Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

An unlucky loss but I have faith. Absolutely loved the little story chapter in between great touch.

The intros are absolutely fantastic aren't they!

And wow RHJ is killing it. Definitely not what I expected but you can't argue it.

RHJ and I are made for one another; love cutting to the rim with that man, he just dunks over everyone (though, admittedly, he misses some easy ones sometimes but he's a rookie and I have to remind myself of that). I wish to high heaven he had a decent 3-pt shot, but his shooting is very, very raw. Gonna take a full season of training on that alone to really improve him (and it might take two) but by the time his rookie contract is over he'll at least be competent (above a 70 I hope) from deep.

Until then he's my defensive ace (along with Noel) who can shift around and play whomever he needs to, 1-4. He picks up a lot of fouls some nights, but he and Noel are the only two defenders on this team. Everyone else is just average or below (by quite a ways -- looking at you Crawford).

But RHJ was feeling it in Game 2, it's a shame it went down as an L but he stepped up after his poor performance in Game 1.

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

Sonics Throttle Thunder in Game 3

April 30th, 2016

By Vonny Lee


The Seattle SuperSonics have had issues all season playing in OKC. Two games there, two losses: after the fourth quarter collapse of Seattle in Game 2, there wasn't a lot of hope that they could avoid another loss in the Thunder's house of horrors.

But the Sonics came out in Game 3 on a mission to take back control of the series and it began in the first quarter, where Seattle got out to a seven-point lead behind the steady play of Marcin Gortat, who frequently found the ball passed to him in the post, where he went to work on Enes Kanter.

Kanter, offensively good from the floor, has never been known for his defense and Gortat took advantage of the younger player on the low block, pump faking, spinning, and rolling to the rim. The younger Kanter resorted to fouling early and got himself two quick ones before the first half was over.

Kanter was subbed out for Steven Adams, who was still dealing with a pinched nerve in his back and not at full strength; still, Adams was more effective defensively and he helped slow Gortat. The Sonics used the threat of the big man to open up the rest of their offense, however.

The second quarter was a show for the Sonics bench, who were led by Jeremy Lin and Jamal Crawford. Lin and Crawford frequently found one another with their passes and the two-man game from the pair of guards was a sight to behold as the ball flew between them. The Thunder's second unit had no answer for either of them and the unselfish play of both helped spur the Sonics to a 62-49 lead at the half.

The third quarter saw the starters pick up where the bench left off, as the Sonics started rolling from the field. Jarrett Jack started to warm up, as did RHJ, and the two of them continued the two-man game that Lin and Crawford had started in the second.

The Thunder could not stop the bleeding, chief among them Kevin Durant who picked up four fouls in the third quarter and hit the bench halfway through it. Coach Billy Donovan was not pleased with the way the whistles blew in this game and let the refs know about it on the floor.

The arrival of the fourth signaled the end of the game. The Thunder were down 99-75 and the arena was dead quiet. Donovan elected not to put Durant back into the game at all and the Thunder played without their star player as Westbrook led the first unit in a futile comeback attempt. RHJ fouled out of the game in the fourth but, by that point, the damage was done.

The Sonics steal a game in OKC and now have a chance to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the series if they win in Game 4; such a win is something the Sonics can only hope for.

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

Sonics Steal Game 4

May 2nd, 2016

By Vonny Lee



The Seattle SuperSonics have been know for many things during this magical season, but two things they haven't been known for have been their defense and their mid-range game.

It is those two things that allowed Seattle to figuratively and literally steal this game from the Thunder.

OKC came out on a mission in the first quarter, their home-pride harmed after the dramatic beatdown the Sonics gave them days before. Durant -- tired and tentative looking in Game 3 -- came out fresh and let the Sonics know it. Durant shot lights-out from deep in the first, going 4-of-6, but his offense wasn't enough to give the Thunder the lead.

In the second, the bench units saw the floor and Seattle's advantage in that category continued. Jamal Crawford led the way for them as Lin struggled with his shot (but not his passing) and Seattle was able to add a little more to their lead, heading into halftime up 49-43.

