Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return



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]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return



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]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

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...

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return



December 5th, 2015

He walked through the empty arena, the silence as inviting as it was deafening. An arena was never meant to be quiet -- it was Max's opinion that it should always be loud, always be rocking. But tonight, it was quiet and he didn't mind that too much. He could use the silence to contemplate.

Another loss, another bad one, had hit the team and more and more it was looking like a move was going to need to be made. Despite his assurances to the fans, he wasn't as confident as he appeared; in fact, he was the opposite of confident right now.

He made his way into the tunnels, heading towards the offices located therein, trying to pace out the thoughts rattling around in his brain. He knew it would be rough this year, but being confronted with the truth of it so bluntly had left him ... wanting. Aching. He wanted this team to win and he needed it to win; he was certain the city had the same feeling.

For too long they had been swept under the rug and used as a cautionary tale. For too long Seattle had been leverage to the NBA -- specifically David Stern -- to threaten other cities with the same fate that befell them. It was insulting to be viewed in that light for years on end.

But I took a team to get us back, he reminded himself ruefully, guilt working its way into a knot in his gut. He shook his head, locking his jaw as he walked down the tunnels. He did take the Nets, he did take Brooklyn's team, but they had been New Jersey's team before and guess what? They let them go to Brooklyn without much of a fight. Brooklyn's fans did the same thing here -- for all the fire and anger in the beginning, it had dissipated to less than a smoldering.

H wasn't Clay Bennett -- he hadn't ripped a team from the hearts of a city violently or done it in a devious way.

As he rounded a corner, he was distracted by a light coming from one of the coaches offices. Unsure -- and unaware -- if anyone else was in the arena this late in the night, he approached the door to see Lionel Hollins sitting in a dimly lit room, game footage playing out in front of him as a stack of paper was sitting in another chair beside him.

Max allowed himself a smile and knocked on the door. "Care for company?"

Hollins blinked at the screen then turned to him, a smirk on his face. He paused the video and moved the papers in the chair beside him. "I could use a break."

Max took the invitation and sat down, his eyes drifting to the screen. "Ah, the Miami game," he said with little enthusiasm. He had watched it from his office and they had been crucified in the second half.

Hollins let out a chuckle. "You sound like you enjoyed it."

"Oh, yeah, loved it. Especially the part where we rolled over and died," he said with clear sarcasm. He didn't blame Hollins in the least -- the man was a good coach, though perhaps not the coach for this team. Max hadn't extended his contract and Hollins hadn't asked why. Truth be told, the two men had barely said more than a few sentences to one another since Max took ownership.

Hollins took his pen and pointed at a part of the screen. "We got lax in the third and then they steamrolled us." He shook his head. "Didn't expect them to roll out the lineup they did ... damn fine adjustment."

Max stayed away from questioning what happened that game -- it was in the past now. "What about tomorrow?" The Kings were coming into town and George Karl was known for running a fast paced offense.

Hollins leaned back in his chair, a sigh escaping him. "We need the win. I plan on winning, the players plan on it, but plans are only good in theory. They look different in execution." Hollins gave him a look. "The players are worried someone's getting traded ... this group is pretty tight, they know what they represent to this city; they don't want to see one of their own go."

It was Max's turn to sigh. "I don't have any plans on it, but the trade deadline isn't till February. I could be offered a deal."

"You could," Hollins acknowledged. He let that hang in the air for a moment before adding, "But you shouldn't."

Max arched an eyebrow. "Oh?" He was genuinely curious. Hollins was not a coach who made his thoughts known about his players unless asked; rarely did he ever butt into the GM side of things.

"Don't misunderstand me, I like what you've put together. But these guys, these players, they carry a responsibility no other team in this league does; a lot of guys would break under this weight. These guys aren't those kind." Hollins picked up a clipboard and began jotting down some notes. "We have the right team, it's just a matter of development and finding the right combination."

Max leaned forward. "What would you do?" It was a dangerous question, one best left for Danny perhaps, but he wanted to hear the coach's thoughts. "Honestly, you think we can be a playoff contender?"

Hollins didn't look up from his clipboard. "Absolutely." He met Max's eyes. "My Grizzlies teams had some of this same mettle ... an underrated foreign big-man, a defensive stopper on the wing, an under-appreciated point. We had a culture, a depth, that was similar to this in the beginning."

