Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

[Cruzerr]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

That image sinked in...yeaah...

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return



November 1st, 2016


To say he felt silly would be an understatement. Sitting in his car -- the same one his father had bought him when he went off to college, an old, used Toyota that somehow kept running -- Max couldn't help but bounce his knee up and down, as though he had a baby on it that he was giving a ride.

But there was no baby, only a nervous amount of energy that he couldn't shake off. He had gotten dressed for this date nearly four hours before, then spent two hours pacing all over his house. He had hoped the drive over would calm his nerves some, but it only seemed to accentuate the feeling that he was about to make a terrible fool of himself.

And if there was one thing that Max Newman hated more than losing, it was losing and looking foolish while doing it.

Why couldn't there be a game today? He wished the Sonics were playing so he could have an excuse to get out of this, but 'Ricka had scheduled this date on an off day for the team. OKC was coming into town tomorrow and he was going to be in the suite with Clay Bennett for that game, there to rub his ring in the man's face at every turn.

It was petty and immature, he knew. But he needed to do it once, just to get it out of his system, and then he'd never set foot in a suite with Clay Bennett ever again.

But that was tomorrow and that was a worry for another day: today's worry was all about this damnable date. Just treat it like any other meeting, he told himself as he got out of his car. He locked it, unbuttoned his jacket to let some of the heat out, and walked into the small downtown restaurant before him.

Upon entering his senses were greeted with wonderful smells and the sounds of happy conversation. Wall-to-wall there were booths with people in them, with just enough room in between the for people to maneuver. A cheerful hostess, dark eyes and darker hair, greeted him with a smile. "Reservation?"

He took out the card from his pocket and handed it to her. "It was set up by a friend," he added, unsure why he felt the need to.

She nodded once, jotted his name down, and picked up a menu. "Your companion has already arrived." She smiled at him disarmingly. "She wasn't sure you'd show."

He forced a laugh. "Well, that's good to know." He followed the hostess as she led him into the thicket of booths and all of them were packed to the brim. Arriving at the booth, he was pleasantly surprised to find his date wasn't some ugly-duckling type: as with any blind date, he went in fearing the worst.

Instead, he got a blonde. Tall and slender, eyes of blue, she was busily studying the menu before her attention drifted up to him.

When it did, he saw she had no idea who he was: no look of recognition at all. She smiled at him. "Hi." She closed her menu as Max sat down and the hostess handed his to him.

"Drinks?" she asked.

"Water, please," Max said, wishing he was brave -- or stupid enough -- to order some alcohol, just to calm his nerves.

"Water, too," his date echoed. The hostess scurried off and the two were left relatively alone.

He took off his jacket and took a breath. "I'm Max," he introduced. He extended his hand out of habit, nearly pulled it back, but then left it out there because it would have been rude to do otherwise at that point.

His date took his hand and gently shook it. "Abby." She leaned forward, a look of interest in her eyes. "Do I know you? You look familiar to me." She tapped her finger against her cheek. "I feel like I should be able to place your face."

He shook his head. "I don't believe we've met before," he said, knowing that was technically true. "Maybe we saw one another in a crowd one day."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm pretty good about faces." She look amused. "But right now, I'm more curious about why you look so nervous."

"Nervous?" He cleared his throat, wishing dearly that the water he ordered was here already. "Well, I ... I don't exactly date a lot."

"No? I couldn't tell," she said with clear sarcasm. She nodded towards his menu. "Are you going to order when she gets back?"

Flustered, he fumbled through his menu and tried to find something he knew he might be able to stomach. "Steak is always a good choice," he mumbled to himself.

"How do you like yours? Rare? Medium? Well-done?"

He closed the menu and said, "Bloody."

She smiled. "Oh? Got a little blood-thirst in you?"

"I just prefer not to eat well-done, burned meat. It tastes like rubber."

She laughed at that, a bit of a drawn out thing. "Oh? You know what rubber tastes like?"

"I was a curious child," he added with a smirk. The banter was helping him relax a bit. "I think it's my turn to ask questions."

She nodded in agreement. "Fair enough. I like my steak medium -- not too bloody, but certainly not too well-done. I prefer to eat something that seems cooked."

"No blood-thirst in you?"

"I went as a vampire for Halloween one year and had my fill of it then."

He smirked. "Did you do Halloween for the costume or the candy?"

