guard with great height for a point guard)… durant will either start at forward and will play some shooting guard… jeff green will be back up smallforward and back up power forward when they want to play small ball… this team has great flexibility in match ups… they just have to know how to use it in different teams and im sure pj knows how to do it!
peace to all! 
space Said,
July 9, 2007 @ 12:13 pm
i still feel the same. the sonics are rebuilding but started the wrong way.
i do not see green as a good longterm piece unfortunately. i think a lineup of wilcox, durant, lewis, allen, ridnour [in an up tempo lineup], with swift, petro, gelabele, collison and watson coming off the bench. shoot for the playoffs and rebuild in ‘08.
Ashleigh Said,
July 12, 2007 @ 11:21 pm
I highly doubt that PJ goes with that lineup. You can’t start 2 rookie forwards theodoros plakadopoulos
and a raw center unless you’re trying to get back to the top of the lottery.
and how would another lottery pick hurt them? maybe they should have kept ray and rashard and stayed at the edge of mediocrity for a few more years