http://www.thenewstribune.com/sports/story...p-5094140c.html <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">As the Seattle SuperSonics leave town headed in different directions, their 35-47 season having come to a close, general manager Rick Sund and coach Bob Hill are beginning to look ahead to a summer of business. It will not, however, be nearly as hectic as last summer, when the Sonics had to solidify a roster that had eight free agents, including All-Star guard Ray Allen. After the Sonics made more personnel moves than any other team at and around the trade deadline in February, the next five months will be about solidifying their current roster and making a few minor tweaks in the hope that the optimism and success generated in the final few months will carry into next season, when Sund said he expects the team to be back in the playoffs. As the Sonics watch 16 other teams compete in a postseason that enlivened this city last April, these are the things the team will focus on to get back to that point.</div> The article goes on to cover the situations that guys like Chris Wilcox, Rashard Lewis, and Luke Ridnour are in, and even touches on Mickael Gelebale and includes a single draft pick prediction -- J.J. Redick.
Going into the lottery after being the 3rd overall seed in the Western Conference...and the guy wants to take Redick? Doesn't make any sense at all. Unless the Sonics get in the top 3 in the draft, the only guys who could really impact the team would be like Cedric Simmons or Shelden Williams. Power Forwards with actual dimension in their game.
I think you really do. It's not the number one priority...but who would you rather draft? Watson/Ridnour hold down the 1, Allen holds down the 2, Lewis holds down the 3. I think those are all set positions, so you need someone who can actually impact the game in the frontcourt. Collison and Swift are both solid, but aren't great at anything. Williams can come in and give you guys an actual presence on defense, and a guy like Simmons has the athleticism to take over a game on either end. Add one of those players with Swift or Petro, and you have a suitable frontcourt.
We need backcourt help and since there is no clear cut #1 point guard out there for the taking--we need to bring in someone who can spell Ray and play with him on the wing. I like Damien Wilkins, but I don't feel comfortable having him be the only one on our roster who is backing up both Ray and Sweet Lew. Either bring in a top flight small forward or draft a solid two who we don't have to wait on to contribute. No one knows how much this Gelebale kid is going to contribute next year so I think it would be good to have some healthy competition for those back up shooting guard/small forward minutes. I wouldn't even think about drafting a big forward/center. There is barely enough minutes to go around this season--even w/ at least one of our core forwards/centers being hurt for an extended period of time.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting odde23:</div><div class="quote_post">We should take the best available talent. Period. (hey, guys, how ya been?)</div> I'm with Odde - best available, or possibly even package the pick along Forston and his expiring deal. If we keep it, I'd prefer for anyone we select to have some defensive ability though. Funny, I don't think I've heard anyone mention the possiblity of trading up this year. Maybe its because there isn't a clear cut #1, maybe its because the lottery hasn't happened yet - but thats always an option as well.
Defense? What is that...some kind of new pick and pop variation, we could use some more plays to get highyly contested jumpshots.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Iron Shiek:</div><div class="quote_post"> I like Damien Wilkins, but I don't feel comfortable having him be the only one on our roster who is backing up both Ray and Sweet Lew. Either bring in a top flight small forward or draft a solid two who we don't have to wait on to contribute. </div> For real, but you forget that on Hill plays Ridnour and Watson together while Ray and Shard rest up. Then he takes Luke out and brings Ray back. It works alright, the only problem is that you can't play those two (Luke and Watson) together for too long because Luke wants to prove himself over Watson. Not to mention that they don't make a good back court.
I agree with getting a big guy like Sheldon Williams who is a tremendous shot blocker aite defender which the sonics need because they finished dead last for defense points per game and that shows their defense is garbage.
Then what happens to Collison? He has done nothing but put work in and have a good attitude. I feel that Danny needs to be off of the Sonics roster, but we can't really bring in another pf/c and still expect to keep Swift, Petro, and Collison. That would do nothing but create the same log jam that we had with Vlad, Reggie, Nick, Danny.
I don't think we need a big guy. Just like Jurassic has been saying...whats gonna happen with the guys we have? I like all four of the guys that we have (Wilcox, Nick, Johan and RoboSwift). We can put out some good combos out there to change the tempo of the game. We really need a backup for Ray. Or atleast a guy who can shoot the ball well and play some D on the perimeter. The D part I think we can answer by drafting Brandon Roy. A guy like Redick...sure he can shoot...but we need D! Roy has some good length and I think he can be a solid player in the league.
Interior D isn't the problem - Swifty averaged around 1.3 blocks in only 20 minutes, Petro has the potential to be a very good shotblocker and Collison's hops are underrated - we need perimeter D to stop opposition swingmen and guards getting into the paint in the first place. Interior D is a two way process.