The third quarter saw Russell Westbrook take matters into his own hands as he led the Thunder on an angry, rage-filled quarter as he drove in and took abuse, after abuse from the contact. The refs, whose whistles have been heard in this series, swallowed them in the third and let play determine the outcome.

The Thunder watched Westbrook go to work but also saw Durant's deep balls miss left and right, just slightly off despite getting quality looks. It was a trend that would continue in the fourth as Seattle powered back from a slight deficit on multiple occasions, the Thunder unable to keep any lead as Seattle just kept coming, relentlessly going to the pick and roll and taking it inside with their bigs.

But, as it often does with this team, the Sonics didn't make things interesting till there was less than 3:00 minutes to go in the fourth. It was there that the Sonics began to play their best defense of the season, coming up with contested shots, big rebounds (the Sonics were beat on the boards all game), and steals: two crucial ones.

The first occurred with 1:56 to go, as Durant was attempting to dribble by RHJ. Westbrook had Jack on the low-block and was calling for the ball, but rather than pass, Durant tried to dribble away and to the left of Jefferson: the result was him getting too close to Gortat, who came away with the steal and streaked down the court with Jack and Jefferson lockstep with him all the way.

Gortat deftly passed to Jefferson, who slammed it right atop Durant's head and didn't even trying to pretend it wasn't a big deal, the rookie's excitement felt by every Sonics fan in the arena.

The Sonics had tied the game, 103-103, but would give up a jumper from Kanter at the other end, the lead now with the Thunder, 105-103. Seattle didn't panic, as they might have at the beginning of the season, and instead ran their offense -- right back through RHJ, who set a pick, rolled to the rim, and dunked over Ibaka, Kanter, and Andre Roberson at once.

The Thunder scored again, then on the next Sonics possession fouled Noel in the act of shooting. The big man hit the first free-throw, missed the second, and in transition the Thunder came up the floor with a precious one-point lead. It was here where the second crucial steal came, as Andre Roberson -- of all people -- was carrying the ball up the floor, got caught in a corner, and passed back into the paint, aiming the ball for one of his teammates, but instead finding the hands of Ray Allen.

Allen rushed the ball back up the floor and found Jefferson again, who took the ball and slammed it home with no one around.

The Thunder missed their next shot (a wide-open triple from Durant), the Sonics gave the ball to Noel, who was fouled again. He missed the first, got the second, and with 35.3 seconds left the Sonics were leading 109-107. The Thunder got the ball and rushed it across the floor, Westbrook diving into the defense and heading towards the rim.

He lofted a floater that met the hand of Nerlens Noel, who sent it back with force. The ball fell into the hands of Gortat, who passed it up court to a streaking Allen, who jumped into the wayback machine and dunked it home for the empathetic lead. 111-107 was the score as the Thunder took their last timeout with 24.1 seconds left.

The remainder of the game would be rushed shots from the Thunder, rebounds by the Sonics, and fouls, but the end result would be a crucial win by the Sonics, who now lead the series 3-1. Ray Allen was named player of the game and nearly had a double-double (24 points, 9 assists) and his legend grows with his performance tonight.

The Thunder are now most likely to lose this series -- comebacks can happen (look at the Rockets/Clippers series from last season) but they are oh so rare and don't happen in back-to-back postseasons.

The Thunder now have lingering questions that can't easily be answered. What happened to Durant in the fourth quarter, who virtually disappeared as Westbrook tried to rally the team? Where was Billy Donovan, who let his players play this out yet again and again watched them falter when he could have called a timeout?

As the Thunder struggle with those questions, elation is the only thing on the minds of Sonics fans: they're about to knock the Thunder out of the playoffs and, with Anthony Davis and the Pelicans up 2-1 on the Warriors, the Sonics could conceivably make the Finals in their first season back from non-existence.

Reality may have to wait a little longer before intruding on this fantasy.

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

And the highlights from the game are up. This one came down to the wire.

[unkram]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

Helluva run by your guys!

Guess I should take back all of those things I mumbled under my breathe when you turned down the MKG deal

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

Helluva run by your guys!

