Sonics Rising: All Posts by Dontae Delgado

206 Tracker: Everyone Gets An Overtime

2014-12-09T15:24:56-08:00

Three overtime games (four overtimes overall), capped off a night where 12 Pacific Northwest-related players where in action.

Kelly Olynyk missed the game-tying three with under 0.5 seconds left in the game, Jeff Green tipped the pass out of the hands of John Wall to Evan Turner, who performing an extremely poor-man's version of Ray Allen's game-tying three in Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals, sending the game to it's first overtime.

The Washington Wizards still managed to pull out the 133-132 2OT victory over the Boston Celtics. Brandon Bass missed a lay up in transition, after a Paul Pierce three tied the game, in the first OT. John Wall's transition layup gave the Wizards the win in the second overtime, after an Evan Turner 20-footer clanged off the back of the rim.

Green continued his scoring streak (December: 25.8 points, 49.4% from the field, 45.8% from three, 7.2 FTA per game - up from 3.9 in November) dropping 12 points in the first quarter, giving Pierce all types of problems. Green did go cold in the middle quarters as the Wizards built a 23-point lead late into the third quarter.

It was only through a combination of Marcus Smart, Marcus Thornton, and Brandon Bass, that the Celtics were able to get back into the game. A Olynyk free throw and an Evan Turner three put Boston took the lead with 3:43 left in the game, leading to a back and forth affair that brought the game into overtime.

PNWer	PTS	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	OREB	DREB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	MIN
Jeff Green (Celtics)	28	8-18	1-4	11-11	2	1	1	2	0	0	4	39
Klay Thompson (Warriors)	21	7-15	3-6	4-4	1	0	1	3	0	0	1	30
Kelly Olynyk (Celtics)	19	6-12	1-3	6-6	11	7	4	3	4	1	1	41
Terrence Ross (Raptors)	16	7-15	1-8	1-2	4	0	4	0	1	0	0	40
Zach LaVine (Timberwolves)	9	4-16	0-2	1-2	4	1	3	8	3	0	6	41
Jamal Crawford (Clippers)	9	3-10	3-4	0-0	0	0	0	3	0	0	2	19
Rodney Stuckey (Pacers)	7	3-9	1-4	0-0	2	0	2	1	1	0	1	23
Avery Bradley (Celtics)	6	2-5	2-3	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	26
Reggie Evans (Kings)	6	2-4	0-0	2-4	13	0	13	1	1	0	0	34
Spencer Hawes (Clippers)	4	2-4	0-1	0-0	4	1	3	3	1	0	0	16
Joe Harris (Cavaliers)	3	1-2	1-2	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	6
Justin Holliday (Warriors)	3	1-2	1-1	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	6
Nate Robinson (Nuggets)	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	DNP
Martell Webster (Wizards)	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	DNP
Isaiah Thomas (Suns)	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	DNP
Rony Turiaf (Timberwolves)	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	DNP
C.J. Wilcox (Clippers)	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	DNP

In Toronto Terrence Ross scored 16 points, helping the Raptors pull out a 112-107 OT victory against the Denver Nuggets. Ross almost was a victim of circumstance as Arron Afflalo's step back jumper over him gave Denver the 102-99 lead with 0.39 seconds left in the game, but Patrick Patterson bailed Toronto out.

On the next play, Kyle Lowry, driving baseline, found a wide open Patrick Patterson for a game-tying three. After Lowry missed a 27-foot three, the game went into overtime. Ross's only made three out of eight attempts was one of four buckets for the East-leading Raptors. Toronto forced Denver into 2-10 shooting and three turnovers in overtime to seal the win.

Oh and of course we save maybe, the best for last.

Unfortunately, it didn't directly involve any of our 206 guys. With 9:12 left and the Clippers hanging onto a fourth quarter lead, Jamal Crawford got tangled with Phoenix Suns guard Eric Bledsoe at midcourt and was called for a loose ball foul. After a small exchange with referee Mark Lindsay, Crawford got a technical and his first career ejection. One of the worst ejections I've seen since Tim Duncan was ejected for laughing.

The real fireworks came at the end of the regulation and overtime. With the game tied at 112, Chris Paul drove to the rim and was flat out denied by his former protege, Bledsoe. Blake Griffin hit a step-back 3-pointer (you read that right), that Kobe Bryant would be envious of. It hit the front rim, bounced up the back board, and dropped in. At the buzzer. It was a sight to see, capping a short, but exciting night of basketball.

Highlights:

Poll

Which overtime game was the best?

Celtics-Wizards

0 votes

Raptors-Nuggets

1 votes

Clippers-Suns

6 votes

7 votes | Poll has closed

Sonics Rising Roundtable: Adam Silver's Thoughts on Expansion

2014-12-08T15:32:29-08:00

Last week NBA commissioner Adam Silver was interviewed by Coach K his on Basketball and Beyond radio show on SiriusXM. Here are our thoughts.

Edited by Matt Tucker

Expansion.

You know it all too well by now. As the NHL makes compelling moves in Las Vegas with an eye toward adding teams, the NBA remains standoffish.

Coach Mike Krzyzewski recently had NBA commissioner Adam Silver on his renowned Basketball and Beyond with Coach K SiriusXM show. Silver shared some interesting thoughts on the idea of expansion. Interesting enough for us to rattle off our opinions in great detail.

Now this isn't a typical roundtable, but you may have seen others that I have done like it (The Cleveland Cavaliers issues and Pistons/Dwight Howard problems). These are (largely) unfiltered discussions. Enjoy.

Dontae Delgado: Here's the original article.

Kevin Nesgoda: I don't think the NBA should ever expand into Europe. Their best move would be to slowly start picking off FIBA teams or have them start working into a deal where Barcelona moves from FIBA along withHamburg, London, etc.

