Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

[MegaBran]

Absolutely love this dynasty! Will be following daily! Any idea when a patch is coming to PC? I play 2k on PC as well and I'm hoping they're working on some thing! Game still runs good for me but once it's patched it will just be so much better. Keep up the awesome work and I can't wait to read about the Sonics putting a whooping on the Mavs!

[trekfan]

Quote: Originally Posted by MegaBran

Absolutely love this dynasty! Will be following daily! Any idea when a patch is coming to PC? I play 2k on PC as well and I'm hoping they're working on some thing! Game still runs good for me but once it's patched it will just be so much better. Keep up the awesome work and I can't wait to read about the Sonics putting a whooping on the Mavs!

Thanks for the follow! As for when a PC patch is coming, I have no clue. Leftos (2K dev) posted this at NLCS this morning:

Quote:

Leftos on Thu Oct 01, 2015 8:20 am Just an update that we're still looking into this. I don't have anything specific to give you yet, but we're working on this. Thank you for all the information. I just wanted to separate the two kinds of issues being mentioned in this thread. One is the game running at 60FPS but with noticeable stuttering and hitching, and the other one is the game running below 60FPS consistently. To recap the workaround recommendations so far, looks like Fullscreen Windowed helps with the stuttering at 60FPS. Lowering the crowd quality setting appears to make a difference for people that can't achieve 60FPS consistently. Turning down Supersampling to the lowest allowed setting also helps.

At this point, we can only be patient.

[trekfan]

November 17th, 2015


His head ached as he stared at the three screens in front of him, his sense of time dictated only by the small clock in the right-hand corner of his computer screens.

It was 6am and the morning light was beginning to leak into his office. His head throbbing, he reached into his desk and pulled out a bottle of aspirin. A few pills later he was feeling slightly more human as he stood from his chair, his back cracking loudly as he moved around for the first time in hours.

The loss to OKC was yesterday and it had made Max ill. The team was thoroughly outplayed in the second-half and Hollins' observations after the game essentially matched his: something had to happen, either internally or externally.

Max had run through all the scenarios in his mind after the game and had watched -- and read -- every piece that had hit the Internet since the loss. Everyone was in near universal agreement: the Sonics were outclassed in talent by most teams.

They were, for better or worse, a new team despite wearing the colors of an old one.

Should I have traded Lopez? The thought seemed to be louder in his head than it should have been. Was trading away their best player really necessary? Should he have bargained harder or kept Lopez?

He shook his head, pacing back and forth in his still mostly empty office. Gortat was doing just as good a job, maybe better, with the system; the pick and roll was being played superbly and Gortat was averaging career high numbers.

Gortat wasn't the issue, Noel was. He was out, he was injured, and he was something Max was counting on to stay in good shape. Instead, he was going to be hurting for another 8 to 10 weeks, making his return as a full-time starter impossible.

Could Ray Allen be the answer? Did they need to insert him into the starting lineup over Jefferson?

Again, Max shook his head. The rookie may have not been a decent shooter, but the man's defense was one of the outstanding parts of this team. He was doing well as a starter and the minutes would be key for his development in the future.

He stopped his pacing, catching sight of the sun rising just over the horizon: a rarity this time of year.

"We'll be okay," he told himself, trying to avoid a panic move. The team had hit a rough spot -- in two, three weeks, Max would know if he needed to make changes. Until then, he had to stay the course.

He wanted OKC to fall to them when they next met in December in Seattle. He'd make whatever move he needed to ensure a win then ... that much he was sure of.

[trekfan]

Highlights from the Sonics game vs. the Mavs.

[eyes of hazel]

Man, that court... A+.

[trekfan]

Sonics Survive November

December 1st, 2015

By Vonny Lee



The first month back for the Seattle SuperSonics was a month of highs and lows, and very little in-between. The Sonics ended the month last night with a loss in Atlanta (a very ugly 111-95 affair) that saw the team miss shots left, right, up, down, and at least one other direction unknown to mankind.

The Sonics finished the month at 11-7, sitting as the 7th seed in the Western Conference Playoffs.



Yes, I know, it's early to peer into the crystal ball, but the Sonics play has just been good enough over the previous six games to justify that thought. Even though they sit at 11-7, the Sonics -- when they're right -- have proven they can play tough in a conference Coach Hollins is very familiar with from his Grizzlies days.

That said, the Sonics inability to lose in any other way but blowouts is concerning, especially when those blowouts are coming in 20 point clips. After the most recent loss, the Sonics announced that Nerlens Noel is set to return in 2-4 weeks from his injury; that return will boost the Sonics creaky defense.

In the meantime, however, the Sonics announced today that Jamal Crawford would be moving back to the bench and he would be replaced in the lineup by Ray Allen. Both Allen and Crawford are putting out similar points, but Allen is hitting at a far more efficient clip -- 45 percent to Crawford's 38 -- and Crawford seemed relieved to be back in a role he has historically thrived in.

The question remains if the Sonics can survive the next month of the season. In two days they face the league leading 14-1 Heat, who are scorching opponents to the tune of 114 points per game, and the Heat should take that game, barring any injuries.

The next big game on Seattle's schedule is one they desperately want to win: OKC welcomes the Sonics back again, the last of their games there (unless they meet in the playoffs).


It's ludicrous to call a game a must win in December for a team, but for this team, this year ... this game has to be a must win. Seattle must defend it's honor against the franchise that replaced it, against the organization that tried to erase it, against the owner who took the team's history, and its trophies seven years ago.