"Costume," she answered without hesitation. "Candy's fine, but getting to play dress up with hundreds of other people at the same time? Way too fun." She pinched her arm. "Plus, I'm so pale, I didn't have to worry about makeup for some of them."

"Don't see a lot of sun?"

"I see plenty of sun, but I see it through a cockpit of a helicopter." She smiled. "Doesn't do anything for my tan."

He leaned forward. "You're a helicopter pilot?"

She leaned forward. "You're a multi-billionaire owner of a sports team?"

He felt his face pale. "Uh ... well ... yes."

She gave him a look. "At least your honest before dessert." She propped a hand under her chin. "So, I guess you don't see a lot of sun either."

He shook his head. "I see my office a lot." She didn't seem offended at all by his lack of forthrightness, which only intrigued him more. "You don't seem mad," he observed.

"I could be. You never know about pilots, we tend to be pretty crazy outside of a multi-million dollar aircraft." She winked at him as the hostess returned with their drinks, and then took their order.

He got a bloody steak. She got a slightly less bloody steak.

"So, how'd you end up here?"

"On a blind date?" she asked. He nodded and she sighed. "Oh, the usual: friends trying to ensure you don't go mad for real."

"Ah. I know the type."

She nodded. "This isn't the first time they've tried." She smirked. "But it is certainly the most interesting."

"Why's that?"

"You don't ask the usual questions. Where you work, how you vote, what's your favorite TV show ... all that stuff." She sipped at her water. "In fact, you don't seem to know what the hell you're doing at all."

His cheeks flushed. He had hoped he wasn't that out of practice. "Well ... uh ..."

"It's endearing," she interrupted. She met his eyes. "It's nice not to have a guy try to be super-confident. You're nervous and you don't try to hide it."

I was trying to hide it, he admitted to himself silently, but took the compliment as best he could. "I try to be honest when I can be."

"Do you?" She smiled at him. "Then, honestly, tell me what you think we should do after this."

It felt like the room had just shrunk down and it was her and him in it. And he was under the brightest spotlight ever.

"Uh ... after ... well ... "

"Remember, be honest."

Cornered, he had no choice but to say, "Well, I think after this we should go home. I'm sure you have things to do tomorrow and so do I."

She laughed. "Well, I guess I better make this last."

They stayed at the restaurant until it closed.

[janmagn]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

November 1st, 2016


To say he felt silly would be an understatement. Sitting in his car -- the same one his father had bought him when he went off to college, an old, used Toyota that somehow kept running -- Max couldn't help but bounce his knee up and down, as though he had a baby on it that he was giving a ride.

But there was no baby, only a nervous amount of energy that he couldn't shake off. He had gotten dressed for this date nearly four hours before, then spent two hours pacing all over his house. He had hoped the drive over would calm his nerves some, but it only seemed to accentuate the feeling that he was about to make a terrible fool of himself.

And if there was one thing that Max Newman hated more than losing, it was losing and looking foolish while doing it.

Why couldn't there be a game today? He wished the Sonics were playing so he could have an excuse to get out of this, but 'Ricka had scheduled this date on an off day for the team. OKC was coming into town tomorrow and he was going to be in the suite with Clay Bennett for that game, there to rub his ring in the man's face at every turn.

It was petty and immature, he knew. But he needed to do it once, just to get it out of his system, and then he'd never set foot in a suite with Clay Bennett ever again.

But that was tomorrow and that was a worry for another day: today's worry was all about this damnable date. Just treat it like any other meeting, he told himself as he got out of his car. He locked it, unbuttoned his jacket to let some of the heat out, and walked into the small downtown restaurant before him.

Upon entering his senses were greeted with wonderful smells and the sounds of happy conversation. Wall-to-wall there were booths with people in them, with just enough room in between the for people to maneuver. A cheerful hostess, dark eyes and darker hair, greeted him with a smile. "Reservation?"

He took out the card from his pocket and handed it to her. "It was set up by a friend," he added, unsure why he felt the need to.

She nodded once, jotted his name down, and picked up a menu. "Your companion has already arrived." She smiled at him disarmingly. "She wasn't sure you'd show."

He forced a laugh. "Well, that's good to know." He followed the hostess as she led him into the thicket of booths and all of them were packed to the brim. Arriving at the booth, he was pleasantly surprised to find his date wasn't some ugly-duckling type: as with any blind date, he went in fearing the worst.