Chris Meirose: The logistics of a NBA Europe are a mess. Hot mess. Competing with existing leagues (FIBA).

Dontae: When I first heard it I thought "expansion" included North America.

Chris: So going the route of partnering or buying out FIBA seems like the best direction.

Matt Tucker: Creating a division that's supposed to somehow regularly compete with the American teams seems a bit silly. The smarter option would be to sponsor an existing league, with the intention of eventually purchasing it to operate within Europe exclusively. They could do, perhaps, a tour with two or three American teams playing within the league. Or they can look to have the European champion, or two teams, or four teams, compete in a tournament with original recipe NBA teams.

Lucas Shannon: I agree. I think expansion into Europe would be a disaster. Buying out FIBA teams would be interesting but I'm not sure how that would work either.

Chris: Outside of that, there are a ton of logistical issues to operating a NBA Europe. They'd really need to be a standalone division for the most part.

Dontae: I think it's foolish. A logistical nightmare scenario. Even including them as a division seems foolish. Unless they can integrate it with the current league system, then it's a mistake.

Matt: Logistically, it makes no sense to involve in regular NBA season operations.

Chris: And while it is just my opinion, expansion outside of the USA boarder seems a bit ridiculous with places like Seattle/Vegas/Louisville etc. wanting teams.

Dontae: Right, Chris. I'd prefer the focus be on D-League development or a scenario like NFL Europe.

Mike Baker: It's just part of talking up the NBA brand after signing a new broadcast rights deal in Europe and Africa.

Kevin: If you do a full NBA Euroleague, get 20-24 in the major markets, etc. Have the winner of NBA Euro face the winner of the NBA Finals to determine an almost true World Champion.

Matt: Yeah, I would really to examine the footprint of the league in North America and deal with expansion there.

Chris: You could throw other markets like Vancouver, Hawaii, Omaha, and Kansas City in there too.

Dontae: Let's flesh out the US in the next 10 years first. 32 teams and a D-League affiliate for each team, with full development in place. I like Kevin's idea too.

Kevin: Seattle, Louisville, Vegas, KC, Omaha, and Vancouver B.C. should all be looked at first.

Dontae: I like a real World Champion. Especially if they can take over FIBA.

Lucas: A standalone division would make a bit more sense, but still seems a little ridiculous to me, frankly. I agree with Dontae, further developing the D-League should be of much higher priority for the league.

Kevin: Thanks, Dontae. I've been on a kick for a true World Champion for a decade. Eventually East vs. West.

Matt: Kevin, Yep. Have a 10-team league in Europe and one in Asia. Then have the champions, or a certain number of teams, play the NBA champion and possibly the conference finals teams for a World Championship.

Lucas: Okay, I have to admit. Kevin's idea does sound cool. Do the two brackets just meet in the middle to play the "true" Finals? Like in Iceland?

Dontae: So, in that case Matt: Asia, Africa, Europe, South America, Australia, etc. One champion per continent or more like regional champions, then an eight or four team tournament?

Chris: I think Asia could field a reasonable team. With Russian leagues and Chinese leagues, you might get something going.

Mike: They can't talk about North America until they resolve the bottom 1/3 of the league.

Matt: At this point, whether there's truth to 10 teams out of 30 not being profitable, everyone's quite aware that those factors are going to change within the next couple of years. Honestly, if there are still teams that aren't profitable after the big influx of media money, it's time to cut bait and either contract or relocate those teams to better markets.

Mike: Well, Grantland mentioned eight or nine. A few were money losers after profit sharing.

Dontae: The profitable part irritates me. It's like he's planting seeds to combat what [NBPA Executive Director] Michele Roberts has previously said.

Chris: Maybe [Brooklyn Nets owner Mikhail] Prokhorov would buy a Russian team then. Could he own both?!?

Matt: I'm right there with you, Dontae. That's exactly what Silver's comment means to me. He's laying the groundwork for their end of the negotiations of the next CBA.

Kevin: The NBA and NBPA are setting up for a war.

Chris: Silver is definitely baiting things for a future battle with the NBPA.

Lucas: Ugh.

Dontae: I think if that money doesn't make every franchise profitable it's time for a massive realignment/relocation push.

Chris: Notice how precisely he chooses his words "current system".

Mike: Maybe putting expensive products in small/poor markets wasn't the best strategy in the long run.

Kevin: Silver knows the current system ends at the end of the next season.

Matt: Imagine that.

Kevin: So Belarus is never going to get a team?

Chris: If you are losing money with the new TV contract, that's on you.

Matt: Silver actually conceded to as much on that regard.

Mike: What can he say while the Milwaukee Bucks are trying to get an arena deal done?

Dontae: It's arrogant to me to play a card like Silver played about them being not profitable. It's weak at best. The players and Roberts already called that stance out.

Matt: I have to think there are some teams. Charlotte, New Orleans, Detroit. Though, 10 teams seems like a reach.

Mike: 10 is a reach.

Matt: If it is 10 teams, then you have severe management problems, both per team and at the league executive level.

Dontae: In one more year it'll be even more of a stretch.

Matt: In fact, if I was an owner, I'd be calling the Board of Governors and Silver out on the carpet if there's that kind of draw on the whole league.

Dontae: He's still bailing out owners that committed self-inflicted team building mistakes.

Lucas: It's nice to see Roberts pushing back against the league. The players really got the short end of the stick in the last CBA. While I don't agree with her about the idea of removing the salary cap, at least she is willing to fight back.

Mike: By the 2013-14 season profit sharing was fully implemented. As reported by Grantland, and Bill Simmons' BS Report of 6/30/2014, a leaked report identified nine teams that were losing money, of those nine team, a few still operated at a loss even after receiving profit sharing. The Charlotte Hornets lost millions.

