Saving Seattle: A SuperSonics Dynasty

[trekfan]

Two things:

1. The in-game calender, despite being 11 years ahead of the calender for the story, is perfectly in line with the calender from 11 years ago. So, despite it being 2014 in game the days/dates correspond with 2003 ... just noticed this and it's awesome.

2. Totally hit on an unexpected plot-line that's going to be very, very interesting. Update coming soon. Stay tuned.

[trekfan]

November 9^th, 2003

The video was damning. Joey sat and watched the video, shaking his head as he watched Lafrentz miss not one, not two, but three rebounds in a row. He was sure it couldn’t have been that many while he was watching the game live but the tape told no lies: their center was struggling mightily to rebound the ball and he had been all year. He was averaging a paltry 4.9 boards a game through five games which, for someone nearly 7” tall, was pathetic.

“I could do better!” he yelled with frustration at the screen. He paused the video and opened his black binder, looking through the notes he took during the game.

Team looks more fluid with Jerome out there than Lafrentz … even Kemp makes them look better than Lafrentz.

He sighed. The stats were misleading; Lafrentz, according to the stats, was a pretty decent defender but the eye test told him that Lafrentz was a total minus on the defensive end. He was slow-footed, he was a solid second late on locating and jumping for rebounds … what the hell did Lenny Wilkens see in this guy?

He tapped his pen against his binder with frustration. They were 4-1 and were playing the Suns tonight; it was a back to back on short rest, never an easy thing, especially with so many veteran players on the team. It’s LeBron, Marion, and the 1996 All-Stars, Joey through wryly to himself. The fan in him loved seeing Penny Hardaway, Gary Payon and Shawn Kemp share the floor together … it was absolutely a blast to watch them work.

But they weren’t as young as they used to be and, five games in, that was already showing; especially last night against the Jazz, where Payton looked winded by the mid-point of the fourth and Kemp was bricking open looks from the high post -- Kemp loved that shot.

Joey scratched his head, took a sip of his hours-cold coffee, and flipped open his personal notebook. He jotted down the really opinionated and nasty stuff here … well, at least as opinionated and nasty as he could be. Lafrentz is a la-failure, he wrote quickly. He has to be moved and the team needs to get younger … talent. Need talent.

But where? Joey flipped to the second section of his notebook: “Trades and free agents,” he said aloud with a smirk. He liked this part of his notebook; this was where all the fantasies were, which made things a bit less stressful during his long days. With the Sonics sitting at 4-1 and looking absolutely beastly on offense, the question wasn’t whether they would win games: they’d win. A lot of them, if Joey’s stat predictions were right.

Admittedly, the sample size was small but running the numbers, combined with their schedule, gave him the confidence to say they’d finish with somewhere above 45 wins; 51 was the ceiling, 45 was the floor. That’d be enough to get them into the playoffs most years.

Seeing as how that was the case, he was confident that they’d have a low draft pick in the first round and there wasn’t much there they’d pick up. This year’s draft looked top-heavy; after that, it seemed to fizzle in the lottery. By the time they’d get to pick twenty, the talent pool would have dried up.

Again, in his opinion. This was really stats blended with his opinion and, as a numbers guy, he couldn’t present these things as facts. Even if he wanted to. He wrote down Lafrentz’s name in the “Trade Him” column and looked through the other teams rosters to see whom Lafrentz could fetch. They’d given up a young player and a second round pick for this bum, so Joey was looking to get a young big back.

But who’d part with that?

“Breaking news,” ESPN announced as Joey refocused his attention on his TV, which had been blaring Sportscenter for the last hour. It made nice background noise as Joey studied video on his PC. “Chicago Bulls center Eddy Curry was pulled from tonight’s game against the Magic after complaining of chest tightness and light headedness during halftime. The Bulls lead 56-48 against the Magic. On the final play of the half Curry was chasing Grant Hill for a block when he pulled up short. Bulls’ medical staff as of yet do not know the cause of Curry’s condition, but he was transported to a local hospital during the half. According to one witness Curry was ‘visibly shaken’ as he was leaving the court. More on this story as it develops, here on Sportscenter.”

