Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

I love those whites.

The home uniforms are nice

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I was pretty proud of them, yeah. So, looks like I got a winner on the homes. The road blues don't seem to be doing it, though (and I get that, it's SOOOOOO overdone in the Knicks history -- like, 2/3rds of their alternate uniforms are a slight variation of the road blue concepts).

I do have an alternate concept I've been fooling around with featuring the underused subway token logo.


Let me mess around with that.

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

Two attempts here. We have this one:



I moved the number to the shorts (as I just didn't like it crowding the chest with the logo). This is the subway token logo the Knicks used sparingly (mostly in very small places) in the mid-to-late 90s through the early 2000s. I just replaced the black with orange, than the orange with white.

It reminds me, however, far too much of the New York Islanders hockey team, which hasn't won anything ... ever? I can't remember them winning anything. I only remember them sucking.

But that led to the second unit here, which I like much better:



I made the NYK part of the subway logo 3D (by accident, honest), but loved it so much I stuck with it. Might lower the placement of the chest logo (it's close to the collar) but I really like this one much better than my previous two attempts.

What do you guys think?

[BookWork123]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

I like both, but I think the subway one is more of a modern look.


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[BlindSideNZ]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

I definitely like the last version you posted for the away. Big and bold are two things that the Knicks should definitely do. It is amazing for a city like that to possibly have the blandest uniforms in the NBA. So this is definitely very fitting.

Just as an extra, I noticed after rebranding multiple teams that when you try and play against a team that is rebranded the loading times become ridiculous and my game ultimately crashes trying to load and I can't actually get a game to load featuring 2 rebranded teams. Is that something you've noticed also or am I just unlucky?

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

I definitely like the last version you posted for the away. Big and bold are two things that the Knicks should definitely do. It is amazing for a city like that to possibly have the blandest uniforms in the NBA. So this is definitely very fitting.

Just as an extra, I noticed after rebranding multiple teams that when you try and play against a team that is rebranded the loading times become ridiculous and my game ultimately crashes trying to load and I can't actually get a game to load featuring 2 rebranded teams. Is that something you've noticed also or am I just unlucky?

The last one is definitely my favorite. That big NYK (and the lack of a number, which may not be kosher for the NBA but I stuck one on the shorts, they can suck it up) is fun. I'll probably use it, but I'm open to other suggestions.

The load times are definitely slower on my end between rebranded squads -- like, easily twice as long. It gets done about 3/4ths of the way through the pregame, but I've never had it crash -- admittedly, I'm on PC, so I have that going for me, but it wouldn't surprise me if it crashes on an image heavy one -- usually I end up doing rebrands with only two layers (a primary and a secondary logo), but I bet if I used more than that things would get dicey.

[AC]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

Last one is legit.

[BlindSideNZ]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

The last one is definitely my favorite. That big NYK (and the lack of a number, which may not be kosher for the NBA but I stuck one on the shorts, they can suck it up) is fun. I'll probably use it, but I'm open to other suggestions.

The load times are definitely slower on my end between rebranded squads -- like, easily twice as long. It gets done about 3/4ths of the way through the pregame, but I've never had it crash -- admittedly, I'm on PC, so I have that going for me, but it wouldn't surprise me if it crashes on an image heavy one -- usually I end up doing rebrands with only two layers (a primary and a secondary logo), but I bet if I used more than that things would get dicey.

Eh I don't think having a number on the jersey is too big a deal. Teams are always pushing the letter. Some teams are ditching the lettering and just opting for logos. Actually does golden state have a number on the sleeved slate alternates?

Perhaps I'll try that theory out actually. Hoping there's a solution otherwise I might just have to leave rebranding alone all together unfortunately.

[Themayorofawsometown]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

That last Jersey is fire

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[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return


The Houston Rockets avoided an embarrassing sweep in Game 4, crushing the Sonics 101-81, thanks to a James Harden eruption for 29 points. If Houston had any chance of coming back this series, it had to get a similar performance from Harden in Game 5.

They didn't. Harden looked visibly tired out there as he limped to 15 points on 7-17 shooting and donuts from deep. The Rockets were led early by Rudy Gay, who scored 8 of his 17 points in the first quarter but it wasn't enough.