Dontae: They should have, their management was terrible.

Mike: Hey, [Hornets owner] Michael Jordan isn't going to talk to you if you're critical.

Kevin: At some point the NBA should pull the plug on the management of teams that lose money hand over fist. Leave the team there, can the management and find new management. If you can't find new management Seattle will have the MOU done in January. So hey.

Chris: I largely have a limited ability to feel bad for teams losing money though. Most of it has been their own fault.You run your business into the ground on a crap model and then expect me to feel bad about, and pay for it? Particularly with franchise values being what they are? Umm...no.

Dontae: Silver doesn't have the power [to remove management in franchises], if he was [NFL commissioner Roger] Goodell maybe......#HailHydra

Lucas: Chris, allow me to direct your attention to the 2008 Bailout.

Mike: [Former NBA commissioner David] Stern put and kept expensive properties in locations that can't support them.

Chris: Yeah, Lucas, while I know people who benefited from it, I wasn't a big fan of that either.

Matt: In a league making money hand-over-fist, with the rarefied air of having one of a coveted few properties, if you can't make money, then the association should have the responsibility to kick you out for their own sakes. I can't imagine that any of these owners would put up with that kind of welfare in any of their other business ventures.

Mike: I think they are obligated to make every effort, like Charlotte, but they have to step back at some point if they ever do expect to expand to Europe.

Chris: I wonder what the vetting process for foreign ownership would look like. That could get interesting quickly.

Matt: I agree with Kevin that they should try keeping the team in the location and replace ownership/management as a first step, then.....

Lucas: Do foreign countries finance arenas with public funds?

Chris: Good question Lucas.

Mike: It's all Bitcoin now.

Matt: That's why it makes more sense to take advantage of what already exists on the basketball front over there.

Chris: I think NASCAR expands to Europe before the NBA. Honestly, I think it is a red herring from Silver.

Mike: Prior to the last CBA they hinted at some contraction, too.

Matt: I think they'll seriously consider it, but it's hard to say in what form. The NFL is the middle of their 15-year plan to place a team in London. If the NFL does it, expect the other leagues to start chomping at the bit about it, too.

Mike: I think they would contract a team so that owner could get out of some poor decisions. The NFL is not on the same level of popularity as the NBA there.

Chris: The Amnesty provision for players was basically player contraction.

Mike: True.

Matt: Even more reason for them to consider making Europe a reality.

Mike: I don't think Europe has much to do with what happens here. I really don't. What's the rookie scale for a player in Bulgaria?

Chris: I'm with you on that Mike. The NBA would need to get to 32 teams before moving abroad.

Matt: My only concern with Europe is that it could unnecessarily draw owner’s attention, even if it amounts to nothing.

Chris: With maybe Mexico City as an exception to that. Carlos Slim needs an NBA team….or twelve.

Mike: That's a long road trip.

Kevin: Spurs and Rockets split the Mexico City market, they'd fight that tooth and nail!

Lucas: I agree Mike, but this is starting to intrigue me a little bit. What major markets over there would lure American players? There's the obvious ones like London and Paris, and possibly Madrid. But what about massive markets that could give superstars a huge reach internationally like Beijing and Delhi? That would be interesting.

Kevin: Only a two hour flight from San Antonio or Houston.

Chris: Or Phoenix or LA.

Kevin: It's a 6-hour flight anywhere in Asia.

Mike: Lucas, the Spurs.

Chris: Mexico City is in a similar time zone too. Asia and Europe are not.

Kevin: But with the "issues" the area is having, the NBA would probably rather put a team in Saskatoon or Yellow Knife before Mexico City.

Matt: If the NHL moves into Vegas, do you think that sticks in the NBA's side in any way?

Chris: I don't think Mexico City gets a team without a new arena. Mexico City is the new Seattle.

Mike: They would have to start the season a month earlier to eliminate back-to-back games and for very long flights, even from Portland to Mexico City.

Kevin: If the NBA prevents us from getting an arena and an NHL team by proxy, I know of a certain writer on our staff that would absolutely lose his... well... Put a watch on him.

Lucas: To conclude. Hail Hydra.

Matt: I'm just wondering if NHL in Vegas is enough on an impetus for the NBA to consider putting a team there and look at an expansion partner.

Mike: Fine, expansion is Euro newspaper fodder to feed a newly minted TV contract over there.

Kevin: Depends on how the money looks coming out of Vegas.

Chris: Unless things have majorly changed with Silver, I think the NBA still looks at Vegas as toxic. An endless media nightmare.

Kevin: J.R. Smith would sign there immediately.

Chris: The stories from the All-Star game. Antoine Walker would come out of retirement to play there. (Too soon?)

Matt: I think, in general, the NBA tends to be less concerned about their winter cousin. If the NHL cracks Vegas and it works, you'd have to figure they be intrigued with getting into that market.

Mike: They would sooner relocate a team before contracting it, having to give Jordan $400 million dollars is not likely, not from their pockets.

Lucas: Is there reason to believe a Vegas team would have local fan support? I'm a little skeptical.

Kevin: Yeah, the league will definitely move a team before it contracts it. Contracting has to be viewed as the ultimate failure, unless you are Roger Goodell.

Mike: I think they get into profitable US markets before they contract or expand. Vegas would have corporate support.

Lucas: Good point. The talk of European expansion, while fun for some to talk about, just seems silly right now. I think the NBA should concern themselves with developing the D-League, expanding to profitable markets within the United States, and doing more to make sure teams don't run themselves into the ground before they set their sights on Europe.

