He's played four games, the Sonics have gone 4-0 in that streak, including wins over Duncan's Spurs, K-Mart and Camby's Nuggets, and Miller and Webber's Kings. In that time he is averaging under 20 minutes per game, but is getting 11 points and 10 rebounds a game, including an amazing six offensive boards per outing. This of course means he gets to the freethrow line too, where he is hitting around 85%. During those four games, Seattle haven't allowed over 100 points once, and kept the Kings to an amazing 78 points. Post your praise for him here, even though it is only early days. What a fantastic trade.
Talk about the perfect addition. For the past few years all we would hear is how the Sonics need a legitimate post presence, enter the man with dreadlock pigtails, Danny Fortson. If he continues the way he has been playing then he is exactly what we have been missing. I will put a Danny Fortson poster on my ceiling above my bed.
Sonics need to give the guy at least 25 minutes, I'm sure If he was given more time he could average 12 and 11 like he did a few years ago. He at least brings the Sonics some toughness.
He isn't getting more time because he fouls so much... But I'd rather have that then less agressiveness. -The Grinman
Did any of you guys see the (negative) statistic on Jerome James last night? The man gets 1 foul every 4.6 minutes. I believe that is part of the reason why we limit Fortson's minutes. We let James play until he fouls out (although his minutes aren't consecutive), then allow Fortson to pick up the bulk of the remaining minutes. Oh yeah, and we give Reggie Evans a few minutes so the fans can see that buck toothed grin. I actually think that Fortson would be less productive in more minutes. But I think that we will be fine due to the high scoring Allen-Shard combo. Shard should be an allstar assuming that the Sonics record is good enough to justify having two people.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Shard:</div><div class="quote_post">Talk about the perfect addition. For the past few years all we would hear is how the Sonics need a legitimate post presence, enter the man with dreadlock pigtails, Danny Fortson. If he continues the way he has been playing then he is exactly what we have been missing. I will put a Danny Fortson poster on my ceiling above my bed.</div>That is a little going overboard there Shard..... But Danny Fortson is a beast. Not only that, he is a tough beast. I watched part of the Sacramento game and he just has the best instincts for rebounding. I don't watch many Seattle games so I wonder why they don't have him in the starting lineup? Give him 30 minutes and he may be able to help this team even more. Ray Allen and Lewis will have a dip in their shooting percentages as the year goes along (they are just shooting the ball TOO well) so that will give Fortson much more opportunities to grab offensive rebounds.
Danny is my rebounding Idol, I'd rather watch him rebound than KG or Tim Duncan sometimes. I mean this guy is underrated and deserves to be appreciated more he's a great player and is the perfect addition to the Supersonics. Good idea thinking of this thread.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting CourtVision:</div><div class="quote_post"> I don't watch many Seattle games so I wonder why they don't have him in the starting lineup? Give him 30 minutes and he may be able to help this team even more. Ray Allen and Lewis will have a dip in their shooting percentages as the year goes along (they are just shooting the ball TOO well) so that will give Fortson much more opportunities to grab offensive rebounds.</div> I agree that Fortson should get more playing time and maybe even start but I also believe in the old saying "if it aint broke, dont fix it." The Sonics are winning with Fortson coming off the bench and I think until they start struggling that they should roll with what works.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Shard:</div><div class="quote_post">I agree that Fortson should get more playing time and maybe even start but I also believe in the old saying "if it aint broke, dont fix it." The Sonics are winning with Fortson coming off the bench and I think until they start struggling that they should roll with what works.</div>To be really honest I just want to pick him up for my fantasy squad . He needs starting minutes!!
Do u guys remember how excited I was when we made this trade this past offseason? Fortson played high school ball in my area (he got me by a couple years though) and I had a chance to watch him completely dominate the glass for over 10 years. There isn't a better rebounder in the game, period. He is tough as nails and is just what the doctor ordered for the Supes. There is a reason to get excited about the Supes. I just hope our inevitable losing streak doesn't coincide w/ Flip's return to the line up. I think Sonics fans will be looking for a scapegoat if it happens and they might just try to put it on him.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Iron Shiek:</div><div class="quote_post"> There is a reason to get excited about the Supes. I just hope our inevitable losing streak doesn't coincide w/ Flip's return to the line up. I think Sonics fans will be looking for a scapegoat if it happens and they might just try to put it on him.</div> That is very good point! But I think that if Murray will play with a cool head then he will blend in into rotation and we can give Allen & Rashard those much needed minutes on the bench, knowing that Murray is also able to score when needed!
In regards to Fortson starting, I completely agree with you on this one Shard; if it ain't broke, don't fix it. While we're praising Fortson (and rightly so), some of it has to go to Reggie Evans. He earnt that starting spot in pre-season, after being probably third in line going in, and is getting a tick under nine boards a game in 25 minutes. He's formed a great tag team partnership with Fortson, and really gets under the skin of his opponents. An interesting stat, going into the game against Sactown, Fortson grabbed an amazing 35% of all rebounds while he was on the floor. After the Kings game, that astonishing figure would have only gone up, he and Evans outrebounded the entire Kings team by themselves in the first half. Props to Vlad too, he set more screens against Sacramento than I reckon he has in his whole career. Good to see Danny and Reggie rubbing off on others.
Strange how we got the guy so cheaply. All you have to look at his career stats to tell that he is one of, if not the, best rebounders in the game. I remember when I really got back into NBA basketball again that the spent a year on the Golden State bench after putting up 11 rebounds a game? The guy was slept on, no doubt. I'm liking our balance at the moment. As someone said above, we can afford to have JJ put 6 fouls on whomever, because you've got Reggie Evans and Fortson who can be very effective in limited time, and Collison hopefully can do the same a little further down the track. Get used to hearing about the upcoming "fadeout", but I think the facts show we no longer live or die by the 3... or at least, the ones that we miss will be contested on the glass more fiercely than ever before.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting RiverspoonJones:</div><div class="quote_post">Strange how we got the guy so cheaply. All you have to look at his career stats to tell that he is one of, if not the, best rebounders in the game. I remember when I really got back into NBA basketball again that the spent a year on the Golden State bench after putting up 11 rebounds a game? The guy was slept on, no doubt.</div> Fortson's always had a reputation as a disruptive influence, and a bit of a knucklehead (I won't use the word thug) off the court. I remember he was benched for Murphy's development, but I don't think he ever really got along with his teammates or coaching staff in Golden State. Same goes for Denver and Boston, from memory. Hopfully he has/will settle in fine in Seattle, and the only negative publicity will be from the opposing players who run into his screens.
Another statistic for y'all (courtesy of nba.com/sonics), when Fortson is in the game, Seattle grabs 48.7% of all offensive rebounds, while Fortson himself gets 31.6% of them. In other words, while Danny is on the floor, the Sonics grab an offensive board on half the shots they miss, while Fortson grabs the rebound on a third of them. Amazing stuff.