Joey leaned back in his computer chair and shook his head. That didn’t sound good at all … but an idea formed. Curry was young and had lost the starting job to Tyson Chandler in the offseason; the Bulls were playing well behind Dwayne Wade and Chandler, while Curry’s tail was glued to the bench. He got minutes but, in the games Joey had watched last year, he’d observed Curry getting better as the game went on. He was big, he was a better defender and rebounder than Lafrentz by a long shot, and he had something to prove.

But what if he’s medically unhealthy? That was the question. Joey would have to do more research … but he didn’t know anyone with the Bulls. He didn’t know anyone, period. He reached over for his coffee but missed the grab, instead knocking if off his desk and onto the floor.

“****,” he mumbled. The cup had rolled off the desk, empty from spilling its contents, and took some papers with it as it went to the floor.Joey looked for some paper towels but as he was cleaning up his mess he found a phone number staring back at him.

It was the business card from Vivian Marshall. Sports Illustrated.

“A reporter,” Joey said with excitement. He didn’t know anyone with the Bulls but she had to. If he could get the inside scoop on Curry, he could use that information to propose a trade to Wilkens to get rid of Lafrentz and bolster their roster with some youth … assuming Curry was medically cleared. It’d be a tough sell, but it was a low-risk, high reward move.

He picked up the wet business card and did his best to dry it off; once he cleaned up the coffee, he’d give her a call.

****

Her phone rang as she finished typing up her latest story and she saved her file before answering. She didn’t recognize the number but that wasn’t unusual with this job; her number got around plenty and that was fine. You couldn’t report the news if people didn’t tell you what was going on first.

“Vivian Marshall, Sports Illustrated,” she answered as she took off her reading glasses. She hated wearing the things but she needed them to type; computer screens killed her eyes.

“Uh, Miss Marshall? It’s Joey.”

She smirked. She remembered him but wanted to have a little fun. “Joey … Harrington? Hi, Joey. Care to explain why you were so lousy last Sunday?”

He chuckled on the other end. “Gustavo, Joey Gustavo … sorry. Hey, you watching Sportscenter?”

She turned in her chair and, remote in hand, turned on the TV. “Not at the moment, but I’m fixing that. What went down?”

“Eddy Curry got pulled from the Bulls game; tightness in chest, lightheadedness --”

“Sounds like a heart problem,” she commented absently.

There was a long pause on the other end before he asked, “You really think so?”

She shrugged. “My father had that happen to him a few years ago … doctors said it was a heart problem at first but then the tests proved it wasn’t.” She looked at the TV curiously as she read the ESPN Bottom Line. “So, why so interested in Curry?”

“Well, that’s why I’m calling … need a favor, actually. I want to know what’s the severity of Curry’s condition. Is it super-serious? Is it going to affect his play? Can he get past it?”

“A favor, huh?” She smirked. “Trying to arrange something?”

“I’m just curious,” he said a little too defensively.

“Hmm. Well, curiosity is fine. Doing favors for free isn’t.” She spun her chair back to the computer screen and put back on her glasses. She brought up her itinerary for the next few weeks, with all the interviews she had scheduled. “All right, you want this favor, I want a favor from you.”

“A favor for a favor … okay, what?”

“I want an interview with LeBron,” she told him bluntly. “He’s been dodging me and I don’t think it’s on purpose, I know he’s busy doing a lot of interviews and lighting up the league … but, I’d like something with him. Fifteen minutes, max; promise.”

There was a sharp intake of breath on the other end. “Okay … I think I can do that. Our next home game is on Thursday. Can you make it to morning shootaround? He should have about an hour, hour and a half after that to answer your questions.”

She typed in the time and place. “Done. You’ll get your information after the interview.” She smiled. “It was nice doing business with you, Joey.”

“Same to you, ma’am,” he said with a tinge of warmth. He hung up and she did the same. She dialed her editor. He would flip his top that she’d gotten this without him, but fortune favored the bold.

And today she was feeling extra bold.

[illWILL8455]

Viv is owning her new job! Really excited to see that she has the opportunity to do her thing without being oppressed like at her last job. Interesting storyline developing here with Curry. I'm anxious to see how it pans out!