Matt: Expansion will likely be a consideration once the new media contract kicks in. European expansion will be a buzzy thing, though I'm not sure it'll be a reality any time soon. I do worry about it drawing attention away from anything in North America. Shifts through relocation seem almost inevitable if teams still can't make money after they crack open the [Scrooge] McDuck vault in a couple of years. Silver actually dared to invoke contraction as talk rumbling among owners. That seems unlikely, so it should be an interesting time on the league map over the next five years.

Poll

How feasible is expansion to Europe in any North American sport?

Very, I expect to see it in the next 10 years.

21 votes

Maybe, but not in the next 10 years.

93 votes

Never, it'll never be a realistic option.

102 votes

216 votes | Poll has closed

206 Tracker: The Houston Rockets and Jason Terry make their case

2014-12-04T17:06:33-08:00

The Houston Rockets are staking their claim to the best team in the NBA, and Pacific Northwest guard Jason Terry is part of the reason.

I know Golden State and Memphis might have something to say, but the Houston Rockets just put in their bid for the best team in the NBA title.

Surprisingly, Jason Terry is one of the key parts in making that statement arguable.

Don't you laugh at me, it's true.

Seriously. I did say one of the key parts. Donatas Motiejunas's post game on offense and his mobility and length on defense is one. Tarik Black is averaging 7.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and he's holding opposing power forwards to a PER of 12.2 and centers to 6.9 (per 82 games.com). James Harden himself is now transcended into super stardom, mainly due to his improvement on the defensive end (9th in DefRtg, 1st in Defensive Win Shares, and Houston as a whole is third in DefRtg). Finally, for all of Joey Doresy's ineffectiveness; the Rockets have been 16 points better on defense when Dorsey is off the floor and His Opponent Counterpart 48-Minute Production - PER of the player he is guarding - is 37.1(!), a mark would lead the NBA by four points....ok wait Joey Dorsey is not one of those reasons.

At least he hasn't been lately. Though he did hold his own last night. Doing stuff like this and this against a front line as imposing as the Grizzlies, does deserves some recognition.

Still, Terry may have been the most effective of them all. Isaiah Caanan and Patrick Beverley both are out. At this point in his career Terry is seen by most as a championship presence and knockdown shooter off the bench. He's masterfully played the role of spark plug combo guard, that can play point guard in a pinch. As he's always been known to do. But his last two games have been a revelation at 37 years old.

His last two games: 32.5 minutes, 17.0 points, 48% from the field, 46% from three, a 120.3 OffRtg and a 100.6 DefRtg. That's insane for a player Terry's age, especially given that his last two opponents are ranked 8th (Milwaukee Bucks) and 4th (Memphis Grizzlies) in DefRtg. I know. It's two games, but you can't deny the effect he's having on the Rockets. Nick Johnson and Francisco Garcia, bless their hearts, are the only other guards currently playing minutes.

This type of "next man up" mentality is always heard in teams (usually) floundering to mask deficiencies, but Houston has scored two of its three highest point totals in the last two games, coincidence? I think not.

For more Rockets: The Dream Shake | Grizzlies: Grizzly Bear Blues

PNWer	PTS	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	OREB	DREB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	MIN
Jeff Green (Celtics)	32	8-22	6-10	10-10	5	0	5	1	0	1	2	36
Kelly Olynyk (Celtics)	20	8-13	2-4	2-5	7	0	7	3	2	3	2	27
Jason Terry (Rockets)	16	5-10	3-7	3-5	3	0	3	5	4	0	2	31
Spencer Hawes (Clippers)	12	5-7	2-4	0-0	4	0	4	2	1	0	3	17
Terrence Ross (Raptors)	11	4-8	1-3	2-2	4	3	1	0	1	0	1	31
Aaron Brooks (Bulls)	7	3-7	1-2	0-0	3	0	3	3	0	0	2	15
Marvin Williams (Hornets)	6	2-5	0-2	2-2	3	0	3	0	1	0	0	25
Robert Sacre (Lakers)	6	3-9	0-0	0-0	5	1	4	3	0	2	0	20
Avery Bradley (Celtics)	6	2-5	2-3	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	26
Zach LaVine (Timberwolves)	6	3-6	0-2	0-0	1	0	1	0	0	0	1	15
Jamal Crawford (Clippers)	5	1-6	0-5	3-3	0	0	0	6	2	0	2	22
Aron Baynes (Spurs)	4	2-5	0-0	0-0	4	2	2	1	1	0	0	17
Quincy Pondexter (Grizzlies)	2	1-7	0-3	0-0	4	1	3	3	1	0	0	28
Nick Johnson (Rockets)	2	1-5	0-1	0-0	4	0	4	2	1	0	3	19
Luke Ridnour (Magic)	0	0-1	0-1	0-0	3	0	3	4	1	0	0	13
Martell Webster (Wizards)	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	DNP
Austin Daye (Spurs)	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	DNP
Tony Wroten (76ers)	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	DNP
Rony Turiaf (Timberwolves)	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	DNP

Back out on the east, Jeff Green made a season high six threes, scoring 32 points in an overtime win over the Detroit Pistons. Green scored 14 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, including nine straight Celtic points that held off a Pistons comeback (they were down 11 at one point). Green is in the midst of a taking leadership and control on this Celtics team. Being aggressive (his 10 free throw attempts were tied for the highest this season), and demanding the ball in crunch time, Green is slowly carving a new niche during his Celtics tenure.

Avery Bradley was invisible, but Kelly Olynyk's play on both ends of the court was good, but it was his defense that was a catalyst in the win.

For more Celtics: CelticsBlog | Pistons: Detroit Bad Boys

Jamal Crawford's stat line can be deceiving, the Clippers blew out the Magic, 114-84. Crawford sat out the last 5:43 of the game when Los Angeles was up by 29 points. That's also the reason behind Spencer Hawes's second double-digit scoring game in a row.