Instead, he got a blonde. Tall and slender, eyes of blue, she was busily studying the menu before her attention drifted up to him.

When it did, he saw she had no idea who he was: no look of recognition at all. She smiled at him. "Hi." She closed her menu as Max sat down and the hostess handed his to him.

"Drinks?" she asked.

"Water, please," Max said, wishing he was brave -- or stupid enough -- to order some alcohol, just to calm his nerves.

"Water, too," his date echoed. The hostess scurried off and the two were left relatively alone.

He took off his jacket and took a breath. "I'm Max," he introduced. He extended his hand out of habit, nearly pulled it back, but then left it out there because it would have been rude to do otherwise at that point.

His date took his hand and gently shook it. "Abby." She leaned forward, a look of interest in her eyes. "Do I know you? You look familiar to me." She tapped her finger against her cheek. "I feel like I should be able to place your face."

He shook his head. "I don't believe we've met before," he said, knowing that was technically true. "Maybe we saw one another in a crowd one day."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm pretty good about faces." She look amused. "But right now, I'm more curious about why you look so nervous."

"Nervous?" He cleared his throat, wishing dearly that the water he ordered was here already. "Well, I ... I don't exactly date a lot."

"No? I couldn't tell," she said with clear sarcasm. She nodded towards his menu. "Are you going to order when she gets back?"

Flustered, he fumbled through his menu and tried to find something he knew he might be able to stomach. "Steak is always a good choice," he mumbled to himself.

"How do you like yours? Rare? Medium? Well-done?"

He closed the menu and said, "Bloody."

She smiled. "Oh? Got a little blood-thirst in you?"

"I just prefer not to eat well-done, burned meat. It tastes like rubber."

She laughed at that, a bit of a drawn out thing. "Oh? You know what rubber tastes like?"

"I was a curious child," he added with a smirk. The banter was helping him relax a bit. "I think it's my turn to ask questions."

She nodded in agreement. "Fair enough. I like my steak medium -- not too bloody, but certainly not too well-done. I prefer to eat something that seems cooked."

"No blood-thirst in you?"

"I went as a vampire for Halloween one year and had my fill of it then."

He smirked. "Did you do Halloween for the costume or the candy?"

"Costume," she answered without hesitation. "Candy's fine, but getting to play dress up with hundreds of other people at the same time? Way too fun." She pinched her arm. "Plus, I'm so pale, I didn't have to worry about makeup for some of them."

"Don't see a lot of sun?"

"I see plenty of sun, but I see it through a cockpit of a helicopter." She smiled. "Doesn't do anything for my tan."

He leaned forward. "Your a helicopter pilot?"

She leaned forward. "Your a multi-billionaire owner of a sports team?"

He felt his face pale. "Uh ... well ... yes."

She gave him a look. "At least your honest before dessert." She propped a hand under her chin. "So, I guess you don't see a lot of sun either."

He shook his head. "I see my office a lot." She didn't seem offended at all by his lack of forthrightness, which only intrigued him more. "You don't seem mad," he observed.

"I could be. You never know about pilots, we tend to be pretty crazy outside of a multi-million dollar aircraft." She winked at him as the hostess returned with their drinks, and then took their order.

He got a bloody steak. She got a slightly less bloody steak.

"So, how'd you end up here?"

"On a blind date?" she asked. He nodded and she sighed. "Oh, the usual: friends trying to ensure you don't go mad for real."

"Ah. I know the type."

She nodded. "This isn't the first time they've tried." She smirked. "But it is certainly the most interesting."

"Why's that?"

"You don't the usual questions. Where you work, how you vote, what's your favorite TV show ... all that stuff." She sipped at her water. "In fact, you don't seem to know what the hell you're doing at all."

His cheeks flushed. He had hoped he wasn't that out of practice. "Well ... uh ..."

"It's endearing," she interrupted. She met his eyes. "It's nice not to have a guy try to be super-confident. You're nervous and you don't try to hide it."

I was trying to hide it, he admitted to himself silently, but took the compliment as best he could. "I try to be honest when I can be."

"Do you?" She smiled at him. "Then, honestly, tell me what you think we should do after this."

It felt like the room had just shrunk down and it was her and him in it. And he was under the brightest spotlight ever.

"Uh ... after ... well ... "

"Remember, be honest."

