Yes, the start of another Sonics season.
Are you ready?
The Seattle Sonics are my favorite team in sports. I’d rather watch a Sonics game than any other regular season sporting event (On a night when the Sonics are playing someone like, the Atlanta Hawks, a Seahawk game comes close). So when the Sonics start playing, I get pretty pumped up.
So with the regular season 2005-2006 upon us, I’d like to make a few random thoughts about this Sonics team (not that my other thoughts are coherent).
I think it’s awesome that the Super Sonics are starting the season with a center named Petro. How appropriate. That might make for some solid headlines like: “Sonics get Petro’ed Up,†or “Petro Causes Sonics to Soar.†Well, let’s hope the young fella has the type of game that warrants a headline every now and then.
The other young center’s name is Swift, but I’m not sure he’s playing in accordance with the name yet. Maybe Lumber? Bob Awkward? It’s a long season: here’s to hoping Rob gets Swift.
Speaking of centers, I’m glad Jerome James was given a garbage bag and not a contract.
I was very excited to see the team retain Damien Wilkins. Minnesota showed him the love by offering him a really nice contract for a guy with just a few games on his resume and Seattle matched the deal. Cool. Part of me thinks Damien really wanted to play for Dwayne and with KG, but he’ll be pretty happy in March because you don’t have to shovel rain! Also, playing next to Ray’s not a bad trade-off.
But I’m watching the Classic’s channel recently and the Knicks are playing the Bulls (early 90’s I believe). It’s game time and a couple of free throws seal the deal. Who steps to the free throw line to put the game out of reach? Damien’s dad. Gerald misses the first—bad—and the second is a little closer, but finds more Bulls rebounder than net. I get a few droplets of sweat on the brow and check Damien’s free throw percentage on the Internet. Just about 5% less than his Dad’s was when he clanked those two.
Damien, Flip, Reggie, Johan, games in April and May are won at the line.
Of course, in the other Classic’s game, MJ hits the game winner over Sonics announcer Craig Ehlo and I thought I would definitely take Damien in that defensive match up and defense wins championships. But then I started thinking of Ehlo announcing Sonics games in April and May and I started sweating again. Craig seems like a heck of a nice guy (that’s his verbiage and not mine), but listening to Hersey or Michael Cage next to the best play-by-play guy in the game seems like true high definition.
And I’m not a basher. Sonics, THANK YOU very much for resigning Ray. I said last year that if Ray signed a team-friendly contract he’d become my favorite all-time Sonic, well, all I can say is SupRay Sonic! Ray Allen is still slightly underrated in this league, but not after this year. He’s going to show, again, he’s simply one of the best basketball players in the world right now. That guy is a class act on and off the court. He’s clearly one of the best players and guys we’ve seen in Seattle sports history.
And last but hopefully not least, what’s Vladi going to do this year? This is a player the Sonics seem to have invested quite a bit in and now he’s looking for a big investment—monetarily—and from interviews I’ve heard it seems like the front office really likes him and wants him to succeed in Seattle. I’ve been a big Radmanovic fan and have really desired to see him put it all together in Seattle, but now I’m not seeing how he fits.
He clearly doesn’t want to be a sixth man (his only real spot with this team) with the insane contracts being given out to guys like Dunleavy, Butler and Simmons, guys in his talent range, Vladi has to know for sure there will be no less than six team bidding for his services in the off-season to make him a starter (is there any way we could change Vladi’s contract with the Key lease agreement?).
Maybe it’s time to help Vladi out. We rent a bi-plane and have the sign Trade Wally…eh, I mean, Vladi. The farther the season trudges along, the less return the Sonics can garner so work those phones Rick.
It’s time to play ball. Get fired up Sonics fans!
Is this the year?