Max took a breath, then offered a nod. "I tend to agree that we have something here." He looked at the floor, then met Hollins' eyes. "I can't guarantee I won't trade anyone, though. A deal might show up that I can't refuse."

Hollins nodded. "I get that; just make sure when you consider that deal, to consider what you already have and what you're bringing in. Trades don't fix everything." He gave Max a smirk. "Just ask the Mavericks."

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

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...

^Dude, I agree, I didn't think we'd be as good as we are right now. I thought we were looking at a losing season, probably 10 games under .500, but the team has really come together well -- and that's with Noel out, who's superior in many ways to Landry.

We're in the playoff hunt and if we can get to 45-50 games won, we have a really good chance of getting to the playoffs. A playoff matchup with OKC would be legendary this early in the dynasty, but I don't know if we can keep up our momentum.

Seattle just doesn't want to see another losing team and I can't blame them -- they had losing teams for the last few years of the Sonics existence before the 2008 season and then the Sonics got moved. Psychologically, the city needs them to be winners if only just 42-40.

[MegaBran]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

Interested to see the developing relationship between Coach Hollins and Mad Max! And I would have to agree with the coach on his point, the players need to rally from within and dealing anyone could throw off what so far has been a successful start to the season in my eyes. Keep up the great work!

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return




Sonics Lose Close to Thunder

December 8th, 2015

By Vonny Lee

The Sonics fell to 12-9 after their most recent loss, this time to the Thunder, in a game that saw the two teams play on the same level for most of the game. It wasn't until there was 5:22 to go in the fourth did the Thunder finally pull away, Russell Westbrook finding his shot and draining deep threes from beyond the arc. The Sonics had no response but, for the first time all year, they can hold their heads high in this loss.

Seattle, however, will lose the season series with the Thunder, who have taken two of the three games and Seattle's only hope for revenge is to best them when they come to the Emerald City on January 6th, a game that Seattle has to win after the most recent loss.

But the game was supremely competitive and the Sonics battled back from a multiple deficits throughout the game, never letting the Thunder lead climb above ten. Defensively, the team saw multiple steals and fast-break opportunities -- unfortunately, the Sonics missed multiple shots on the fast-break, the offense unable to find its rhythm in transition.

The Sonics main weakness continues to be its lack of defense beyond the arc, where Kevin Durant and late Russell Westbrook lit them up. If the Sonics had better defense out there, had capitalized on more fast-break chances, and hadn't missed four crucial free throws in the final quarter, this result might have been different.

After the game owner and GM Max Newman had this to say:

"It was a tough loss tonight and I feel a bit sick that we did lose ... but our team showed an effort tonight against one of the best teams in the league, and that effort will define us as we go forward. I'm proud of our effort and our play tonight; I hope the fans are as well."

The Sonics next game is against the Hawks on the 10th, where they look to avenge the beatdown ATL handed to them merely a week earlier.

NBA Signings

Multiple extensions were announced this week, so let's take a quick look at the big ones.

1. Drummond signs a 3yr/$36M extension with the Pistons.

Andre Drummond stays in Detroit on a deal that pays the big pretty much exactly what he's worth -- he'll be eligible to enter FA at 26, right in his prime, and should be even better than he is now.

2. Beal signs a 3yr/$30M extension with the Wizards.

Bradley Beal deserved more, but injury concerns knocked his value down -- if he can stay healthy over the course of this deal, the Wizards (or some team) will really have to open the bank to get his services.

3. Conley agrees to 3yr/$28.65M extension with the Grizzlies.

Mike Conley is one of the best point guards in the game, yet is consistently forgotten about and underrated. Nevertheless, he's more important to the Grizzlies than most in the league and the two worked out a contract that was amicable to both sides. Conley might be the bridge needed to get to the end of the Gasol/Randolph era, or he might be a stop gap measure, but the Grizzlies are planning for the future as they see the end of their current run more clearly now than ever before.

[Number999]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

Holy crap man, awesome job on all of this! Finally got to catch up reading and the customization you're gonna have for this year is so awesome. Hopefully you can bring them a 'ship and enter the Seattle sports legendary pantheon of Steve Largent, Russell Wilson, Clint Dempsey, and Ken Griffey Jr. :P

Also, how about them Heat!?!?? lol

[abrod266]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

This is amazing, dude! Even though I'm a huge Nets fan and am a little upset that you took them away from the NJ/NY fans, I am really intrigued by your idea of taking this dynasty 80 years into the future, which would be so awesome.