This month also marks the revival of old rivalries. The Sonics play the Blazers at Portland on the 16th, then see the Lakers in LA on the 19th, before they invite the Clippers to Seattle on the 21st -- welcoming back Steve Ballmer --, seeing the Lakers on the 23rd, and then flying to Chicago for Christmas against the Bulls.

But none of those games compare to OKC and no rivalry can for the immediate future -- the Sonics have a singular honor, one not afforded to any other team in recent memory: they get to go one-on-one against the organization that tried to make the world forget they existed.

Whether Seattle can make OKC remember what the green and gold stands for remains to be seen.


NBA Injury News


Nerlens Noel will be back in 2-4 weeks according to the Sonics, though officially he's still listed as 4-6 weeks away. But he is not the biggest injury news: Kobe Bryant has again suffered a season ending injury, this time his left Achilles giving out. The aging superstar now suffers his third season ending injury in three years.

Lakers nation is understandably crushed, as is the greater NBA -- despite his history with other stars and NBA cities, Kobe Bryant has become the official "salty old-man" of the game today and his soundbites are filled with as much entertainment as truth. The game is better with him than without him, a fact the NBA is coping with for yet another season.

The Lakers sit at 8-12, a record that is bound to get worse now with Bryant down for the year. For the Lakers, they desperately want to be worse as Philly holds their 1 rounder and that pick has protections only for the top three of the draft. If the Lakers tank the year, they have an outside shot at getting into that top three.

Philly, however, is a league-worse 4-17 and the only team close to them is the Pistons at 6-15 (poor Stan Van Gundy). It doesn't seem likely the Lakers can avoid giving away their pick two years in a row ... but this is the Lakers. Hollywood happens.

NBA Signing News

The Warriors have settled their contract with Harrison Barnes, officially extending the 23-year old for another three years, bringing his total contract to a very tidy 4yrs/$20M. The Warriors made out like bandits here, but the contract can actually be a boon for Barnes, who has yet to prove his full worth in this league.

Now signed to a smaller deal on a team where he serves a valuable role, Barnes has a chance to build up his value and look for a place to star himself -- if he wants. Reports out of the bay area say that Barnes is incredibly happy to be part of the Warriors organization and his friendships with many members of the team influenced his very team-friendly contract.

In other news, the Wizards extended Jared Dudley making his contract for 4yrs/$12.42M, solidifying a veteran presence at the three spot and securing one of the best glue guys around on the cheap. Dudley's game is one that should age well alongside his younger counterparts, which will allow the Wizards to decide what to do with Otto Porter, who continues to be unimpressive off the bench and looks to soon be eclipsed by Oubre Jr.

[trekfan]

Sonics Lose Second Half to Heat in Blowout Loss

December 3rd, 2015

By Vonny Lee


In what is becoming a common sight, the Seattle SuperSonics ended another night with another blowout loss, this time coming from the league leading Miami Heat, who now sit at 15-1 after the 20-point win. It was a tale of two halves for the Sonics, as they managed to trim a five-point first quarter deficit to one at the end of the half. The Sonics looked to be in position to send Miami to only their second loss of the year.

But then, as so often happens for Seattle, the third quarter hit and the Sonics fell apart defensively, allowing 34 points in the quarter while trying to keep pace with the Heat, who began running a big offensive lineup featuring Gerald Green, Justice Winslow, Luol Deng, Chris Bosh, and Whiteside; it was a lineup change that Seattle could not reliably counter as the lead grew.

Entering the fourth, Miami led by 10 and Seattle tried to shoot themselves back into the game -- instead, they shot themselves out and ended the game in an embarrassing 20-point blowout.

If you're hearing sirens and alarms going off from the Emerald City, know that the Sonics alpha and omega decision maker, Mad Max, is not giving it much attention. Newman released this statement after the game:

"We're disappointed of course, but Miami is one of the best team's in the league and you have to play your best to beat the best; that's a straight fact. We didn't do that tonight as a team and, as an organization, being consistent is going to be something we have to work for. We're still 11-8, we're still in the playoff hunt, and we just got to December. Believe me, this isn't the time to panic ... and we certainly won't be here."


The confidence displayed by Newman is admirable, but Seattle looks to have a serious problem defensively; yes, Noel is still not at full health and his minutes are being restricted, but one player (especially a second-year one) should not be the only thing standing between a loss and a blowout. The rest of the team should be able to pick up the effort, but disturbing trends are beginning to show up.

Looking through the minutes and the averages, the move of Crawford to the bench seems to have paid off for a short time. Allen as a starter, however, was a tale of two halves -- the first he played like a star, the second he looked tired. The Heat's lineup adjustment had much to do with that, as Allen was harassed by Green, Winslow, and Deng for much of the second half, missing every three he took (and he took a lot of threes).

Turnovers again reared their ugly head for Seattle -- the Sonics are one of the top-10 teams in assists, but are creeping up the standings in turnovers as well, now cracking the top-20.

Is it time to panic? Likely, no, but for a city and fanbase as traumatized as Seattle, watching the team lose in blowout fashion brings back far too many bad memories of the Sonics' last years in Seattle. Many fans have believed that if the Sonics had been a playoff team, a winning team, in those last few years, that they would have never left Seattle -- the NBA simply wouldn't have allowed an annual playoff contender to leave their city.

But Seattle wasn't that contender and though the city has the team back, the fanbase can't ever be completely sure that Seattle will always have an NBA team; there was a time when Sonics fans had that confidence, but when OKC took their team, they took that confidence as well.

[eyes of hazel]

Maybe its me...

But given the roster you have, I think the Sonics have overachieved so far with an 11-8 record.

But I'm not one of them demanding Seattle fans either, so...