Will the Sonics Make Playoffs next year how many of you think that the sonics will make the playoffs i dont see it happening unless they trade Allen and let Flip play the SG spot Flip is more aggressive than allen and will be better than him if he gets enough playing time
This year? Don't you think it's a little too late for that? BTW interesting sig, but you need to minimize the size of it. It's violating the JBB Guidelines. Signatures are supposed to be approximately 468X100.
Way too early to tell yet (or too late, depending on what way you look at it ). As Casual says, we'll have to wait to see what sort of off-season moves management has in place for us (hopefully moving themselves).
The Sonics are definitely capable of making the playoffs this upcoming year. They would have made a strong push this year had it not been for injuries and inconsistent coaching. Most Sonic fans would try to blame our inconsistency at the center position as the reason why we wouldn't make the playoffs next season but if you look across the league only four teams have All-Star caliber centers (Lakers, Rockets, Kings, and Cavs) and none of these teams seem to want to part w/ them (w/ the exception of possibly Big Z). Some teams have found success playing their power forward at center (Pacers, Spurs, and Pistons) but all in all most teams are not dominate at the center position. Erick Dampier has been on losing teams his entire career and he is thought of as one of the top centers in the league (along w/ Big Z). To draft another center would put four centers on a roster that already lacks a offensive (and defensive really) post presence. That would force either Lewis or Vlad to play extended minutes at the four (w/ Collison and Evans) and we would be back where we started last year complaining about our lack of interior production. I believe that w/ the roster that the Sonics have we would be best served by continuing to man the center position by committee (hoping that we can get improvements from last year--especially James) and using our perimeter assets to lure a power forward who would give either Lewis or Vlad and opportunity to showcase their abilities primarily at the small forward position. The primary problem w/ our centers is their contracts moreso than their production (and b/c of their contracts they are almost impossible to trade).There isn't a five man available that could solve our interior problems, however there are plenty of four men who can.
Yup, all depends on the offseason moves. I will say though, that the Sonics WONT make the playoffs if Potapenko plays the most minutes at the 5spot for the sonics.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting tradebark:</div><div class="quote_post">I will say though, that the Sonics WONT make the playoffs if Potapenko plays the most minutes at the 5spot for the sonics.</div> Fair call, although it may just depend on what's at the 4. If someone like Elton Brand was at the 4, then I could live with Pot at the 5. Reef? I'm not so sure.
If you mean with what we have RIGHT NOW, than yes he is sadly the best we have. But there are a ton of big men that are actually good. Potapenko is straight up worthless if we plan on getting TO the playoffs, much less advancing.. His game is too much like the 1,2 and 3 spots (that is, soft).. And yes Supersonic if we get Brand then that's a whole nother story
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Casual:</div><div class="quote_post">Potapenko's not bad at all. I don't see how we could improve over him much, at any rate.</div> Not Bad he was Drafted Before Kobe Bryant wasnt he so how come he hasnt been living up to the expectations
Look around the league and tell me how many teams have true centers better than Potapenko. Even if they do, centers are the highest valued commodity in the league right now, and it would be virtually impossible to get somebody better in a fair trade. Considering that Vitaly can score a little and play defense well against opposing centers, I'd say we're pretty lucky that we don't have to let Jerome James start for us.
Um, you've seriously got to be joking Potapenko can't even be considered a true center. He's too pudgy to be a shotblocking presence, he has no post up game, not a particularly good rebounder, and he's a bad finisher. Those are the qualities of a "true center" to me. If he made up for any of those shortcomings with his speed or athletic ability, then he mgiht be serviceable, but he doesnt. I'm just seriously dumbfounded at anyone who could consider Potapenko even a 'decent' center in the league
We don't have a 'decent' center on our roster unfortunately. Vitaly's a nice complimentary player, but he's never going to get by as your main inside presence. Thus he was exposed badly this season.
I'm just saying, you can't expect every position to have the perfect type of player. Sure, it would be nice to have shotblocking, rebounding, finishing center, because we'd have one of the top ten centers in the league.
it isn't really all that much to ask for those things you know. Someone like an Antonio Davis? Mark Blount? Dale Davis? Not exactly top-10 anything in the league but they would serve our purposes. Potapenko is pathetic as an inside presence and serves no use as a complementary player on the Sonics since we have a whole lot of players who can make jump shots..
I would be cool with Pottypotato rotating at the 4 and 5 spot, filling in for the tired starters. I have seen him post up and score on Dirk, he did outduel Jamal Magloire once, and he did "explode" at the end of the season, so he can't be THAT bad. Just not the answer for the Sonics needs.