Cornered, he had no choice but to say, "Well, I think after this we should go home. I'm sure you have things to do tomorrow and so do I."

She laughed. "Well, I guess I better make this last."

They stayed at the restaurant until it closed.

Max getting a romance?! I never knew this was possible! I hope they get something good out of it

Lähetetty minun LG-H440n laitteesta Tapatalkilla

[BlindSideNZ]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

Oh that date scene felt all to real. I'm sure we've all been there at least once. Adds a brilliant dynamic to the story which I thoroughly look forward to seeing evolve

[HisRoyalFreshness]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

I was uncomfortably squirming in my chair, just reading that.

Flashbacks to Junior High all over again....

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

Thanks all!

Yes, indeed, this will evolve into something ... not sure what. I have ideas, but we'll see where the story takes us. This is just the first of a few new things for this season, so we'll see how it all mixes, but I'm glad the reception was so warm.

I do like to try make my characters lives as real as they can be, and it seems I hit the mark here. Stay tuned for another game update tomorrow afternoon as we recap the matchup against the Thunder.

[Jumpman14]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

Hey Trek how does restricted free agency play out with 30 team control this year?

[AdamJones113]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

Woohoo! Got caught up, looking great as usual trek!

[Cruzerr]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

Cmon, Max is more of a player than that, money has to effect him somehow, damn it.

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return



It wasn't a pretty game for anyone in a Sonics jersey. OKC walked into the PAC unafraid and out on a mission, and they came out and proved it. The game started off well enough for Seattle, the first half a close contest between two teams that were evenly matched and looked like they would engage in another classic battle.

In what is quickly becoming one of the NBA's fiercest rivalries (and, really, there's a damned good reason for that), the Thunder and Sonics spent the first half trading buckets and blows. Mitch McGary and Marcin Gortat were both whistled for Flagrant 1s on back-to-back possessions, the refs not letting anything slide.

There was a parade to the foul line in the second, and that's really where things started to unravel for the Sonics. They bricked free throws often from the line, the Sonics bigs being the worst offenders -- especially Larry Sanders, who was poor all over the court, but by no means was he the only one.

Despite those free throw troubles, the Sonics went into halftime up 60-54. It was looking good. It was looking too good, honestly, because the Thunder came out and decided that the Sonics were at their worst on the free throw line: they fouled the Sonics gleefully and the Sonics missed free throws.

Points were left all over the court, Jennings and Stephenson both began to play out of control, and the Sonics lost the quarter by a big margin (37-23). They went into the fourth down by eight and they could never climb back. Jennings tried to shoot Seattle back into the game (and shot them out of it), Stephenson gambled too often on defense, and RHJ was left to scramble and try to salvage something.

The only Sonic who played well, statistically, was Nerlens Noel, he of 31 points, 16 boards, and three blocks. Noel proved why Seattle sees him as a franchise big in this game, performing well and keeping the team within striking distance up until the last few minutes of the fourth, when the Sonics fell apart as they tried to rush their shot.

Seattle now falls to 5-1, its first loss of the year and one that's disheartening on so many levels. Jennings looked like a gunner with no sense, Stephenson flashed back to his (brief) Charlotte days, and Gortat looked two steps slower than any one of the Thunder bigs.

It's early to start pressing the panic button, but this game was a reminder that that button is there. Seattle has performed pretty decent this season so far, but their wins have always come with caveats; this loss comes with two in Jennings and Stephenson, who were responsible for four turnovers together and a lot of poor shots.

Seattle next faces the Cavs on the 6th, then the Nuggets, then the Mavs on the 9th, and then go to OKC for a Veteran's Day match. How Seattle fares in the next three games will determine how we should look at their early season success -- they should take the Nuggets and Mavs (and maybe the Cavs, since they look a bit lost right now), but if they don't, there's a reason to panic.

And OKC will only laugh as Seattle does.

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return



You couldn't have predicted how well the Sonics played in this game. After the shellacking the Thunder gave them at home on Nov. 3rd, the Sonics beat the Cavs by one point, the Nuggets by two, and then the Mavericks by one. They didn't eclipse 100 points in any of those games and it appeared that the team's success was going to hinge on its defense from this point forward.

And then you have nights like this, where defense is opportunistic and the offense is rolling like it can do anything.