Guess I should take back all of those things I mumbled under my breathe when you turned down the MKG deal

Man, I'm SUPER pleased with how the playoffs are going. The Thunder are really vulnerable to fourth quarter collapses this series; I should probably be down 3-1 if they had managed to steal Game 1 (almost did), and close out Game 4 (they throttled me in Game 2, as they should).

But the momentum is mine and the conference finals matchup is looking VERY favorable (Pelicans up 3-1 on the Warriors).

I really liked that MKG trade -- still do to an extent, he's better than RHJ and the man is my type of player (minus his lack of a shot), but RHJ has shown himself to be pretty capable and he and Noel are my franchise guys at this point.

Tonight, the closeout game at home for Seattle ... hoping we can come through, really want to get that extra few days of rest and seal the deal on our home floor. Definitely don't want to go back to OKC.

[infamyice]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

Gortat is doing big things in this semi-finals heated rivalry, I'm liking it.

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

Gortat is doing big things in this semi-finals heated rivalry, I'm liking it.

He's worth every penny. I kinda feel bad for the Wizards, lol. The trade looked better for them in the beginning of the year!

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

Sonics Survive Thunder in Game 5

May 4th, 2016

By Vonny Lee




The Oklahoma City Thunder have been eliminated from the playoffs in a Game 5 that came down to the last seconds.

It wasn't as pretty a win as Seattle would have liked, but it was a win nonetheless. OKC, within striking distance of just a few precious points all game, came charging forward in the fourth quarter behind the flashy passing of Russell Westbrook and the sweet stroke of Kevin Durant. Durant, whom had 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting, found his stroke after a cold third quarter. But Durant's biggest weapon -- the triple -- was neutered by the ferocious defense of Hollis-Jefferson.

Jefferson was hot in the fourth, scoring 12 of his 20 points in the quarter after being mostly absent the previous three. The Sonics killed the Thunder with their passing and their bench, three of the Sonics bench players scoring in double-digits.

The biggest among them was Jamal Crawford, whom was named player of the game thanks to his decisive play in the third and fourth quarters.



Crawford wasn't the only one who played big in the final quarter; Jeremy Lin, hero of Game 1, was a factor yet again, this time dishing five assists and scoring 12 points on an ultra efficient 5-of-8 shooting.

The biggest shots of the fourth quarter, however, belonged to Carl Landry. After a Westbrook leaner with 59 seconds left in the game, the Sonics brought the ball up the floor and attempted to find some offense. Ray Allen called for a pick but the Thunder denied him any chance to pass the ball. Allen, with the shot clock winding down, found Carl Landry, who pumped faked his way open and knocked a jumper down in Enes Kanter's face.

After a Thunder miss and a Sonics miss, the Thunder got the ball back with 16.5 seconds remaining, inbounding the ball to Westbrook. Westbrook was hounded by Jarrett Jack, could not find Kevin Durant who was being blanketed by RHJ, and had to pass to a cutting Andre Roberson.

Roberson had Ray Allen on him like glue and lofted up a poor triple, which clanked off the rim as time wound down.

The Sonics and their fans celebrated as the Thunder players stayed on the floor, shocked at the loss. Durant, in particular, stood staring at the rim, his thoughts his own as the Sonics celebrated around him. The former franchise star of Seattle, albeit for only a year, had now had his championship dreams crushed by the team that had drafted him.

For Seattle, the win signifies the mantra all season of the organization: it's about the we, not the me. There are few individual stars on this Sonics team -- it could be anyone, depending on the night. This series proved how dangerous that can be in an NBA that still subscribes to the theory that the only way to win a title in this league is with a star.

The team that Seattle must now be compared with is the 2004 Pistons, who upset the heavily favored (and star-studded) Lakers in the 04 Finals, a team that got by with team-play and tenacious defense. There were no stars, but plenty of good players -- it's likely only one player from that squad has a shot at the Hall of Fame and he would be Chauncey Billups.

Seattle is much like that team, except they get by with team-play and timely offense. There's only one Hall of Fame player on the squad (right now), a 40-year old Ray Allen who's contributions to this team should all but guarantee his ticket be punched for the Hall.

Seattle now moves onto the Conference Finals for the first time since the 1996 Finals team, where they'll likely face the Pelicans, whom have a 3-1 lead on the Warriors.

