MVN - Most Valuable Network

Same Old, Same Old

Another week gone by for the Seattle Supersonics, another week without a win. While the story in the news was the Miami Heat on their 15 game losing streak, many people failed to overlook the fact that another team (the Sonics) is going through the same rough stretch. With a loss to the Sacramento Kings on Sunday, the Sonics have dropped 14 straight, leaving them without a win in the year 2008. They have two games left (tonight against the Spurs and Thursday against the Cavaliers) to prevent going winless in January.

The struggles of this team are very blatant. As I’ve stated previously, the defense is simply atrocious. Statistically speaking, they have the 4th worst defense in the NBA, allowing 105 points per game, not to mention the second to worst point differential (trailing only Minnesota) at 8.2 points. The offense has needed to step up and support Kevin Durant in games. Durant’s struggles are noticeable as well, as his shooting percentage has dropped below 40%. Earl Watson has displayed his displeasure with the team, citing playing time as a key issue on his mind. Was P.J. Carlesimo the right hire at head coach? Absolutely. How about Sam Presti as GM? You bet ya. But with the trade deadline looming, the Sonics need to make some adjustments to a very young team (average age is 25). Kurt Thomas has an expiring contract which could look pretty to some teams, and Earl Watson could serve as a valuable chip to a team needing a veteran PG. What transpires in the coming weeks will definitely have an impact on the season, and possibly on the future of the team.

SuperSonic Stop

Stop.  Please, Seattle.  Do something.  What’s happening to the Seattle SuperSonics right now is simply embarrassing.  Coming into the New Year, the Sonics had some hope, with Jeff Green slowly developing and getting more time in the starting role.  However, nothing as panned out as they expected.  15 days and 6 games into 2008, the Sonics remain winless.  The NBA may not grant the Sonics their request to move to Oklahoma City just for sheer sake of the fans there.  The Sonics failed to score over 100 in 5 of those 6 games (actually, failed to score over 88), and in the one game that they DID score over 100, they lost (123-121 in OT last night to the Lakers).  Kevin Durant failed to score over 20 points in the last 3 games as defenses keyed in on the start rookie.  Johan Petro and Nick Collison stepped up big, but other players didn’t.  That’s seemed to be the problem for the Sonics this year, as I’ve previously stated.  Seattle played a close game last night, but lost after Kobe Bryant hit an 18-footer with 4.3 seconds remaining to give the Lakers the lead.  Had Andrew Bynum played, this game would not have been this close, and might not have even gone into overtime.  The Sonics open up a 4 game roadtrip on Wednesday against the hot Hornets, followed by the Grizzlies, Mavericks, and Rockets.  If Seattle can pull out 2 wins  (probably Memphis and Houston), I think it’ll be a successful trip for them before they start on their 7 game homestand.  It should be interesting to watch.  Let’s hope Collison continues to play at the level that he’s been playing at, Durant finds his groove back, and Jeff Green finally wakes up.

Weekend Report

So, I’m assuming the Sonics didn’t read my post from last week.  I underlined the main problem of this team as being their defense.  Clearly, they haven’t fixed that.  In the two games this year, the Sonics gave up over 100 points again, while failing to score over 96.  Last Thursday’s game at Phoenix was within the Sonics grasps.  They led by 20 at the end of the first quarter, thanks to spotty shooting (4 of 20) by the Suns.  However, the Suns rebounded, outscoring the Sonics 59-30.  Again, this was the case of the Sonics defense breaking down and allowing the Suns to crawl back in the lead, not to mention bad shooting by this young team.  Seattle drew it close in the 4th quarter, 98-94, but to no avail.  This losing cause continued on to Sunday afternoon, as the Sonics were blown out by the Gilbert Arenas-less Washington Wizards, 108-86.  Seattle was outscored 32-9 towards the end of the game, sealing the deal for the Wizards.  Kevin Durant and Jeff Green combined to shoot 11-34 from the field, not something you’d like to see from your first round draft picks.

My biggest observation from this weekend is simple:  the Sonics need a secondary scorer to compliment Kevin Durant.  With Luke Ridnour’s injury not progressing, the Sonics are relying on Earl Watson and Damien Wilkins to score along side Durant.  To me, neither is capable of producing enough to take the pressure off of Durant.  As Jeff Green slowly works his way into the starting lineup, maybe he can play second fiddle to Durant.  Right now though, the Sonics are in dire need of acquiring another scorer to help this team out.   

New Year Resolution(s)

As we all look back on 2007 and make our resolutions for the current 2008, the Seattle Supersonics are doing the same.  As the Sonics look back to 2007, it brings them glimpses of the future, with the all amazing Kevin Durant slowly developing into the star we though he would be.  Durant is learning the game quickly, seeing his 3-point percentage and FT percentage both increasing from November to December.  As a student at the University of Texas, I’ve seen what Durant can do when he fully learns the game.  I’ve been there, bowing down as he steps to the free throw line, yelling “oooohhhh” and “ahhhh” when he throws down a dunk, similar to the one he threw down on Rasho Nesterovic in the Sonics 123-115 win over Toronto.  Give him time, Sonics fans.

As for the rest of the Sonics, things are looking good for the supporting role players.  Chris Wilcox, the teams second leading scorer, is also the teams most efficient scorer at 52% from the field.  Wally Wally is fitting in well at the 6th man position.  The thing that concerns me is who is playing at the point.  Is Earl Watson really the answer?  Luke Ridnour has been injured most of the time this year, and I think Delonte West is better coming off the bench.  It’ll be interesting to see if the Sonics make a few moves to acquire another PG before the deadline.  They have some nice pieces to move (Watson, Damien Wilkins), so we’ll see what offers, if any, they receive.   

The Sonics open up the new year in Phoenix, a game in which Durant hopes to be back from the injured finger he aggravated in the loss against the Sixers on New Years eve.  The Sonics resolution should start and end with one word: defense.  The Sonics are giving up almost 105 points a game, while only scoring 98.  Usually, you have to score more than your opponent to win.  That needs to be fixed.  In the 31 games played in the 2007-2008 season, the Sonics gave up 100 points more than 20 times.  Of those 20 games, the Sonics lost 17 of them.  Understandably, this is a young team that is still learning and developing.  Hopefully, they can be fast learners.  The pressing need for another scorer is another issue.  Just think how good Durant could really be if he had a Ray Allen or Rashard Lewis next to him.  Again, this can be addressed with a trade, but we’ll wait to see how that plays out.  Also, the development of Jeff Green and the return of Luke Ridnour should help this a bit.

Looking forward to 2008, the future for the Sonics looks optimistic.  Kevin Durant should get better and better, as will this youthful team.  Playing in the Western Conference, the schedule doesn’t swing in the Sonics favor.  But that could be just what they need.  Tough competition to get this team playing at a higher level.  We’ll see if they start 2008 off right with a win tomorrow night at Phoenix.