Seattle came out and looked a little shaky in the first; despite some big shots early from Jennings and Stephenson, Seattle still gave away an eight-point lead and let the Thunder win the quarter, 34-33. The second quarter, however, saw Seattle get some big defensive stops that led to easy transition buckets.

And leading the way were Lance and RHJ. The two defensive aces are also transition monsters and they found one another plenty of times as they ran roughshod all over the Thunder's defensive sets. Unwilling to allow OKC time to set up their defense, Lance and RHJ just throttled the ball down into the hoop, defenders be damned.

OKC got sucked inside trying to stop those two, but they had no answers for them other than to foul, and though neither Lance or RHJ are great free throw shooters, they're good enough to make you not like fouling them.

The Thunder bigs (down Kanter, who's out 4-6 weeks with a fractured shooting hand) just didn't want get into foul trouble midway through the second and they let Lance do his thing. He got inside, he mucked it up, and he somehow came away with buckets.

Once halftime hit, OKC came out and started gunning -- they cut Seattle's seven-point halftime lead to just three a minute into the third quarter, but that's when Brandon Jennings flipped a switch: he went into "Trey Mode" and just started jacking it up from deep, a strategy that lost Seattle the last game against OKC.

The results were much, much different here as Jennings' shot found net, despite him taking it off-balanced, covered, or at the end of the shot-clock. Jennings could hardly miss from deep and every shot he hit seemed to take a little chunk of OKC's soul.

Durant and Westbrook tried to get something going, but they were forced into taking on the bulk of the scoring and they got beaten, repeatedly, by their Sonics counterparts in this shooting contest. Despite 28 points and six assists from Durant, another 23 points and seven dimes from Westbrook, the Thunder were drowning under the barrage of Seattle triples, dunks, and transition buckets.

Seattle scored 33 points on the fast break (OKC only got 14), they had 39 assists (29 for the Thunder), and fouled way less (11 fouls to OKC's 18). It was a poor game for the Thunder despite them turning the ball over less, having their bench score more points, and getting more second chance points.

The Sonics outright dominated the Thunder in this game from halftime onward and Jennings electric shooting from deep, RHJ's vicious dunks and defense, and Lance's incredible all-round play (15 points, 15 dimes -- a career high -- and seven boards) helped seal this deal. Seattle didn't have much help from its bench at all this game, a bad sign usually, but their starters played lights-out when it mattered most.

If you think the Thunder won't remember this, you're kidding yourself. Next time they meet is in Seattle on January 2nd. Book the time and the place, because things could look different for both teams by that point. Seattle now sits at 8-1 as they head to Charlotte to face the Hornets.

Not a bad start to the season for the defending champs. Not bad at all.

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return



The Sonics walked into one of the NBA's loudest and raucous arenas at 12-2, the best record in the NBA, and walked out of there with a win. Chef Curry wasn't allowed to cook (much), Klay Thompson was stifled by Lance Stephenson, and the Sonics played a brand of team basketball that the Warriors employed two years ago to get their title.

The first quarter was a scoring battle, back and forth, between the two offensively talented squads. Early, it was Curry vs. Jennings and Curry got the better of Jennings. He was knocking down his shots while Jennings was just off on his.

So, Brandon Jennings became a distributor, a new wrinkle to his game that he's debuted this season and has seen some success. Half the time when Jennings starts dishing assists, he's also turning the ball over nearly as much, but that wasn't the case this night. Jennings dialed back, dropped some dimes, and helped the Sonics grab a four-point lead on the Warriors home floor.

The second quarter saw Golden State respond with a barrage of triples, while Seattle merely ran their plays and got their shots at the rim and from mid-range. The mid-range game, in particular, helped Seattle maintain the lead despite an onslaught of treys from key Warriors reserves Spencer Hawes and Andre Iguodala.

Taking a two-point lead into halftime, everyone was waiting for Thompson or Green or Barnes to provide Curry with a bit of relief. Chef was shooting lights out while his supporting cast was firing blanks from anywhere on the floor. Thompson, in particular, was just bothered by Stephenson and couldn't get a clean look most of the night.

But the third quarter, historically a weak point for Seattle (since they've been back in the NBA anyway), was a defensive and offensive masterpiece. It was Seattle's best quarter of basketball all year and it was an amazing display of blocks, contested shots, and transition buckets. The Sonics defense was SUPER while the Warriors looked lost.