[trekfan]

November 13^th, 2003

Shootaround was over -- finally. She watched as the players began to break up and head off to the locker room, but LeBron and Joey were heading over to her. She smoothed out her dress and stood from her seat. Even at 18-years-old, LeBron James looked like a man. It was no wonder he was averaging over 30 points a game … standing at 6’8” and a solid 250 pounds, he was the definition of a beast.

“Vivian, LeBron,” Joey introduced.

She smiled at them both. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she said as she extended her hand.

LeBron took it and shook it, his hand swallowing hers whole. “Yeah, no problem.” He sat down and she smiled at Joey. She brought an envelope out of her messenger bag. “Here, this can’t wait.”

Joey looked at the envelope and then at her. “I thought --”

She pressed the envelope into his chest. “I’m a Sonics fan and this information is time-sensitive. The Bulls will be making an announcement on this tomorrow so, whatever you’re planning, you need to get it done soon.”

He took the envelope and nodded. “Right, got it. LeBron?”

“Yeah, I’m good man, you do what you do,” he said with a nod towards Joey. The two seemed to be on pretty friendly terms, which intrigued her but she’d ask about that another day.

“Okay then,” Joey said as he looked between them both. “Gotta run, catch you later.” He literally took off and the gym was left to them for the most part.

Vivian sat down beside LeBron, took out her notebook and pen, and opened it. Let’s do this. “Firstly, thanks for doing this …”

****

Joey ran through the hallways of KeyArena till he reached his office, where he quickly opened the envelope and set its contents down on the desk. The way Vivian had said that she was a Sonics fan made him believe that the news in the envelope was good.

It turned his belief was mostly right. The Bulls medical staff had cleared Curry to start playing again, but recommended he bring down his weight before he did; upper-management of the Bulls were convinced that wouldn’t solve the problem and wanted Curry to take a genetic test to determine if he was predisposed for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a heart condition that could kill someone who was participating in strenuous activities.

According to the doctors, Curry did not have hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, but the Bulls wanted the test done to be sure. Curry was refusing on ethical grounds and the Bulls weren’t going to let him play without taking the test; Curry may have been on the bench but he was a good part of their rotation. Without him, that would be a big hole to fill -- no pun intended.

Joey’s mind worked fast with the information; right now, he was the only one who knew this outside the Bulls. If they could get their doctors to clear Curry, then they could talk a deal. Joey quickly jotted down some numbers and did the math, then looked through the Bulls roster again. They had to have salary cap numbers to make this work; Lafrentz’s deal was a one year thing that would come off the books after this season if the team declined his option. The Bulls probably would, knowing them, but his cap numbers for this season weren’t cheap.

But then, the Bulls had some contracts they’d like to get rid of it and weren’t cheap either. Joey scrawled down the potential players for both sides, took the paper and the information from the envelope and headed to Mr. Ballmer’s office.

He was here today, having his monthly meeting with Lenny Wilkens, discussing the team and the organization. Usually, Ballmer wouldn’t like to be disturbed in the middle of a meeting but Joey was going to break usual protocol for this.

It wasn’t often a young big man who was just 20 found themselves in a situation like this. But it was a situation that Joey would use to better the team and the organization.

He reached the office and had the secretary buzz him in, even though she didn’t want to; she knew the standing policy of no interruptions either, but it didn’t matter to Joey. The doors opened and Ballmer greeted him with a smile. “Joey! What brings you by?” He seemed a tad annoyed but otherwise didn’t seem too put off.

Lenny Wilkens nodded at the question. “I thought you had a film session to run this morning,” he observed.

In truth, Joey did; in about twenty minutes, but he wasn’t going to waste time saying that. “Sirs, I have a source” -- he almost laughed at hearing himself say that but he managed to continue on --“that says Eddy Curry and the Bulls are locked in a stalemate. We can swoop in and get him.”

Wikens raised a surprised eyebrow. “I haven’t heard anything about Curry except that he was suffering from a medical issue … they haven’t found out yet.”

Joey held the papers in his hand forward to Wilkens. “Sir, they do know. They’re not announcing till tomorrow; they’re trying to convince Curry to take a test. Here.”

Wilkens leaned forward and took the papers. He began scanning through them as Ballmer stood. “What would we have to give up in a trade for him?” Ballmer asked, Joey’s enthusiasm beginning to feed into him and give the man energy.