For the Thunder, they once again fall short and the questions will be many. Why did Westbrook pass to Roberson -- again, of all people -- for the final shot? Why not take it himself? Westbrook was 3-of-9 from deep, shooting better than Durant from there. The Thunder were in the bonus, why didn't Westbrook dive inside and hope for the foul?

Why did Durant not demand the ball? Why did he and Westbrook not find a way to get together?

From coaching decisions to disappearing acts, the Thunder have been a mystery this entire series for outsiders looking in. Andre Roberson, already a scapegoat from one game, will now be an easy target for this one. He took over the starting spot for Dion Waiters midseason and didn't do much with it. Waiters and he will likely both be gone in the offseason.

The Thunder will have to take a hard look at themselves, but perhaps the biggest elephant in the room is this: with the way Westbrook and Durant played with one another in this series, can the two coexist? There were multiple instances where Westbrook looked like the leader on the floor and where he, not Durant, took control. There were also many instances of the ball not finding its way to Durant from Westbrook's hands. Did Westbrook freeze Durant out during critical moments to try and prove something?

Did Westbrook's taste of being the alpha-dog last season, with Durant out with injury, awaken his need to be the star?

Those are all things the Thunder, their fans, and the press will ask in the coming weeks and months. While they ask these questions, the Thunder will have to sit and watch as the Sonics move on.

[Trent Booty]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

Top four teams in the league, and your Sonics are one of them! I hope my Sonics (Clippers roster) has a similar fate. Question, are you in year one or year two? I'm wondering if I should play a year as the clippers, and leave the Grizzlies in Memphis, and THEN move them to Seattle and Vancouver right before the end of year one, or should I go with them straight from the get-go?

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

Top four teams in the league, and your Sonics are one of them! I hope my Sonics (Clippers roster) has a similar fate. Question, are you in year one or year two? I'm wondering if I should play a year as the clippers, and leave the Grizzlies in Memphis, and THEN move them to Seattle and Vancouver right before the end of year one, or should I go with them straight from the get-go?

I went with them straight from the get-go; I figured if I'm dong a MyLeague where I'm going to relocate a team, I might as well do sooner rather than later; if I had to play a season as the Nets, I might have just died, lol.

[Trent Booty]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

I went with them straight from the get-go; I figured if I'm dong a MyLeague where I'm going to relocate a team, I might as well do sooner rather than later; if I had to play a season as the Nets, I might have just died, lol.

Thanks for the response. I was thinking the same thing. I'll just do a alternate reality thing like you've done in the past.

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

The Second Round Postmortem

May 8th, 2016

By Vonny Lee



The NBA's second round has now ended and it was quite a ride. Four teams go home and the only company they have are questions.

1. The Warriors -- the defending champs fell to the Pelicans in six games. After going down 3-1, the Warriors squeaked out a four-point win in Game 5 behind the flamethrower shooting of Steph Curry.

But not even Curry could have predicted how emphatically Anthony Davis would pummel them in Game 6. Davis scored 34 points, grabbed 12 boards, and stuffed the rest of the stat sheet in a dominating performance that left no doubt how he felt about a potential Game 7. Davis' points propelled the Pelicans to a 124-93 win against the Warriors in NOLA.

The Warriors didn't go out with a bang, they went out with a whimper. Preseason title picks, the team could never shake the injury bug, which struck big-time contributors for long periods. Bogut missed most of the regular season, Iggy nearly half that, and when Bogut returned Barnes went out. With both Iggy and Barnes gone from the lineup, the Warriors were forced to play Livingston and Barbosa at the two, forcing Thompson to the three and the Warriors depth simply failed them.

The defending champs are gone from the postseason and now face questions about their bench and, possibly, if they were just one-hit wonders.

2. The Thunder -- had a truly scarring series. This series was 90s Knicks/Pacers hatred and every game was emotional. After losing Game 1 in OT thanks to a very unclutch Westbrook, the Thunder took Game 2 and went back to OKC all tied up.