Not when Malik Newman, quiet for the series so far, sunk just about everything he shot. Newman, the 2nd year pro from Mississippi State, was absolutely lethal coming off screens and firing shots in transition, killing the Rockets defense that was far too obsessed with stopping Westbrook.

To a point, Houston did; Russell only had 18 points but he made his mark passing the ball, dishing out 16 assists and generally playing under-control after a forgettable performance in Game 4. Houston's loss was almost assured after halftime, when Seattle led 62-51.

Lance Stephenson came out in the third quarter and put the finishing touches on the Rockets, scoring 22 points (15 in the third alone), dishing 6 assists, and doing it super-efficiently (10-13 from the field, 2-2 from deep). Lance was the starter that benefited the most from running with the bench crew, and Seattle has made the WCF for the third time in three years.







Around the NBA

Uh-oh. The Thunder lost ANOTHER close game to the Suns, this time at home, as Phoenix was led by Devon Booker, scoring 26 points on 10-19 shooting, 5-11 from deep. Despite 31 points from reigning MVP Kevin Durant, the Suns pulled out a close 106-99 win. Enes Kanter has been virtually absent all series and this game was the most damning, as he scored only 2 points (not a typo) and didn't get to the line once. OKC is on the verge of being upset by the Suns, who welcome the Thunder to their home floor for a critical Game 6.

The Bulls aren't dead yet. After losing in crushing fashion in Game 3, they squeaked out a close 96-94 win in Game 4, sending the series back to Chicago for Game 5. Melo was absolutely cold for the Knicks (5-19 ... brrr) but New York was carried by Porzingas, who scored 21 points and pulled in 12 boards as he tried to keep the team in it. The Bulls got a vintage Dwight Howard performance (20 points, 14 boards) but had to play their starters heavy minutes to avoid a 3-1 deficit. How Chicago handles Game 5 will be telling.

The Cavs have punched their ticket to the ECF, sweeping the Wizards 4-0, despite Washington leading 61-57 heading into the fourth. LeBron James scored 20 points but he got major help from Josh Smith, who had 18 points in 21 minutes, hitting 4-6 from deep (?!). The Cavs look to be on a mission to get back to the Finals and whomever they have to go through to get there will be unhappy.

[Themayorofawsometown]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

Prozingas? Does he have his own gas company?

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[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

^Man, I've been misspelling that forever. Good catch.

And if didn't have one before, he should have one now.

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

The Second Round Postmortem

May 12th, 2018

By Vonny Lee



The NBA's second round has come to an end and it was filled with one major upset, further cementing the randomness of the NBA postseason.

1. The Rockets

Couldn't hang in there. After a brutal five game series with the Pelicans, Houston didn't seem to find its feet until Game 3, where they put up a close battle with the Sonics until the final frame. In Game 4 they absolutely throttled Seattle by a large margin, stoking the hopes of a comeback, but like so many teams down 3-0 in a series, they faltered after their emotional Game 4 win.

In Game 5 the Sonics established how good they were and beat Houston with great passing, shooting, and bench play. For the third time in as many years, the Rockets again sit on the sidelines as they watch two rivals duke it out in the conference finals. Houston will need to reevaluate the point guard position and determine if Pau Gasol is going to hang around for another year or retire -- the team was largely effective, but overpowered by better squads and the Rockets will need to make some significant changes to get past the elite of the conference.

2. The Thunder

Choked. Up 2-1, the Thunder looked ready to take control of the series with another win in Phoenix, but instead found itself drowning in triples. Devon Booker had a breakout series as the Suns, assumed to be dead meat with the superstar laden squads of Seattle and OKC on a collision course, refused to die.

And the Thunder folded. They dropped Game 5 at home, but won Game 6 convincingly in Phoenix (120-104), setting up a deciding Game 7 in the Thunder's building. It was the climax to a classic series that came down to the final shot of the game, where Phoenix stole the win from the Thunder thanks to Tobias Harris, who shot 4-6 from deep, with his biggest triple coming with less than three seconds left. OKC could not get up a good shot and the Thunder failed to get back to the WCF. With little room to maneuver in the offseason, OKC must bet on development to make them better. Their loss deprived the NBA of another battle between two bitter foes.