Also, Luke Ridnour made his return from missing the last three games with injury, but didn't do much in 13 minutes.

For more Clippers: Clips Nation | Magic: Orlando Pinstriped Post

Terrence Ross returned to Earth after back-to-back 20 point outings with 11 points in a blowout win over the Jazz.

For more Raptors: Raptors HQ | Jazz: SLC Dunk

For more Spurs: Pounding the Rock | Nets: Nets Daily

For more Sixers: Liberty Ballers | Timberwolves: Canis Hoopus

For more Lakers: Silver Screen & Roll | Wizards: Bullets Forever

For more Mavericks: Mavs Moneyball | Bucks: Brew Hoop

For more Hawks: Peach Tree Hoops | Heat: Hot Hot Hoops

For more Bulls: Blog a Bul | Hornets: At The Hive

Poll

Who is the best team in the NBA at this moment?

Golden State Warriors (15-2)

5 votes

Memphis Grizzlies (15-3)

1 votes

Houston Rockets (14-4)

4 votes

Toronto Raptors (15-4)

0 votes

Other

0 votes

10 votes | Poll has closed

206 Tracker: Tony Wroten is Beautifully Flawed

2014-11-06T14:26:40-08:00

Tony Wroten continues to impress, Jamal Crawford is "Mr. Consistent", and a few PNWers suffer come-from-ahead loses. The largest group of players that have ties to the PNW or are former Sonics performed last night. Here's our daily look.

Here some things I'm sure you haven't noticed about the Philadelphia 76ers. They are as beautifully flawed as their now starting point guard, Tony Wroten. Wroten is currently playing like the 76ers best player, which shows their commitment to development and the journey we should be following.

Tony Wroten leads the league in steals at 3.4 per game. He's averaging 20.8 points and 7.0 assists per game (leads the Sixers in both categories), 46.7% from the field, and 42.1% from three (including 4-6 last night). He's averaging a James Harden-like 8.6 free throws per game on 11.3 drives per game - third in the NBA (per nba.com's player tracking stats).

The thing is with those great stats, there comes some caveats. He's second in the league in turnovers per game (5.4) and he's only making 60.5% (down from last season's 64.1%) from the charity stripe. Wroten is a developing enigma. He can thread a pass into an impossible window (like the one he dished to Luc Richard Mbah a Moute last night against Orlando), but then turn around and commit 9 turnovers attempting to do such amazing things on the regular.

Amazing things like this:

With the hope that Wroten steps farther away from those bad habits in his decision making and shooting form, as he matures:

Don't get me wrong, this is no dig at Wroten, he is developing. Clear examples are seen in plays like this:

At times we're too hasty to judge a player that is clearly adjusting to sporting the seventh highest usage rate in basketball (tied with Stephen Curry) in his second season, on a team that is clearly rebuilding slowly.

Yet, losing teams sometimes develop losing habits, and the Sixers are clearly not measuring success by wins at this point. That's been openly acknowledged. We don't want to see Wroten develop into a good-stats-bad-team player that is often criticized, but never correctly assessed in the context of his team, ala Monta Ellis in Milwaukee.

Time will tell, but for now, let's enjoy a home town player playing above expectations in Philadelphia.

PNWer	PTS	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	MIN
Tony Wroten (76ers)	27	9-16	4-6	5-7	0	3	3	8	5	2	9	35
Jamal Crawford (Clippers)	24	8-13	3-6	5-7	0	1	1	2	2	0	2	25
Jeff Green (Celtics)	20	9-16	2-7	0-0	1	3	4	3	1	3	4	36
Klay Thompson (Warriors)	19	7-13	3-4	2-2	0	1	1	1	0	2	1	30
Kelly Olynyk (Celtics)	18	7-11	2-2	2-2	4	9	13	2	0	0	2	34
Avery Bradley (Celtics)	16	5-13	3-7	3-3	1	0	1	0	1	0	4	27
Isaiah Thomas (Suns)	15	4-10	1-4	6-6	0	1	1	2	1	0	2	26
Nate Robinson (Nuggets)	10	5-10	0-3	0-0	1	0	1	3	0	0	1	21
Quincy Pondexter (Grizzlies)	7	2-8	2-5	1-2	2	3	5	0	0	0	1	27
Marvin Williams (Hornets)	6	3-6	0-1	0-0	1	4	5	1	0	0	3	30
Reggie Evans (Kings)	6	2-4	0-0	2-5	1	4	5	1	0	0	0	19
Spencer Hawes (Clippers)	5	1-7	0-2	3-4	3	4	7	3	0	0	0	23
Luke Ridnour (Magic)	2	1-6	0-3	0-0	0	2	2	1	1	0	3	20
Terrence Ross (Raptors)	2	1-5	0-1	0-0	0	2	2	2	0	1	1	24
Aaron Brooks (Bulls)	2	1-5	0-1	0-0	1	2	3	1	0	0	2	13
Zach LaVine (Timberwolves)	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Rony Turiaf (Timberwolves)	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Rodney Stuckey (Pacers)	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Aron Baynes (Spurs)	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1
Austin Daye (Spurs)	0	0-1	0-1	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	3
Justin Holiday (Warriors)	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
C.J. Wilcox (Clippers)	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

Klay Thompson and the Golden State Warriors might have blew out the woefully underperforming Los Angeles Clippers and Jamal Crawford. Klay had a steady 19 points, mainly on feeds from Curry.

Jamal was again the leading scorer for the Clippers (24 points in 25 minutes), but his impact was minimized by the Warriors' 14-2 run to take a 10-point lead before Jamal could provide the offense spark the Clippers needed.

With the Toronto Raptors missing big men Amir Johnson and Jonas Valanciunas, Jeff Green, Kelly Olynyk, and Avery Bradley had the Boston Celtics up by 16 points in the first quarter. It wasn't enough. Tied at 105 with 1:09 left in the quarter, the Celtics gave the game away.