When they left OKC, they were down 3-1. Game 3 was a pure exercise in bullyball by the Sonics and Game 4 was another close affair that Seattle just barely got away with. Game 5 was the definitive loss of the series for the Thunder -- with the clock winding down, Westbrook got the ball to Andre Roberson who promptly clanked his game-winning triple off the rim.

Questions about the relationship between Durant and Westbrook are numerous, but both players deny any fractures; reports out of OKC back up the claim, but a few high-profile NBA Insiders are saying that Westbrook and Durant are not good and the two players are at odds. Things haven't gotten bad, but Westbrook is reportedly strongly considering leaving the Thunder in 2017 (when his contract comes up) and seeking a max deal on a team that he can lead himself.

The Thunder will be very interesting to watch next season and the only salve for their wounds may be a championship or, at the very least, a decisive series that knocks Seattle out of the playoffs.

3. The Grizzlies -- put up more of a fight than anyone would have guessed. Only one game in the series -- Game 4 -- was a true throttling by the Cavaliers (a 137-108 win) but every other game was close till the end. Cleveland let one slip away in Game 3, but more than made up for it the next game.

They had no trouble closing out the Grizzlies, who continued to play without Zach Randolph and still made things competitive. Despite the loss, the Grizz look to be a serious challenger next season if Randolph can come back in good shape and if the Grizzlies choose to re-sign Jeff Green. Green averaged 20.3 PPG and 5.6 RPG on 41 percent shooting, 37 from deep, and had a good regular season, playing all 82 games.

Green's price tag, however, will be expensive -- at least 12M -- and he'll be 30 by the start of next year's playoffs. Will the Grizzlies choose to stay the course or is this next season the beginning of the end for the Grit and Grind era?

4. The Bulls -- came within four points of beating the Heat in Game 6, but fell just short. They had nothing left to give in Game 7 and were taken behind the woodshed for a 109-83 beating that probably made Coach Thibs vomit a little from whatever couch he's on.

Hoiberg's first season has to go down as a success, despite the injury to Mike Dunleavy which severely hampered the Bulls spacing. Dunleavy's replacement, Tony Snell, did a decent job but his defense is far more polished than his shooting at this point.

The Bulls must now ask how much is Noah really worth. Noah, the heart and soul of the team through the darkest days of Derrick Rose's injury plagued years, will be a free agent and has publicly professed his desire to go back to the Bulls.

The Bulls knew this and knew this four months ago; probably longer. Noah will be a free agent and, despite him having a good season (playing all 82 games and averaging 10.3 PPG and 10.7 RPG), it's not a lock that Chicago wants him back. Hoiberg would like to move to a more offensively accomplished big man at the five, someone who can shoot more than Noah can and help spread the floor.

Whether such a big is on the market is the question. The Bulls would like to get younger and Noah is already 31, having multiple foot issues over the last few years. His fate in Chicago could be the first domino to fall in dismantling the Rose/Noah Bulls and giving the keys to Jimmy Butler as the team's franchise player. Such a move would undoubtedly be unpopular to the Chicago faithful, but the Bulls have always put practically above popularity.

[Trent Booty]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

The Second Round Postmortem

May 8th, 2016

By Vonny Lee



The NBA's second round has now ended and it was quite a ride. Four teams go home and the only company they have are questions.

1. The Warriors -- the defending champs fell to the Pelicans in six games. After going down 3-1, the Warriors squeaked out a four-point win in Game 5 behind the flamethrower shooting of Steph Curry.

But not even Curry could have predicted how emphatically Anthony Davis would pummel them in Game 6. Davis scored 34 points, grabbed 12 boards, and stuffed the rest of the stat sheet in a dominating performance that left the no doubt how he felt about a potential Game 7. Davis' points propelled the Pelicans to a 124-93 win against the Warriors in NOLA.

The Warriors didn't go out with a bang, they went out with a whimper. Preseason title picks, the team could never shake the injury bug, which struck big-time contributors for long periods. Bogut missed most of the regular season, Iggy nearly half that, and when Bogut returned Barnes went out. With both Iggy and Barnes gone from the lineup, the Warriors were forced to play Livingston and Barbosa at the two, forcing Thompson to the three and the Warriors depth simply failed them.