3. The Knicks

Should have have never made it this far. Their win over the 1st seed Hornets was shocking, but their fall to the Bulls shouldn't be too surprising. Chicago has been injured and banged up all year and, for once, they got healthy at the right time and have been playing their best basketball of the season. New York was hot heading into their matchup against the Bulls, but went ice cold -- particularly Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony, two veterans the Knicks can't afford to perform poorly (especially with how much they're getting paid).

The season must be considered a success, however, even if the 74-73 Game 6 loss (at the Garden) was one of the ugliest displays of basketball ever, so bad Chris Paul had only 4 points the entire game. New York will need to make sure Anthony and Paul rest up during the summer, but their future is decent -- despite not having a draft pick this year or in 2020 due to the Payton trade (which looks horrible).

4. The Wizards

Were swept by the Cavs, but it wasn't as easy as the scores indicate. In two of those games the Wizards carried a lead into the final quarter, but they failed to hold on as the barrage of LeBron and Irving just kept coming. With the year over and the series in the books, the Wizards are faced with crucial decisions in the offseason.

Brook Lopez is a free agent and his three years with the Wizards have produced averages of 16.2 PPG, with 9.5 RPG, shooting around 48% from the field and 80% from the line. Lopez is going to be 30, has been injury free all three years, and has stepped up in the playoffs the last two years (when the Wizards made it). Washington has outperformed their regular season record repeatedly and Lopez is likely a reason why -- the question is how much will it take for the big man to stay and is Washington ready to pay that price. More importantly, if they pay that price, will John Wall (a free agent in the summer of 2019) be more inclined to stay?

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

The Conference Finals Preview

May 12th, 2017

By Vonny Lee




1. Sonics vs. 3. Suns

It wasn't supposed to be Phoenix. The Suns went five games with the young Lakers, then another seven with the Thunder, and have played the most playoff games of any team this postseason. Many pegged Phoenix as upset victims and, instead, the Suns have upset everyone else. Led by the explosive Devon Booker, averaging 17.9 PPG on 55 percent shooting and 44 percent from deep this postseason, the Suns are watching a superstar emerge right before their eyes.

And it's not just Booker. Tobias Harris and Tyson Chandler, two veterans who've struggled in recent years, are having incredible playoff runs themselves (17.1 PPG and 14.2 PPG respectively), and Eric Bledsoe is shooting a solid 45 percent from the floor (an improvement over his 40 percent regular season average).

But standing in their way is the Goliath of the Western Conference: the Seattle SuperSonics. Their acquisition of Russell Westbrook (much to the chagrin of Thunder fans and their owner) propelled them to heights unseen. Super-scoring. Super-running. Super-defending. The SuperSonics are super in every sense of the word. One has to suspect they've been mentally preparing themselves all year for a playoff battle with the Thunder, and one has to wonder if that won't give the Suns an edge heading into Game 1.

These teams have history. In 2016, the Sonics knocked out the Suns in the 1st round in embarrassing fashion, prompting a failure the next year and the dissolution of the team (shipping off Markieff Morris to start with) this past summer. Tyson Chandler had some words with a few of the Sonics players during the series and, after Morris was shipped out over the summer, made some comments about his former teammate that weren't exactly flattering.

Prediction: The Suns have the air of a team of destiny. It's undeniable. After their series' with the Lakers and Thunder, they are likely among the most confident squads in the NBA right now.

But the Sonics are two-time-defending champs, just witnessed their greatest rivals dethroned by a team they've handled all year, and have a likely matchup with Cleveland (their first Finals opponent in 2016) looming. Seattle takes the series in six games, as the Suns show enough to announce their arrival as a conference power, but don't get over the hump.

3. Cavaliers vs. 5. Bulls

It's a matchup of old acquaintances in the ECF. The Cavaliers and Bulls have multiple players that know one another and know each other well, but these games will be anything but friendly. Chicago managed to get here on willpower and a weak conference, securing the 5th seed with a 42-40 record, losers of four straight entering the postseason. They easily took care of the Bucks (missing the Greek Freak) and further took care of the Knicks in six (after going down 2-1 in the series). They're injury free, playing good ball, but it isn't exactly pretty.

