Ronald "Scapegoat" Murray <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post"> ATLANTA ? Backup shooting guard Ronald Murray needs playing time to find his rhythm and be productive. But on a team that started 18-3 without him, there are not many minutes to be had. So Seattle SuperSonics coach Nate McMillan has made a choice. And Murray is the odd man out. McMillan said Murray, who averaged 22 minutes in his prior three games, is likely to have his playing time cut when the Sonics open a five-game trip today against the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena. ?It?s hard to play 10 guys,? McMillan said after the Sonics? practice Wednesday night. ?I think what I am going to do is get back to that nine-man rotation that began the season. And then just be patient.? This is what McMillan had planned to do all along, even when Murray returned from his strained left quadriceps and Vitaly Potapenko returned from a broken hand. But the coach had to adjust while Antonio Daniels was ill over Christmas. Murray helped the Sonics defeat the Denver Nuggets on Dec. 22, but when Daniels returned, a four-guard rotation was too crowded. After the Sonics lost to Philadelphia on Tuesday night, their third loss in five games, McMillan and starting guard Ray Allen suggested the rotation McMillan used didn?t work. ?It?s tough to have a rhythm with so many guys,? Allen said. ?The minutes that (Daniels) and Luke (Ridnour) were playing early, they were substantial enough to know when they were coming into the game and they were establishing themselves. ?Split with Flip (Murray) now, there?s no rhythm. ? Whatever we do, we have to understand that some nights one of ?em might not play for the greater good of the team. ?But it?s a tough decision, something that Nate has to deal with.? McMillan said he planned to speak to Murray late Wednesday. Murray was not available for comment after practice. McMillan said he intended to work in Murray when he could without forcing the issue. ?I think there will just be situations where when the opportunity presents itself, we will find a way to fit him in,? McMillan said. ?He?s just got to be patient and let it work itself out.?</div> http://www.thenewstribune.com/sports/sonic...p-4159676c.html I know that I'm going to turn a lot of people off with this thread but at the same time, we have lost two games since Murray has returned to the court-- to Phoenix (the team w/ the best record in the league) and a fluke loss at the end of a back to back to Philadelphia. Why does it seem like the Sonics are already willing to push the panic button? Why is Allen lobbying to cut Murray's minutes on the record? I know that he isn't playing at his best but at the same time I think that he deserves to be able to work his way into the rotation. If you aren't going to play him, trade him. Don't be surprised to see Murray go on the record and start bashing McMillian and Ray. This just makes me hot b/c of the fact that this kid has done everything that Nate has asked him to do and it's like they are getting a kick out of messing w/ his head. Why do they have to humiliate him in the paper and say that he is messing up the chemistry and is going to see very limited minutes (if any) on the court? If you are going to bench him, explain yourself after you do it. Don't make it sound like it has been something that has been planned for a while. The bad part about it is that they are going to need him down the road this season (and/or next season if Ray doesn't sign) and they have basically burned their bridges w/ him. He's a fool if he decides to resign w/ Nate as the coach. The Tacoma News Tribune also, for whatever reason, seems to write a lot of unfavorable articles about Murray. I know that the consistent Sonics forum posters are going to call me paranoid and give me sh*t about this whole thread but since I've been reading this paper I've seen articles that basically suggest that Murray should find another place to play. At this point in his career, I don't think that that is a bad idea. Regardless of what happens w/ Flip I'm going to remain a Sonic fan but the sh*t that they are doing ain't right. This just proves my theory that the high road isn't always the road best travelled.
I'm actually with Shiek and Nate on this one, in my own weird way. We are starting a five game road trip with games against Atlanta and Charlotte. The Atlanta game is a walkover, so why wouldn't you be using these teams to let Flip get some invaluable minutes under his belt? We were up by 21 after three against the Hawks, yet he only played seven minutes? Why wouldn't you rest Ray for that last period and give Flip a chance to find some sort of rhythm? Same goes for Pot, who seems to be the forgotten man in this thread. That being said, that nine man rotation we were using for the first 21 games of the season was superb, and it's hard to blame Nate for wanting to revert to it. When Flip is in the rotation, it seems to me that AD reverts back to his passive ways, whereas when he assumes that role as the main scoring guard off the bench, he and the team play a lot better.
Flip Murray is the most talented deep bench guy in the league. Take a look at some of the scrubs that start in this league and it's amazing to see a coach stuggling to give him minutes. If the Sonics are content with leaving him as unused talent, than maybe the best thing for him is to be shipped away to a team that'll use him. I know that's not what you want to hear Sheik, but I think it's what's best for your boy.
When I saw the headline and realised that Shiek has done another thread about his beloved Murray I was a little annoyed but when I read your comments Shiek and read this article then I think that this is a good thread but my views about this whole subject are a little bit different than yours. I think only thing that Murray did wrong was him getting injured before the season. I as a Sonics fan would like to see Murray playing quality minutes (+20 minutes at least) but on the other hand Sonics has won 21 games with rotation that doesn't include Murray - don't fix what ain't broken. I really hope that opportunity for Murray to play comes soon (not through somebodies injury I hope) but I think he have to remain patient. Same thing goes with Vitaly too. I hope relations between Sonics management and Murray won't be seriously affected because when we lose both Murray and Allen after this season then we will bw in big trouble. Also have you noticed - Kutluay has played 6 minutes thus far in NBA! I hoped he would get more time but...