Joey tried his best not to smile. “Lafrentz, at least this year’s first round pick and maybe another future first rounder -- 2006 I’d suggest.”

Wilkens looked up for a moment, stopping his scan of the papers. “Steep price, Mr. Gustavo.”

“If you want to play to win you have to pay to win,” Joey responded without a second’s thought. Ballmer beamed at him as Joey cleared his throat. “Sir, it’s a steep trade but my models show we’re going to finish well in the playoff race this year … we’ll win somewhere around 45 to 50 games; this draft isn’t that deep and 2006 is a little less than three years away. Playoff picks, sir; not good ones, either. We trade for a young big man to build around LeBron and Marion, and we’ll have a trio of pillars for our organization for the next decade.”

Wilkens grunted with a mixture of admiration and concern. “This is thorough work here,” he commented as he reached the last page. “But the price for Eddy Curry seems too high; we’ll need to clear him with our own doctors and experts.” He sighed and looked up at Joey and Ballmer both. “Even with that done, the doctors want him to slim down by at least 25 pounds before he plays again; that’s tough to do in the middle of the season, especially for a big.” He focused exclusively on Ballmer. “I don’t think it’s worth pursuing.”


"Sir, Shawn Kemp lost 35 pounds this past offseason -- our staff helped him and can help Curry. With another player on the team who lost weight to help his game, I think Curry can do it," Joey countered.


Wilkens didn't look at him. "And if it doesn't work out, at the very least we lose a solid player and a draft pick that could turn into an All-Star."


Joey’s moment of victory had evaporated before his eyes. I shouldn’t have mentioned the pick, he admonished. Wilkens wanted to use those picks for younger players and that was necessary, but they could afford to let a few players go; LeBron was with them for four years and more than that after if they managed to impress him enough to sign long-term. You couldn’t excel in the playoffs with youth, you needed veterans for their experience and presence.

“I think we should do it,” Ballmer said, much to the surprise of Wilkens and Joey both. He clapped his hands loudly, like thunder. “We have an opportunity here to take a risk and have it pay huge dividends. Curry was a very good player coming into the league … I remember watching the McDonald’s All American game.”

“Yes, sir, he was very impressive in that game,” Joey added, thankful for the momentum. The wind back in his sails, he turned his full attention to Wilkens. “We could probably convince the Bulls to let us keep that pick and instead give us the option to swap it out, or maybe toss them a second rounder in that year. Whatever the case, one first is definitely required to get them talking and if we take back some of their worst contracts, we could probably convince them to let a future first slide … we have the cap to absorb more.”

“Yes, but how much more before we’re hamstrung like the Knicks?” Wilkens countered. He set the papers down on the coffee table next to him. “Mr. Ballmer, the decision is ultimately yours,” he said with a bit of resignation.

Ballmer nodded. “It is and I say we chase after it; Joey, top notch work. Lenny, get on the horn and call up the Bulls, let them know we have interest and we’re willing to talk … one first rounder is definitely in play, anything from now till 2006, second rounders too, but they have to take back Lafrentz and we have to get Curry. Fair?”

Wilkens nodded once. “Fair, sir.” He turned to Joey and Joey wasn’t sure if he was being given a glare or look of admiration. “Mr. Gustavo, I believe you have a film session.”

Joey nodded; he knew when he was being told to leave. He left the office, hoping that Ballmer wouldn’t be swayed behind closed doors, but there was no telling if Wilkens had been convinced or was pissed Joey had the gall to suggest a trade like that in the first place.

Whatever the case was, it didn’t matter now; they were playing the Spurs tonight. If there was any way to prove they were for real, beating the defending champs would be it.

But it’d be a lot easier without Lafrentz and with Eddy Curry.

[ewing6]

Joey's putting himself out there with Eddy Curry. As a Knick Fan I hope it works out better for him than it did for Isaiah Thomas

[caneswag907]

Curry was an interesting prospect, they dubbed him “Baby Shaq” but he wound up being Benoit Benjamin. I just wish he wanted it, Eddy had the tools be great (he was easily a top 10 center at his best) but lacked the motivation and work ethic. This Sonics squad has solid veteran leadership, hopefully they can through to him. I’d be a little worried about that heart condition and skeptical of him dropping 20 pounds, especially if I were Joey. Ewing hit the nail on the head, once the trade goes through Joey’s future with the team will be tied to Curry’s. You've gotta love the aggressive move though, the kid has potential.