With 0:33 seconds left, Toronto point guard Kyle Lowry ripped rookie Marcus Smart and fed DeMarr DeRozan for a fast-break layup. He was fouled on the layup and hit the free throw, Green later missed a three and time ran out.

Green did have this nice block on Lou Williams:

Nate Robinson played a season-high 21 minutes. Denver fell behind by as much as 21 points early, until Robinson's layup gave the Nuggets their smallest deficit at 60-52 with 1:37 left in the second quarter. Unfortunately the Kings closed the quarter on an 8-2 run. Reggie Evans 17-foot jumper (I know, right!?) and lay up on a fast break made it 105-70, effectively sealing the game.

Isaiah Thomas found himself in a similar situation, as his driving layup at the 5:41 mark in the second quarter gave the Suns their largest lead of the game (42-32). It didn't hold. Memphis went on a 18-5 run in the first 5 minutes of the third quarter to re-take the lead at 64-59. They pulled away in the fourth for the win.

Highlights:

Poll

Who had the best night from our boys?

Tony Wroten

64 votes

Jamal Crawford

6 votes

Jeff Green

0 votes

Kelly Olynyk

4 votes

Klay Thompson

4 votes

Avery Bradley

0 votes

Isaiah Thomas

2 votes

Nate Robinson

0 votes

Quincy Pondexter

0 votes

Reggie Evans

3 votes

Marvin Williams

0 votes

Spencer Hawes

0 votes

Luke Ridnour

1 votes

Aaron Brooks

0 votes

Terrence Ross

2 votes

86 votes | Poll has closed

206 Tracker: Jamal Crawford makes history. The Boston Celtics? Almost.

2014-11-04T14:27:25-08:00

Jamal Crawford crosses a historic scoring mark, while two Boston Celtics almost make history. Here is our daily look at players that have ties to the PNW or are former Sonics.

Only 136 other players have scored over 15,000 points in their NBA career. In his 14th year, Jamal Crawford became the 130th player last night.

After sitting out the last game in Sacramento, Crawford returned to the lineup in Los Angeles. He went over the mark on a floater with 6:53 left in the fourth (see the video below at the 2:45 mark)

The second leading scorer of the night, his 19 points and passing (5 assists) buoyed the Clippers during the second quarter and gave the Clippers there first "comfortable" win of the season. Spencer Hawes again seen his minutes dwindle as coach Doc Rivers went small giving Reggie Bullock minutes. He logging 12 points all off of three pointers.

PNWer	PTS	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	OREB	DREB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	MIN
Jeff Green (Celtics)	35	14-28	5-12	2-3	7	3	4	2	1	2	1	39
Avery Bradley (Celtics)	32	13-22	4-6	2-3	8	2	6	1	3	0	3	37
Tony Wroten (76ers)	20	7-16	2-3	4-6	5	1	4	4	5	0	5	31
Jamal Crawford (Clippers)	19	7-19	2-6	3-3	2	0	2	5	2	0	2	34
Jason Terry (Rockets)	8	3-8	2-5	0-0	1	0	1	0	1	0	0	23
Quincy Pondexter (Grizzlies)	5	2-6	1-3	0-0	4	0	4	0	0	0	1	26
Nick Collison (Thunder)	3	1-5	0-1	1-2	3	2	1	0	0	0	0	19
Reggie Evans (Kings)	2	1-2	0-0	0-0	14	3	11	0	2	1	0	23
Nick Johnson (Rockets)	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Spencer Hawes (Clippers)	0	0-1	0-0	0-0	2	0	2	1	0	1	0	15
C.J. Wilcox (Clippers)	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Nick Johnson (Rockets)	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

These Boston Celtics on the other hand had a fight on their hands. They couldn't pull off the upset of the Dallas Mavericks, but being down by 30 points before halftime wouldn't deter them from trying.

Tacoma, Washington's own Avery Bradley was 4-6 from three, for a career-high 32 points, and former Seattle SuperSonic Jeff Green led the Celtics with 35 points (including 5-12 from behind the arc).

The Celtics three-guard-pressure defense was the catalyst. Bradley, Rondo, and Smart cut the halftime lead in half in the third quarter. Boston continued to go small to cut the lead down to three, with 3:36 left in the game, after a Marcus Smart three pointer (Right!).

A mix of Rajon Rondo, Marcus Smart, Bradley, Jeff Green, and Jared Sullinger again cut the lead to three with 0:39 seconds left, but Bradley missed one of three free throws, missing a chance to tie the game. Jeff Green attempted a 27-footer with 0:20 seconds left, that might have given them one last shot, but it came up short.

Even in the loss, Bradley and Green showed plenty of promise against a veteran Dallas team. Bradley scored 14 points in that fourth quarter and Green was a model of consistency, scoring nine points in each quarter except the last (7 points) to pace the team. Green especially showed the aggressive drives (half his field makes came at the rim) to the basket that the Celtics need from one of their leaders.

Tony Wroten's efficiency continues to impress, even if he is the sole play-maker for a young and unproven Philadelphia 76ers squad while Michael Carter-Williams is out. Quincy Pondexter helped the Memphis Grizzlies pull away from the New Orleans Pelicans in the fourth quarter with a key three pointer to stretch the lead out to 81-72 with 4:34 left in the game.

Who had the best night last night?

Poll

Where will Jamal Crawford end up ranking on the NBA's all-time scoring list?

Higher than 75

7 votes

75 - 100

18 votes

100 - 125

6 votes

Lower than 125

3 votes

34 votes | Poll has closed

206 Tracker: Klay Thompson is a weekend warrior

2014-11-03T15:04:07-08:00

A handful of players showed out this weekend that have ties to the PNW or are former Sonics. Here is our daily stop to see how they did.