Only request, which I did see another person ask already, is if you can bring back the New Jersey Nets sometime during this 80-year dynasty. I don't care which team you choose to move there, as long as you could do so.

And again, this has been awesome so far. I'll definitely be following this.

[bryan3169]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

I realistically think the best move back East would to New Jersey/Brooklyn/Bronx? would possibly be the Pistons to further illustrate the decaying Detroit economy. Milwaukee would be a secondary choice because of their stadium situation.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

Holy crap man, awesome job on all of this! Finally got to catch up reading and the customization you're gonna have for this year is so awesome. Hopefully you can bring them a 'ship and enter the Seattle sports legendary pantheon of Steve Largent, Russell Wilson, Clint Dempsey, and Ken Griffey Jr. :P

Also, how about them Heat!?!?? lol

Yeah, how about them Heat?! Holy crap are they killing it and the worst part is that they're doing it with a short bench -- Amare is out with a broken leg for 2-4 more weeks I believe. They're beast mode right now. Thanks for the follow.

This is amazing, dude! Even though I'm a huge Nets fan and am a little upset that you took them away from the NJ/NY fans, I am really intrigued by your idea of taking this dynasty 80 years into the future, which would be so awesome.

Only request, which I did see another person ask already, is if you can bring back the New Jersey Nets sometime during this 80-year dynasty. I don't care which team you choose to move there, as long as you could do so.

And again, this has been awesome so far. I'll definitely be following this.

Thanks for the follow!

Yes, I did feel a bit bad taken the Nets, but out of all the teams I considered to take, it was between them or Charlotte. As far as the New Jersey Nets, I believe they will come back one day -- I plan to restore them to power; I think Charlotte becomes them (Jordan hates losing and will eventually tire of losing with this franchise) so I see them being sold away and the new owner moving the team back to East Rutherford. But that's probably 8-10 years down the road, when Jordan gets older and his patience wears thinner.


And now here are the highlights from that last Thunder game -- tough loss, but I was pleased with how well we played them throughout. You just can't beat superstar talent without superstar talent.

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return



December 16th, 2015

The final buzzer sounded and Max let out the breath he hadn't realized he had been holding, letting out a loud yell and a fist pump that would make Tiger Woods blush. The arena was rocking with the chants of "LET'S GO SONICS! LET'S GO SONICS! LET'S GO SONICS!" as the crowd stayed, stood, and gave a standing ovation to the team.

All of it was deafening, all of it was near ear-shattering, but it made him feel alive and it felt good. From his seat right behind the bench, Max reached over and offered his hand to his favorite player, Ray Allen, and the two shook enthusiastically.

Twelve years ago Ray had become a Sonic and immediately became one of Max's favorite players -- just 20-years-old at the time, Max was still in college, still watching Sonics games on his small 12-inch tube TV, and half the time he was fighting with the damned thing to get good reception.

But the one thing that had always held true with that TV and Ray was that, when Ray shot a three, the TV would never have an issue; any other play was up in the air as the signal fluctuated sometimes, but the threes by that sweet shooting guard were never missed by Max.

If he was honest with himself, signing Ray was a move made for nostalgic purposes more than anything; some in Seattle held a small opinion of him since he was traded to Boston, but Ray had never said anything prior to that about being traded. Above all, Ray was a professional -- and an adopted son of the city in Max's opinion.

"Way to go, Ray!" Max yelled above the clamor, his voice barely registering, but Ray heard him all the same and only smiled as he was swallowed back up by his teammates. His insertion into the starting lineup hadn't been flawless -- he wasn't shooting great, but he was doing better than Crawford and the first-team just ran better with him.

Max slowly turned in his seat, listening to the arena applaud and cheer, and felt his chest fill with joy. This is what Seattle was supposed to be, this was the sanctuary that the people of this city had been missing. Seattle wasn't known for its sunny skies, and every team that played there played outside, where the clouds would hang.

But there were no clouds in this arena; there was only the Sonics and the joy they brought, the bright lights of the greatest sports stage in Seattle. Basketball was back and it was beautiful.

****

The game had been over for nearly two hours now, but Max could still feel the buzz in the air. His skin crawled with excitement and, not for the first time, he looked down at the box score of the game.




The team was finding its way. Now sitting at 15-10, they were still in the 7th seed of the playoffs, with Dallas trailing them at 12-12. It wasn't as good as some in the media demanded (Max's opinion of the Seattle Times Vonny Lee wasn't high) but it was good enough. With Noel returning to the starting lineup from his injury soon, the team would be even better.