It was in this quarter that Thompson got an extended run with the second-unit, becoming the offensive center-piece for the bench. He was offensive ... to watch, anyway; Thompson lofted bad shot after bad shot, made ill-advised drives and passes into the paint, and can (and should be) easily blamed for the Warriors huge deficit in that quarter.

Seattle took a commanding 17-point lead into the fourth and the Warriors looked dead. But you can never count out any team with Steph Curry. Curry came back in at the beginning of the fourth and started launching shots and making them.

The Oracle crowd, dead as the Warriors in the third, came back to life and a comeback looked to be on hand. Curry nearly brought them back as Seattle couldn't stop him and the lead grew smaller and smaller, at one point they only lead by five precious points.

But Lance Stephenson, who had been the steadiest, most reliable scorer of the Sonics (there's a sentence I never thought I'd type) decided to take it upon himself to make a difference and he got steals, he got into transition, and he made some deft hockey assists (an assist to the assist) to keep the Sonics ahead.

He picked on Thompson on defense (who continued to shoot poorly, finishing the night 6-of-21) and then went to work on Bogut on offense, where he managed to get the big man to tally five fouls by the mid-point of the fourth and Bogut played conservatively at the end.

Seattle survived the Warriors and walked out of Oracle winners, now sitting at 13-2. They next face the Pistons and then the Warriors (at Seattle) again on the 26th.

Go Sonics.

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

League News

November 21st, 2016

By Vonny Lee


Injury Report






1. Seeing KAT out for the season should make the greater NBA unhappy, especially the T'Wolves fans, who were hoping for a playoff appearance this season and now may be out of luck. Sitting as the 8th seed right now, the T'Wolves have the Warriors, Suns, and Blazers all behind them (with the Suns and Warriors probably the most dangerous). It'll be telling to see how Minny adjusts to life without their future star, but with their depth they still have a chance to make the playoffs.

2. Marc Gasol's injury has likely doomed the Grizzlies. With a record of 5-10, the team from Memphis has become one-dimensional in his absence and the addition of MCW via trade hasn't helped, it's hurt. That experiment looks over and league executives are hinting that Memphis is looking to move away from MCW if the team doesn't correct itself by the end of December.

3. The Boston Celtics are a disaster. Isiah Thomas' injury, combined with that of Smart's, has rendered the Celtics a mess over the last five games, all which they've dropped. They now sit at 4-9 and things looks to get worse before it gets better: Boogie is grumbling, loudly, about the team's play: he's getting his points (20.1 PPG and 11.5 RPG) and doing it on 49 percent shooting, but the rest of the team is struggling mightily. The only person excelling at this point is Avery Bradley, who's scoring 15.5 PPG on 47 percent shooting (37 percent from deep) in easily his best season as a pro.

Contract News

1. Steph Curry has agreed to a 3yr/$77M extension with the Warriors, locking him up for till the summer of 2020. This was a huge signing by the former champions, who will be flush with some cap space this summer thanks to the multiple expiring contracts on their roster. The Warriors are going to have to re-tool and having an MVP caliber player on their roster, as the face of the franchise, is going to be a huge boon as they pitch FAs.

2. Kevin Martin has agreed to a contract extension of 2yrs/$10M with the T'Wolves, the veteran shooter gladly taking a paycut to stay with the up and coming team. Martin's shooting continues to be crucial off the bench and he'll be even more important now that Towns is out for the year.

3. DeRozan signs an extension of 3yrs/$47M with the Raptors. The good fortune for the Toronto Dinos continues, locking up one of their best players for a slight discount. Toronto currently sits atop the conference at 11-3, making it look like this is the year they'll make a big splash in the postseason.

4. Suns sign Alex Len to a 3yr/$22M extension. Len hasn't proven a lot in his time in the league, between being injured and playing behind Chandler, but his signing is relatively cheap and the Suns believe Len is the long-term answer at the five, enough that they're willing to give him this money.

5. Grizzlies sign Jarnell Stokes to a 2yr/$10.2M extension. Stokes, the 2nd round pick out of Tennessee, has shown how valuable he is off the bench in a sixth man role this year, averaging 11.3PPG and 7.6 RPG in only 25 minutes. Stokes will be the future at the four for the Grizzlies, who are still waiting to hear what Zach Randolph will do, but increasingly it seems this will the last iteration of the Grit-and-Grind era.

In Other News ...