Klay Thompson may have possibly had the best weekend of his professional life.

The day after signing a 4-year, $70 million maximum extension with the Golden State Warriors, Klay dropped a career-high 41 points on a hapless Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers.

He was a monster on offense. Using screens for threes like Ray Allen and backdoor cuts reminiscent of Dwyane Wade, Klay showed off the entire repertoire. He absolutely abused the Lakers on a variety of fakes, including this hesitation-drive-pump-fake gem against Kobe. He scored 29 points in the second half alone, pulling the Warriors away when they were trailing in the middle of the second quarter.

The very next night he dropped 29 points and the go-ahead jumper on the Portland Trailblazers.

He was great again on the offensive end (the eventual game winner had Damian Lillard envious), but he was also a hound on defense against Wesley Matthews (here and here).

Let's not forget the hammer he threw down on Robin Lopez, rattling him like he was trying to get coconuts from the top of the tree.

Overall Klay showed clear signs that he's looking to take the claim more than the mythical "Best Shooting Guard in the West" title, he's looking at the entire NBA.

PNWer	PTS	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	OREB	DREB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	MIN
Klay Thompson (Warriors)	41	14-18	5-7	8-9	5	0	5	2	0	0	1	34
Tony Wroten (76ers)	21	6-11	1-4	8-11	3	0	3	10	1	1	4	33
Jeff Green (Celtics)	17	7-19	1-7	2-2	4	0	4	2	0	0	1	31
Aaron Brooks (Bulls)	16	6-11	3-4	1-1	2	0	2	5	0	0	3	23
Terrence Ross (Raptors)	10	3-7	2-5	2-2	3	1	2	0	1	1	1	29
Isaiah Thomas (Suns)	10	3-11	2-5	2-2	3	2	1	2	0	0	0	21
Jason Terry (Rockets)	7	2-5	2-5	1-1	1	0	1	1	1	2	1	23
Avery Bradley (Celtics)	6	3-11	0-4	0-0	2	0	2	1	0	0	0	27
Luke Ridnour (Magic)	4	2-4	0-1	0-0	1	1	0	2	0	0	2	16
Robert Sacre (Lakers)	4	2-4	0-0	0-0	1	1	0	0	0	0	2	7
Marvin Williams (Hornets)	3	1-3	1-3	0-0	3	0	3	2	0	0	2	25
Nate Robinson (Nuggets)	3	1-2	1-2	0-0	1	0	1	1	0	0	1	13
Quincy Pondexter (Grizzlies)	2	0-1	0-1	2-2	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	17
Nick Collison (Thunder)	2	0-3	0-1	2-2	7	0	7	4	0	1	0	24
Rodney Stuckey (Pacers)	0	0-2	0-1	0-0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	6
Nick Johnson (Rockets)	0	0-1	0-0	0-0	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	4
Justin Holiday (Warriors)	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2

Tony Wroten continues his solid play in at Philadelphia 76ers backcourt that is devoid of point guard Michael Carter-Williams. With no one quick enough to stay in front of him, Wroten was able to bring up his efficiency against Norris Cole and Mario Chalmers. He's averaging 19.0 points and 7.7 assists on 44.2% shooting from the field.

Aaron Brooks didn't start in place of the injured Derrick Rose, but he set the pace for the Chicago Bulls Saturday against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He scored 13 of his 16 points in the first half alone.

PNWer	PTS	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	OREB	DREB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	MIN
Klay Thompson (Warriors)	29	11-22	3-7	4-4	1	0	1	1	3	1	2	34
Spencer Hawes (Clippers)	17	5-10	1-3	6-6	4	1	3	1	1	1	2	23
Terrence Ross (Raptors)	6	2-7	0-3	2-2	1	0	1	0	1	0	0	17
Marvin Williams (Hornets)	5	2-5	1-4	0-0	5	1	4	0	1	0	2	27
Reggie Evans (Kings)	1	0-0	0-0	1-2	2	0	2	0	0	0	0	6
C.J. Wilcox (Clippers)	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Jamal Crawford (Clippers)	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Justin Holiday (Warriors)	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

Spencer Hawes finally was given enough playing time to make an impact, and he sure left his mark. Unfortunately it was in a lost to the Sacramento Kings. His 17 points in 23 minutes led the Clippers (tied with Blake Griffin), but none of the Clippers' bigs could handle DeMarcus Cousins and his 34 points and 17 rebounds.

Jamal Crawford's shooting was sorely missed as the Clippers shot 37.5% from the field, including a terrible 9-31 from three (29.0%).

Poll

Is Klay Thompson worthy of his new extension, right now?

Yes

20 votes

No, but maybe in a few years

3 votes

No, never

1 votes

24 votes | Poll has closed

206 Tracker: Isaiah Thomas Saves the Suns and Jamal Crawford Saves the Clippers

2014-11-01T15:10:53-07:00

11 players that have ties to the PNW or are former Sonics played last night. Here is our nightly stop to see how they did.

A lot of people thought Isaiah Thomas would be the odd point guard out in Phoenix. Boy were they ever wrong.

Thomas scored 18 of his 23 points (more than starters, Goran Dragic - 10 and Eric Bledsoe - 12, combined) in the second half . Including 10 in the fourth quarter. IT rallied Phoenix with his "trademark" impossible drives, layups, floaters, the entire kitchen sink. The Suns beat the defending champion San Antonio Spurs, 94-89.

Head coach Jeff Hornaeck played Thomas, Dragic and Bledsoe on the floor together at the same time. The Spurs succumbed to that trios pressured defense winning the game in unison.