The defending champs are gone from the postseason and now face questions about their bench and, possibly, if they were just one-hit wonders.

2. The Thunder -- had a truly scarring series. This series was 90s Knicks/Pacers hatred and every game was emotional. After losing Game 1 in OT thanks to a very unclutch Westbrook, the Thunder took Game 2 and went back to OKC all tied up.

When they left OKC, they were down 3-1. Game 3 was a pure exercise in bullyball by the Sonics and Game 4 was another close affair that Seattle just barely got away with. Game 5 was the definitive loss of the series for the Thunder -- with the clock winding down, Westbrook got the ball to Andre Roberson who promptly clanked his game-winning triple off the rim.

Questions about the relationship between Durant and Westbrook are numerous, but both players deny any fractures; reports out of OKC back up the claim, but a few high-profile NBA Insiders are saying that Westbrook and Durant are not good and the two players are at odds. Things haven't gotten bad, but Westbrook is reportedly strongly considering leaving the Thunder in 2017 (when his contract comes up) and seeking a max deal on a team that he can lead himself.

The Thunder will be very interesting to watch next season and the only salve for their wounds may be a championship or, at the very least, a decisive series that knocks Seattle out of the playoffs.

3. The Grizzlies -- put up more of a fight than anyone would have guessed. Only one game in the series -- Game 4 -- was a true throttling by the Cavaliers (a 137-108 win) but every other game was close till the end. Cleveland let one slip away in Game 3, but more than made up for it the next game.

They had no trouble closing out the Grizzlies, who continued to play without Zach Randolph and still made things competitive. Despite the loss, the Grizz look to be a serious challenger next season if Randolph can come back in good shape and if the Grizzlies choose to re-sign Jeff Green. Green averaged 20.3 PPG and 5.6 RPG on 41 percent shooting, 37 from deep, and had a good regular season, playing all 82 games.

Green's price tag, however, will be expensive -- at least 12M -- and he'll be 30 by the start of next year's playoffs. Will the Grizzlies choose to stay the course or is this next season the beginning of the end for the Grit and Grind era?

4. The Bulls -- came within four points of beating the Heat in Game 6, but fell just short. They had nothing left to give in Game 7 and were taken behind the woodshed for a 109-83 beating that probably made Coach Thibs vomit a little from whatever couch he's on.

Hoiberg's first season has to go down as a success, despite the injury to Mike Dunleavy which severely hampered the Bulls spacing. Dunleavy's replacement, Tony Snell, did a decent job but his defense is far more polished than his shooting at this point.

The Bulls must now ask how much is Noah really worth. Noah, the heart and soul of the team through the darkest days of Derrick Rose's injury plagued years, will be a free agent and has publicly professed his desire to go back to the Bulls.

The Bulls knew this and knew this four months ago; probably longer. Noah will be a free agent and, despite him having a good season (playing all 82 games and averaging 10.3 PPG and 10.7 RPG), it's not a lock that Chicago wants him back. Hoiberg would like to move to a more offensively accomplished big to man the five, someone who can shoot more than Noah can and help spread the floor.

Whether such a big is on the market is the question. The Bulls would like to get younger and Noah is already 31, having multiple foot issues over the last few years. His fate in Chicago could be the first domino to fall in dismantling the Rose/Noah Bulls and giving the keys to Jimmy Butler as the team's franchise player. Such a move would undoubtedly be unpopular to the Chicago faithful, but the Bulls have always put practically above popularity.

These are the kinds of things I love doing, I love doing recaps and stuff for other teams. I also like the storylines you create. I hope you do them more with the two teams knocked out before the finals. I'm hoping to so similar stuff at like the all star break/start of playoffs/every round on the eliminated teams and stuff like you do. I hope you don't think I'm stealing your idea, as I already had that stuff in mind. Like the Thunder situation, I already know what I would do. Similar to Kobe/Shaq in a way.

Anyway, very cool writing, your posts make me want to start SOOO bad! Just gotta wait a little bit longer.

[Gensi2k]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

This is amazing bro.

New Orleans is a tough opponent, but if you could restrict Davis, if only you could...

P.S: Terrible managing of the last possession by Westbrook in Game5!