<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">This is a team that has to do something dramatic ? some things dramatic. The Sonics have to trade Lewis and hopefully get a real power forward in return. Lewis has been given every opportunity to be a star, instead he seems satisfied to be a supporting player ? good some nights, invisible others. The Sonics have to make a decision on Ray Allen, who becomes a free agent at the end of next season and, by then, won't be worth the maximum contract he'll almost certainly demand. Allen is an outstanding scorer, one of the best the Sonics have had, but McMillan was less than effusive in his praise of Allen at the end of the year, making it two coaches in a row (George Karl at Milwaukee) who have had problems with Allen's game. The Sonics should re-sign guard and leader Brent Barry, but won't. They should open their arms to new investors willing to make commitments to a once-loyal, once-passionate fan base that is sick and tired of six years of nothing. While franchises in Denver and Miami and Milwaukee make all the right moves, the Sonics give us five-year plans that melt away like so many empty campaign promises. The poster child for everything wrong with this franchise is Wally Walker, team president and CEO. The Sonics haven't been the same since Bob Whitsitt was dumped by then-owner Barry Ackerley. Walker, the successor, never found a way to get along with Karl. He didn't re-sign Karl and replaced him with Paul Westphal. Walker signed James and Booth. Knowing Vin Baker's problems, he still re-signed the power-less forward when Baker was a free agent. </div> <font size="1">Full Story courtesy of Steve Kelley and the Seattle Times.</font> A very blunt and straight to the point article from Steve. He has pinpointed exactly what the fans have talked about as being the main problem: Wally Walker. He has pinpointed another option that a lot of fans have discussed: trading Rashard Lewis and looking at some sort of post presence. A well written article and right on the money. This current team is a mess, both on and off the court.
This is a really tough situation for me because I want what's best for the Sonics but I also don't want to see Rashard go. A Sonics team without Gary Payton, Desmond Mason, and now Rashard Lewis is not the Sonics team I've loved to watch the past few years. I think the new and hopefully improved Sonics team could top that team if they get a PF or C however. Conflicting things...but i'll understand either way and of course still root on my Sonics.
The ball is in the court of the front office. We have numerous trade options, yet limited FA options (MLE). Nevertheless, the team's philosophy has to be changed this summer, and I could see a turnover of up to 50% of playing personnel. With question marks over the luxury tax in the near future we have some expiring contracts to work with, and they are gold in today's NBA. It's time to make a powerplay a la Phoenix and extract all we can out of club's resources. This team can play playoff ball next year if it works out right, and that should be the standard set. Otherwise the those in the front office will have to take the fall.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting RiverspoonJones:</div><div class="quote_post">The ball is in the court of the front office. We have numerous trade options, yet limited FA options (MLE). Nevertheless, the team's philosophy has to be changed this summer, and I could see a turnover of up to 50% of playing personnel. With question marks over the luxury tax in the near future we have some expiring contracts to work with, and they are gold in today's NBA. It's time to make a powerplay a la Phoenix and extract all we can out of club's resources. This team can play playoff ball next year if it works out right, and that should be the standard set. Otherwise the those in the front office will have to take the fall.</div> That falls at the feet of one W.Walker. In my honest opinion, he needs to go if the team is to move forward. Next year I think the playoffs are very reachable with the right moves, I have always been of the opinion that this team is one post presence away from a much better overall team balance, and very possibly a seeding from 5-8 next season. It's time for Howald Schultz to step up.
How many times have the Sonics overpaid for garbage centers the last 10 years? Please, try something different.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting King James:</div><div class="quote_post">How many times have the Sonics overpaid for garbage centers the last 10 years? Please, try something different.</div> Easy to say in hindsight. Booth and McIlvaine would both have been paid by other teams if Seattle hadn't, and James was just a horrible and shortsighted decision, a mistake many teams have made i n the past with size and skills (both of which James has). By that comment you're either saying that Seattle shouldn't look at big men at all, and therefore give up hope of being a contender in the West, or they should somehow develop an ability to see into the future so they don't sign a center who turns out garbage. The NBA big man business can be a crapshoot if you're not lucky enough to land a gem. Teams have signed stiffs in the past and will continue to do so, it's just a matter of improving team management to give the team a better chance at picking the gems. Number one on the chopping block is Wally Walker.
It's probably more prudent to let the other team's overpay slight-prospects at the 5, and we'll pick up the guys for the minimum - who are likely no worse than the guys getting 5-6 mil. It really makes a difference come free agent signing time, particularly given we have three of these guys on our roster, that's a 15 mil. handicap, when we could have someone like Mikki Moore for the minimum.
I am beginning to lean that way myself, Spoon. Maybe it's worth the risk of letting a good guy fly through to the keeper if it saves you from blowing money of three or four stiffs along the way. However as I said before, hindsight is a beautiful thing. When you see a guy like James, who is 7'1 and does have quite a bit of natural talent, or Calvin Booth, who actually showed quite a bit in his first couple of years in the league (albeit in limited minutes), then you're gonna get a little bit excited. Especially when you consider this is a team that hasn't really had a dominant pivot since the days of Kemp, and that is something that is vital in the West. Hopefully the management learns from their mistakes and hopefully, having Jack Sikma on the coaching staff helps Nick Collison become an impact player at this level. You can bet you life that we saw more than Mikki Moore in Calvin Booth and Jerome James I would say that the only really consistent way of getting an effective big man is through a high draft pick or even better, through trade. Sometimes you might luck out with a Carlos Boozer, but it's about time management took Rashard Lewis down from the untouchable list.