A night after pulling the Clippers ahead for good way back in the second quarter, Jamal Crawford did it all again last night in a close game against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Crawford had 22 points, including a 3-pointer that gave the Clippers the lead for good (112-109) with 1:37 left in the game. He also helped in holding Kobe Bryant to 1-7 shooting in the fourth, amongst a host of other defenders thrown at Bryant.

PNWer	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Isaiah Thomas (Suns)	29	10-17	0-3	3-4	1	1	2	4	0	0	2	4	10	23
Jamal Crawford (Clippers)	27	5-11	3-8	9-10	0	2	2	5	0	0	0	2	11	22
Tony Wroten (76ers)	35	4-11	0-2	6-11	2	1	3	6	3	0	8	4	-6	14
Aaron Brooks (Bulls)	20	4-8	2-5	1-2	0	1	1	2	1	0	4	3	-9	11
Rodney Stuckey (Pacers)	13	5-10	0-1	0-0	0	1	1	2	1	0	1	0	-	10
Spencer Hawes (Clippers)	14	3-5	2-3	1-2	0	4	4	0	1	0	2	1	2	9
Robert Sacre (Lakers)	14	2-3	0-0	4-4	1	1	2	0	0	0	3	2	6	8
Aron Baynes (Spurs)	12	2-3	0-0	2-2	1	2	3	2	0	0	1	3	3	6
Austin Daye (Spurs)	19	2-7	2-6	0-0	0	2	2	2	2	0	1	4	6	6
Reggie Evans (Kings)	24	2-7	0-0	0-0	2	4	6	1	0	0	2	4	-14	4
Quincy Pondexter (Grizzlies)	23	0-3	0-2	0-0	0	1	1	3	0	0	0	3	-	0

Tony Wroten continues to put up solid point and assist numbers as the starting shooting guard in Philadelphia, but his turnovers (8) and shooting percentages (4-11 from the field, 6-11 from the free throw line) leave much to be desired in a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. Wroten did receive some good news as the Bucks exercised his fourth-year option.

Spencer Hawes continues to see his minutes stay close to 20 per game, as his 14 minutes against the Lakers were used mainly for resting DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin, rather than the match-up nightmare he could be.

Aaron Brooks continues to contribute solid shooting behind Derrick Rose, and Stuckey, Pondexter, and Evans seem to be settling in to regular rotation roles. It's somewhat surprising that Stuckey, in particular, did not see much of the floor against Memphis, given Indiana doesn't have that many creators off the dribble.

It was also encouraging to see Austin Daye and Baynes continue to receive welcome minutes on a stacked Spurs squad. Daye in particular stands to see his minutes in the 20s if he can land some of those threes.

Who was the best player last night?

Poll

Who was the best player last night (Friday, October 31, 2025)?

Tony Wroten

0 votes

Isaiah Thomas

22 votes

Jamal Crawford

6 votes

Spencer Hawes

1 votes

Quincy Pondexter

1 votes

Rodney Stuckey

0 votes

Aaron Brooks

0 votes

Aron Baynes

0 votes

Austin Daye

0 votes

30 votes | Poll has closed

206 Tracker: Jamal Crawford Makes a Difference

2014-10-30T23:20:18-07:00

On the night of LeBron James's homecoming in Cleveland, one of the greatest players from the PNW (and a few prominent former Seattle SuperSonics) played tonight. Here is our nightly stop to see how they did.

In a night where the New York Knicks pulled off the upset of the "Homecoming King" in Cleveland, and the Oklahoma City Thunder lost another star to injury; the season debuts of 2014 Sixth Man of the Year, Jamal Crawford and new Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer was the news in Seattle.

The Oklahoma City Thunder losing Kevin Durant was one thing, but losing Russell Westbrook in the second game is something else (to a fractured hand). And the Los Angeles Clippers were still in a dog fight.

The Thunder lost Westbrook in the second quarter, but managed to keep the game close until Serge Ibaka's miss that ended the game. Perry Jones scored a career high 32 points, and former Sonic Nick Collison provided good defense and board work during his first stint off the bench.

Collison's two free throws (in which Steve Brooks wanted him to miss the second one) with four seconds left were the Thunder's last points of the night.

Crawford was the true difference maker. He scored nine of his 16 points in the second quarter, giving the Clippers a lead they would never really (save a quick lead change in the third quarter) relinquish. As Inside the NBA on TNT's Ernie Johnson said, "He'll still be shooting that [three point shot] when's 70 years old." Later adding that it would be 75 years old.

Spencer Hawes wasn't as effective as you'd want him to be, given the small rotation, but he still played key fourth quarter minutes.

PNWer	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Jamal Crawford (Clippers)	27	5-15	2-8	4-4	0	2	2	2	3	0	3	3	+8	16
Spencer Hawes (Clippers)	19	2-6	0-3	0-0	1	3	4	1	0	1	1	2	+5	4
Zach LaVine (Timberwolves)	5	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	-3	0
Nick Collison (Thunder)	15	2-5	0-1	2-2	0	6	6	0	1	1	3	2	-3	6
Luke Ridnour (Magic)	25	4-7	0-1	0-0	0	1	1	4	1	0	0	0	+16	8
C.J. Wilcox (Clippers)	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

Luke Ridnour played solidly off the bench, getting more minutes at the point guard spot behind rookie Elfrid Payton, Zach LaVine continues the trend we've seen in the preseason, barely seeing the floor with the rest of his #EyesOnTheRise brethren. C.J. Wilcox wouldn't see the floor either.

Who had the best game tonight?

Poll

Who had the best game tonight?

Jamal Crawford

23 votes

Spencer Hawes

1 votes

Nick Collison

1 votes

Luke Ridnour

3 votes

Zach LaVine

0 votes

C.J. Wilcox

0 votes

28 votes | Poll has closed