1. Dwight Howard has declared he will test free agency, placing the onus on Houston this offseason to pay a premium to retain him or move on. The Rockets sit only at 9-6 this season, currently the 7th seed in the West, and reports out of Houston indicate that Harden is dissatisfied with Lawson and Howard. Lawson wants to re-sign, but no comment has been made by the Rockets front office, and Houston is likely to let both walk in the offseason if this season doesn't end with a title.

2. Chandler Parsons has declared he will test FA as well, making the Mavericks future look increasingly dark. Parsons was brought in to be the future of the franchise but has suffered two injury-filled seasons with Dallas and wants to see what the market has to offer.

Dallas is suffering a seven-game losing streak right now and is in the midst of dealing with the emotional announcement by Dirk that this will be his final season. Nowitzki announced after their most recent loss that he's hanging it up at the end of the season and Mavs nation was stunned. Dallas sits at a horrid 4-12, only two games above the equally bad Nuggets and Jazz, and looks like they'll get to keep their draft pick yet again (as long as that pick falls in the top-seven).

3. Russell Westbrook and the Thunder haven't come to an agreement with a contract extension: GM Sam Presti is pressing for Westbrook to accept less money (somewhere short of 20M a year) but Westbrook is adamant he be paid at least 24M a year. The Thunder can't give that contract to him; Ibaka, Morrow, and Steven Adams are all up for contract extensions and Kanter's huge money has buried any future cap flexibility for the Thunder. The results of this season will determine what happens, but it looks as if Westbrook's monetary demands and the Thunder's lack of cap flexibility will force some tough choices on an organization that doesn't want to pay the luxury tax.

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return



November 23rd, 2016


The rain came down steadily outside his office window and looking out it, he felt a chill run up his spin. He tightened his hands around his steaming hot cup of coffee -- decaf -- and turned to face the two other men within the Sonics organization whom he could trust with his thoughts.

"We're killing it." He allowed a smirk. "14-2 is an amazing accomplishment, especially seeing how we weren't anywhere close to this last season."

Ray, his eyes intensely focused on the iPad he was writing on, nodded once. "The shooting has been better than I expected."

Lionel Hollins shrugged. "Been a season to remember so far. Brandon and Lance have really played well off one another, and Noel has developed faster than I would have expected."

"He's a defensive savant," Max said as he sat down, the highlights of all of Noel's blocks playing out in his mind's eye. Nerlens was doing work in the paint and his increased output was offsetting some of Gortat's decreased effectiveness. "How would you two evaluate the team as a whole?"

Lionel looked off to the side for a moment, then took a sip of his coffee before answering. "We're good. But we get too cocky when we get a lead and we start to gamble: Lance tries for too many steals and Brandon falls a bit too much in love with his shot."

"You've done a good job of reigning that in, though," Ray conceded. He put his iPad down and sipped at his cup of green tea -- even in retirement, the man was adamant that he be in playing shape and allowed himself little room for improvisation. "I think we're better than we were this time last year, but the team as a whole isn't ready yet to face big opponents in the playoffs. OKC continues to challenge, those leads we get evaporate too often in the fourth."

"We're not good closers," Lionel agreed. He set his cup down and leaned forward, his face taking on a very "coach" look. "I think we'll get better down the stretch, but I think December will be much rougher for us. Indiana on the 1st, Portland on the 3rd, the Bucks and Bulls on a back-to-back on the 5th and 6th ... we're not a third of the way through the season."

Max's rational side agreed with that. But his irrational side, the fan in him, wanted to scream that the team was showing championship mettle right now. "We're better than I expected we'd be."

"You? The super fan?" Lionel smirked. "No faith in my coaching abilities."

Ray shot him a glance. "You are missing a great shooter from last year's team."

Lionel's smirk widened. "I'll admit, I do miss Jack."

Max chuckled as he tried to keep his coffee from coming out of his nose. "Ray, how's the draft look?"

Ray's intense focus came back and he picked up his iPad. "At the rate we're going, we're drafting in the 20s."

Lionel nodded. "Gonna have to dig deep."

"Spurs-style," Max agreed. The draft was months and months away, but it wasn't too early to plan, even if it was purely speculation. He'd rather have that than to be caught unprepared. "Well, looking at the list of prospects you sent last time, it seems we have a pretty talented class coming in."

Ray nodded. "Pretty deep, yes. Lots of potential players we could plug into our system here and have them see success."