[trekfan]

Quote: Originally Posted by ewing6

Joey's putting himself out there with Eddy Curry. As a Knick Fan I hope it works out better for him than it did for Isaiah Thomas

The Isiah issue; in my research for Eddy I had to settle that issue. Looking at the team's he was operating with during his tenure as a Knick; he had plenty of talent but no leadership on those teams. Those Knicks were individually talented but no one could mold them into a team.

Quote: Originally Posted by caneswag907

Curry was an interesting prospect, they dubbed him “Baby Shaq” but he wound up being Benoit Benjamin. I just wish he wanted it, Eddy had the tools be great (he was easily a top 10 center at his best) but lacked the motivation and work ethic. This Sonics squad has solid veteran leadership, hopefully they can through to him. I’d be a little worried about that heart condition and skeptical of him dropping 20 pounds, especially if I were Joey. Ewing hit the nail on the head, once the trade goes through Joey’s future with the team will be tied to Curry’s. You've gotta love the aggressive move though, the kid has potential.

^Yep, this is an aggressive play for Joey. But I felt that with Gary Payton, Penny Hardaway and Shawn Kemp on that squad, they'd be able to get through to Eddy. Kemp, especially, knows what it's like to see a very promising career go by the wayside due to personal issues/lack of work ethic and I believe Eddy will heed the call and play well. It may take him a little longer to shed those pounds than what Joey thinks, and he may not play great when he gets started, but I've always liked Eddy Curry's game; sending him to the mismanaged Knicks (it's amazing that even in a video game they still screw things up like the real Knicks) was a horrible move for him.

In my research on what led to him getting there and the after effects of it all, I found that a lot of Bulls fans thought they got the better end of that trade and, though they did (that right to swap first in 2007 landed Noah for the Bulls) I believe both parties ended up worse off than had they stayed together. Curry's life kinda spiraled once he made it to New York (on a team with Marbury no less) and no one was there to lead him.

In Seattle, Eddy's got Lenny Wilkens (Hall of fame player and coach), Gary Payton (future hall of famer) Penny Hardaway and Shawn Kemp (two explosive players during their prime) all to guide him. This veteran core is huge for the SuperSonics; they may get tired faster and may not be able to jump as high, but that experience they have is invaluable IMO.

[caneswag907]

Quote: Originally Posted by trekfan

^Yep, this is an aggressive play for Joey. But I felt that with Gary Payton, Penny Hardaway and Shawn Kemp on that squad, they'd be able to get through to Eddy. Kemp, especially, knows what it's like to see a very promising career go by the wayside due to personal issues/lack of work ethic and I believe Eddy will heed the call and play well. It may take him a little longer to shed those pounds than what Joey thinks, and he may not play great when he gets started, but I've always liked Eddy Curry's game; sending him to the mismanaged Knicks (it's amazing that even in a video game they still screw things up like the real Knicks) was a horrible move for him. In my research on what led to him getting there and the after effects of it all, I found that a lot of Bulls fans thought they got the better end of that trade and, though they did (that right to swap first in 2007 landed Noah for the Bulls) I believe both parties ended up worse off than had they stayed together. Curry's life kinda spiraled once he made it to New York (on a team with Marbury no less) and no one was there to lead him. In Seattle, Eddy's got Lenny Wilkens (Hall of fame player and coach), Gary Payton (future hall of famer) Penny Hardaway and Shawn Kemp (two explosive players during their prime) all to guide him. This veteran core is huge for the SuperSonics; they may get tired faster and may not be able to jump as high, but that experience they have is invaluable IMO.

As a Knicks fan I can assure you that those Isiah Thomas teams completely directionless without any kind of leadership. You really couldn't put a young guy like him in much worse of a situation if you tried. This does seem like an ideal landing spot for Eddy, he can definitely learn a lot from the vets, primarily Kemp. Plus with guys like GP, Marion and LeBron there would be a greater emphasis on Curry playing defense. A defensive-minded, in shape, motivated Eddy Curry is a scary thought.