Details: When: Wednesday, November 3rd Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles Time: 7:30 TV: FSN2 Projected Starters: <font color="green">Seattle</font> Luke Ridnour Ray Allen Rashard Lewis Reggie Evans Danny Fortson <font color="navy">Los Angeles</font> Marko Jaric Corey Maggette Bobby Simmons Elton Brand Chris Wilcox Injury Troubles: <font color="green">Seattle</font> Vitaly Potapenko: Broken hand, ruled out. Ibo Kutluay: Knee tendinitis, questionable. <font color="navy">Los Angeles</font> Kerry Kittles: Knee soreness, ruled out. Chris Kaman: Sprained ankle, unlikely. Brief Notes: <ul> [*]Both Rashard Lewis and Flip Murray resumed training, and look likely to suit up. [/list] <ul> [*]With Chris Kaman out, LA's frontline is undersized which opens the door for Danny Fortson and Reggie Evans to start together. [/list] <ul> [*]Seattle opened the 2003/04 season with a pair of wins over the Clippers, which included a Lewis 50 point game and Elton Brand breaking his foot. [/list] <ul> [*]Luke Ridnour looks to have gotten the starting role on opening night, but Antonio Daniels seems destined to get plenty of minutes on the big bodied Marko Jaric. [/list] <ul> [*]With Kerry Kittles injured, LA look likely to move Corey Maggette to the two, creating a mouth-watering match-up with Ray Allen. [/list] All predictions, analysis and discussion relating directly to the game, both before, during and after, to be posted in this thread.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Supersonic:</div><div class="quote_post">Details: Ibo Kutluay: Knee tendinitis, questionable. </div> Kutluay was placed onto injured list. So he will be unavilable. But I think we have to get a W from that game so we can start a new season with a positive note. I truly hope that last preseason W against Portland gave us some momentum. Also I hope Lewis and Murray will be able to play!
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Semmi:</div><div class="quote_post">Kutluay was placed onto injured list. So he will be unavilable.</div> Interesting, I didn't know that. My guess is it wouldn't be bad enough to be missing a lot of games, but Wilkins has overtaken him in the pecking order at the moment. I can see Kutluay playing a very similar role to that of Frahm last season, in that he was used in short bursts and given a licence to shoot, but at the same time spent a lot of time off the active roster when we have a fully healthy squad. Simmons on Lewis could be an interesting one, if Rashard does pull up. As we know, Lewis at the best of times tends to go into his shell when faced with physical defenders, which Simmons is, and that may be magnified with him coming off a painful foot injury. I am guessing the temptation will be to hang around the perimeter and try and get open looks, something made easier with the pick-setting abilities of Fortson and Collison.
I don't see why the Sonics can't win this one. If they play like they did in their final preseason game then they should have no trouble handling a perennial bottom feeder like the Clippers. Then again we'd need big games from Fortson and Evans in the post having to deal with Brand and Wilcox. Collison should get some time to shine as well. Sonics 94 - Clippers 86
Well, why is it that the Sonics start their season against the Clippers again? Last season, they played their first two games in Tokyo against each other; why start the season against each other again? About the game, I think that the Sonics should take this one without a problem. Ray Allen should have a good night and Lewis will be his trusty sidekick, as usual. One crucial thing will be Ronald Murray's production off the bench. If he can come into the game when Allen's out and carry the scoring load, the Sonics will undoubtedly win this one.
Sonics @ Clippers For game thread, go to the link below... http://www.justbball.com/forums/showthread...1573#post351573
I like the Clippers advantages underneath and on the boards. With the exception of Jaric, the entire clippers starting lineup is very phsyical, and I can see Seattle having problems with that. I'm predicting a 94-88 Clipper win
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Jerry West:</div><div class="quote_post">I heard that Jerome James has been given the starting spot in the middle.</div> Interesting. I was reading last night that he had slimmed himself down to 278lbs and was hoping to drop another 5-10, but it's so hard to believe when it comes to Jerome. If he does get the starting spot, either he's on his last chance or Nate just doesn't want to put two power forwards on the floor from the start.
I think the Clippers can take this one 97-91, the Clippers have the advantage inside, and if they come out with energy and play well, they can win. The Sonics are also without Shard, and Flip too I think, so they aren't too healthy themselves, and it might be hard for them.
Well shoot, I can't believe we didn't circle Bobby Simmons as a key offensive threat. How naive of Nate not to recognise that. Good to see Rashard and Vlad both come out with strong offensive games though, but you're not going to beat too many teams shooting 37%. <font size="1">Boxscore courtesy of NBA.com.</font>
I wonder how long McMillian's going to last. That looked like a preseason game. Outside of Radmanovic (who looked surprisingly good) and Lewis the Sonics looked God awful. Hopefully Murray can get back quickly from his injury. Quad strains can be tricky.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Iron Shiek:</div><div class="quote_post">Outside of Radmanovic (who looked surprisingly good).</div> Offensively anyway.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">LOS ANGELES ? Their worst opening-night defeat in 27 years became even more difficult for the Sonics to swallow when they learned that Ronald Murray will miss at least the next week because of a strained left quadriceps. The injury, which prevented him from playing in the exhibition season, will cause him to miss four to six games, Murray said last night. But his diagnosis isn't official, and a more accurate assessment will be determined when he re-visits trainers in Seattle today. "I just need a whole lot of rest, not a lot of contact and just let it heal fully this time," Murray said. "It's not going to take long. Another week, maybe. Or a week and a half." Undoubtedly, Murray, a native of Philadelphia, wants to be healthy when the Sonics visit his hometown on Dec. 16 and play the 76ers.</div> <font size="1">Full Story courtesy of Percy Allen and the Seattle Times.</font>