Lionel held up a hand. "What are we looking for, exactly?"

"Help at the four, the two, or a deep gem at any position," Max answered succinctly. "We might even look for a one, based on how Malik seems to be progressing."

Lionel grunted at that. "Malik is a good kid, but I think he's more a two than a one in this league. I honestly believe that."

"He doesn't have the shooting chops yet to be either," Ray pointed out. "He needs a year, at least, of seasoning on the bench."

"What we said about Chris McCullough, too. And he still looks raw."

Max waved off the comment. "Chris still has plenty of time to develop. I think he can be a difference maker next year."

Lionel looked unconvinced. "I think he wants to be like Carl, except he's not as good as Carl and everyone knows that. Chris doesn't work hard enough."

Max held up his hand. "Before we go tearing up our two youngest players, let's give them time. Rondae developed well."

"He was inserted in there out of necessity," Lionel admitted. "Live game-reps will make or break a rookie and it made him." He smiled. "Damned proud of that, too."

"If only he could make a three every now and then," Ray lamented with just a hint of humor.

All three of them laughed at that.

Ray cleared his throat and swiped at his screen, bringing the information on it live to the big TV on the far left wall of the room. "Here's my list of whom I think we should look at it."

30 names graced the screen, some Max recognized and others he wasn't sure were actual names. "Who's Vasilis Char ... Char ... that kid."

"VC -- it's easier to remember than his really long Greek name -- he's a young kid but a veteran of the game. Been playing professional since he was 15 overseas." Ray tapped on him and brought up his stats. "Super-tough, team player, and loves to prove people wrong. Been compared to Draymond Green, but he's a developmental project at this point ... could be big in three or four years."

Max looked over the names again and his eyes landed on another. "Bragg?"

Lionel smiled at the name. "Been hearing good things about that kid. From Kansas."

"Pick and pop four, good defender, below-average rebounder. Could be there for us." Ray tapped on his stats. "Seems to have a high ceiling, but we'll see how the year plays out."

Max glanced at his clock and stood from his chair. "Well, I think we've got plenty to look at here. Ray, email us this list and we can look it over during the holidays."

"Thanksgiving." Lionel patted his stomach. "Gonna have to run some extra drills when we get back from it."

Ray closed out his windows and turned off his iPad. "I'll narrow the list down into some categories for our next meeting. Have a good Thanksgiving."

"You too," Max said as he grabbed his jacket off his coat rack and put it on. Lionel stood slowly and the two walked out of his office together, their pace lock-step.

"I'm more curious about what you're going to do in free agency," the coach said as he eyed Max. "There are players out there we could use."

"That's ... well, that's a question for after the deadline." Max winked at him. "But let's just say I'm monitoring some things. Especially what's happening out in OKC."

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return



The SuperSonics are dominating the NBA and their latest victim became the San Antonio Spurs. San Antonio has been on a prolonged losing streak since Danny Green has been hurt (broken nose) and Green has been held out some games in order to avoid worsening his injury. This was one such game and, boy, did the Spurs miss him.

The first quarter was all Seattle, starting off with a first possession steal by Jennings, which he calmly took the other way for an easy layup. Jennings had, arguably, his best game of the year as he lit up the Spurs from deep. He went 3-of-4 from beyond the arc in the first quarter alone.

San Antonio had no answer for him except to stick Leonard on him. The former Finals MVP smothered Jennings in the second, but that made it easier for Noel to operate on the inside. Jennings began to dish the ball with ease and he made it look simple out there as San Antonio scrambled to cut off his passes -- but when they did that, he torched them with a shot.

The Spurs went down early and climbed back to within two or three points a few times, but Seattle always managed to get a big shot/steal/stop and the Spurs sputtered back downward. It was an uncharacteristically bad game by LaMarcus Aldridge, who only tallied 14 points and five boards as he struggled to do much of anything on the inside (but he did knock down two triples).

The Spurs biggest problem was stopping the Sonics from scoring in the paint; Lance and RHJ both had their way inside in transition, and Noel ate Aldridge and Hill alive. Their lack of a big man presence (said presence is now a coach for them) made them vulnerable inside, more vulnerable than even Leonard could compensate for.

Seattle now moves to a very impressive 17-2, their start the best in franchise history (easily) and one of the best the modern NBA has seen. They next face the Pacers on Dec. 1st.