"That was some game." Max turned around to see Paul Allen, owner of the Blazers and the Seahawks, with a grin affixed to his face. "Must admit, I thought we had you at the ten minute mark."

Max grinned back at him. He had invited Paul to the arena after the game for some drinks and conversation. He had questions he wanted to ask. "I thought we were going to let it slip away," he admitted as he reached into the mini-fridge and pulled out a bottle of white wine. "Would you prefer something else?"

Paul waved him off. "That'll be fine, thank you." Rather than taking a seat in the plush leather chairs of the owner's suite -- something Max had no intention of ever using, he'd rather be on the floor -- Allen sat down at the minibar. "You've assembled quite a team."

Max finished pouring both their glasses, stuck the wine back into the fridge, and gave a glass to Paul. "I'd like think so." He held out his glass. "A toast: to Seattle. May it continue to thrive."

Paul clinked his glass against Max's and took a sip of his wine. He nodded with approval. "You have good taste."

"My mother instilled me with it; my father was always a beer drinker." Unbidden, memories of his father's rants against wine popped into his mind; the old man had always been a staunch defender of beer while his mother had always found it unrefined.

Both his parents had drank and so had his brother.

Gill just took it too far.

"You want to know something," Paul stated, amusement in his voice. "I suppose I would have questions too in your position."

Brought back to the moment, Max put aside his feelings on his brother. "Uh ... yes, actually." He took a sip of his wine, then sat his glass to his far left. He pushed his frames up. "Why did you fight for me?" He held out his hands. "For this?"

"I would hope my love for Seattle is more than apparent at this point," Paul joked, his lips curled into a smirk. "This city, these people ... they matter more to me than words can express." He pointed at Max. "And that's why I fought as hard as I did for you. For this. Since the Sonics were relocated, this city hasn't been the same." Paul leaned forward a little, his voice dropping an octave. "Even when we won the Superbowl, the feeling wasn't quite the same as the championship in '79. That title and the feelings associated with it ... I've never felt anything like that since."

Max took another sip of wine as he watched Paul's face relax. "And that's why you threw your support behind me, some punk coder?"

He laughed. "It was a gut feeling, I admit. Your ambition was far greater than anything I thought was still out there. People don't have the passion you do, it's a rare thing and should be encouraged; accepted. You came in here strong and you made a believer out of me." He sipped his wine, then added, "But I was a believer in the Sonics first. I would have supported anyone who managed to clear the hurdles you did."

Max chuckled at the compliment; it wasn't often a billionaire had good things to say about him. "I hope the other owners don't take it out on you."

Paul waved off the comment. "Most of them understand business is business, not personal." He frowned. "But Bennett isn't one of those. He tends to take things personally." He pointed a finger at Max. "And you should beware that you don't do the same. You have to balance passion with practicality. Clay Bennett isn't my favorite person in the world, but I have -- and will -- have to deal with him. It's a fact of the NBA."

Max's face grew dark. "You can do that. I won't. The Thunder are at the top of the list of organizations we have to bring down; they, and they alone, are the most responsible for the loss of the Sonics. They still parade around with our star."

"Their star," Paul corrected, his voice cautionary. "Durant is OKC and OKC is Durant. One day he may leave there ... but that day isn't coming soon. I hope you don't think he'll head anywhere but there this summer."

Max shook his head. "I'm not that delusional."

The other man laughed. "Just make sure to keep it that way. In the NBA, the more delusional you get, the worse your team becomes."

[Gensi2k]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

This team is really surprising me. Gortat and Landry are really in tune, Crawford seems to be back to the good old days...I think the Sonics' return in postseason is close!

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

This team is really surprising me. Gortat and Landry are really in tune, Crawford seems to be back to the good old days...I think the Sonics' return in postseason is close!

Yeah, I'm really surprised how well the team has come together. It's based around a pick and roll offense, defensively it's protecting the paint, and the bigs are going to work. Lionel Hollins runs a system that is very big-man friendly and I've tried to replicate that here.

And here are the highlights from last night's game.

[eyes of hazel]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

Great writing man.

I think the 2016 NBA Draft will be key. Seattle fans will be excited about the Sonics finally having player that's "theirs" from the roots since the return.

Intrigued to see who is drafted, and if that young player will succumb to the pressure.