The Cavs can empathize with that. Cleveland had the 1st seed for a good portion of the year before the Hornets overtook them, then watched as the 76ers shot past them for the 2nd seed, forcing the Cavs to battle their division rival Pistons in the 1st round. It was a tough five game series filled with ugly offense. The 2nd round was slightly prettier, but the Cavs have to be happy to have swept the Wizards, earning them some much needed rest.

The series will come down to which team can come through. On paper, the bench and starting lineup of the Bulls is better than the Cavs, but Chicago's big stars have all battled injuries at one point or another this season. Cleveland has neither lost LeBron or Irving for any stretch of time and their bench seems to be playing better with each game. With the familiarity of the players on both sides, don't expect many surprises.

Prediction: Chicago has done well to get this far and hasn't had to overly rely on Wade since the trade for Dante Exum, who looks the part of a good player to compliment Jimmy Butler. Dwight Howard should easily handle Cole Aldrich in this series, assuming he stays out of foul trouble, but even then Larry Sanders is a solid replacement (and one with a ring at that).

It would be foolish to count out the Cavs, though. With Seattle looming as a potential Finals opponent and the memory of their 2016 loss fresh in the minds of the remaining Cavs from that team, expect Cleveland to come out focused and ready to do whatever it needs to punch their ticket. Cavaliers in five, showing the West they're not to discounted.

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

A classic Game 1 is in the books. Recap tonight or tomorrow.

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return



It was like watching the Sonics of old ... say, circa fall 2015, back when they were just starting out. Turnovers plagued the Sonics from the opening tip as the Suns came out and trapped Westbrook early, forcing him to pass sooner than he liked and when he did, inevitably, a Suns player would be there to take that ball the other way.

At the end of the first, the Suns led by only two points, but then extended that lead to 11 midway through the second quarter before Seattle began hitting some triples. Markieff Morris had a good shooting night, allowing the Sonics to stay in it when Harris played off him, but the game wasn't there for Seattle's two primary ball-handlers; Westbrook had 6 turnovers in the game (4 in the first half) and Stephenson had himself 5 turnovers (3 in the first half).

Entering the third quarter, Seattle was down at home 54-49 and the lead felt bigger than that. But in the third the Sonics finally found themselves and began to get inside and get easy buckets. Noel had managed to get Tyson Chandler into foul trouble, which saw Chandler ride the pine most of the third, and Alex Len got a lot of minutes in the quarter.

And when Len came in, so did his lifelong torturer, Marcin Gortat. Gortat LOVES playing against Len, who frequently fails to defend the savvy veteran well and that was the case in third quarter. Gortat did most of his damage there and his defense (5 blocks the whole game) lit a fire under Seattle heading into the fourth.

In the fourth, it looked the Sonics had finally found their stride. Leading 82-80, Seattle opened up a solid 7 point lead and held onto it for most of the quarter. Until Eric Bledsoe came alive, getting Westbrook into foul trouble and getting into the near-MVPs head. Bledsoe was a man on fire in the fourth, hitting tough shots and dagger triples, chipping away at the lead himself while forcing Westbrook to play conservative defense in order to avoid a fifth foul.

The passive defense led to a wide-open triple for Devon Booker and Eric Bledsoe on back-to-back plays, which wiped away the Sonics lead and put the Suns up by two. Luckily for Seattle, they had Westbrook, who promptly got the ball on the inbounds with less than 14 second left, took it up court, got inside, mucked it up, and drew the foul.

Westbrook hit on both, tying the game, and the Suns couldn't get a good shot up to win the game.

Overtime.

The story of OT was a continuation of the fourth for Seattle; they got a brief lead, blew it, and then watched as their free throws began to miss. Westbrook missed two out of the three he took in the OT period, and the Sonics couldn't generate any reliable offense beyond Westbrook, allowing the Suns to steal the game.

Lance Stephenson summed up the Sonics feelings rather succinctly.

We *hit the bed and everyone needs a bath.

Sonics are down, 0-1.





Around the NBA

The Cavs took Game 1 against Chicago rather easily, 87-80, as Cleveland was led by Kyrie Irving with 24 points on 10-11 shooting. The Bulls had no answer for Irving, despite a good showing from Butler (20 points, 11 boards) and Portis (17 points, 6 boards). Wade and Howard were both ineffective (16 points combined, neither close to a double-double) and the Cavaliers have to be confident heading into Game 2.