I don't know about you, but nothing gets me into the Christmas spirit after a loss like coming into work, firing up the site and having to clean up 100+ spam emails about pissing and Angelina Jolie. Sigh.
Allow me a minor rant, just a minor one I promise. The officiating last night was complete crap. Check out the disparity in free throws on the SONICS HOME FLOOR. Andit wasn't as if they were settling for jumpers all night long either, they just couldn't catch a break from ludicrous touch fouls. That game was pretty much the prototypical NBA official ref the scoreboard type game and it sickens me.
Why the Go 2 Guy should never write about basketball Put down the homerade and go back to writing feel good pieces about Willie Bloomquist, Jim. That's more your speed. Even Lenny says he didn't want to coach any more so just drop it already. I just spent about 20 minutes writing a point by point rebuttal blowing this dumbass Seattle answer to Sam Smith out of the water, and my computer ate it. Probably for the best.
Let's skip the mouth breathers and go straight to the poop:
For the second time in three games, the Sonics were embarrassed on the boards and it's wearing on Hill, who has to be thinking about his tenuous future after every defeat. The Mavericks had 23 second-chance points to Seattle's 10. And second-year center Johan Petro had ONE rebound in 26 minutes, two fewer than Luke Ridnour.
I don't even think that report is new ... the Sonics need a taller backup center than Nick Collison and last I checked Penny Hardaway isn't that guy ...
Chris Wilcox had a tooth go through his lower lip
"It tore me up," Wilcox said of not being on the court. "I was sitting on the table trying to get doctors to hurry up, but things didn't work out for us and we got a loss. Hopefully we can bounce back and hopefully we can get healthy."
And:
The Sonics led by as many as 14 points, but were hurt by a huge disparity at the free-throw line. The Mavericks shot 34 free throws, the Sonics just 10. Many of the calls had the KeyArena crowd of 16,867 howling in disbelief. Ridnour fouled out late in the game.
Hill, who was called for a technical with 5:08 remaining in the third quarter, said he was going to have his staff send in a tape of a few bad calls for the league to review.
"That's where you're playing a team like that and you're not allowed to touch them," said Hill of Dallas, which at 19-7 is tied with Utah for the second-best record in the Western Conference. "So, yeah, I'll send it in."
Not that it'll do any good, but I'm glad that he said something ... in a lot of ways that was a classic tale of two halves NBA game that we've seen earlier this year. Usually when one team shoots 70-some percent in one half you can expect a downturn in the 2nd ... the frustration for me was that the Mavs didn't just claw their way back in by crashing the offensive glass but that they got the benefit of the doubt on touch fouls and on plain nonexistent fouls. It's a shame.
It’s unlikely Hardaway could or would give the Sonics more than 12 to 15 minutes a game, but Hill also believes his presence would be invaluable to the team, pointing to the Dallas Mavericks for an example.
“You look at their bench and they have (Jerry) Stackhouse and Devean George,†Hill said. “You need veterans like that on our bench.â€
It’s a role Hill believes Hardaway would gladly fill.
“He wants to play badly,†Hill said. “At this point in his life, it’s obviously not about the money. It’s about basketball.â€
While it’s clear Hill wants Hardaway, he’s done publicly campaigning for the move.
“It’s going to boil down to the powers that be whether we move forward with him or not,†Hill said.
I don't see what difference Penny would make other than giving the Sonics a taller 3 guard backcourt ... would he take Damien's minutes? Gelabale's? Earl's? I'm not seeing the role Hill would have him play but at this point no doubt things need a shakeup ...
Hill got a technical while pleading his case to the referees with 5:08 left in the third quarter.
Seattle was called for 30 total fouls, including a phantom call on Ridnour when Jerry Stackhouse drove to the basket in the first quarter and stepped on Ridnour’s foot. And later Wilkes was called for a hand-checking call.
Mike Seely writes if only it was 70s night every night ... just for the dance team outfits. I hear that.
We'll give you an update on Rashard as soon as we hear anything. I'm not expecting good news.