This March remind anyone of last March? We began the month last season losing seven in a row before we found our groove and won our next seven. Nate McMillian made the bold statement that for us to make the playoffs we would have to win out. If it wasn't for a extremely tough loss @ Portland on the last day in March (one of the greatest Sonics games in recent memory--albeit a loss) the Sonics may have actually done it. This season we have an opportunity to right three consecutive home losses with three consecutive road victories. When we are on our game I still believe that we are the second best team in the league, but inconsistent play has really haunted us of late. We really need a solid performance for 48 minutes to get that swagger back that we had in the beginning of the season. May the hip of Flip not cause his appearances to skip, productivity to dip, or our leverage to slip.
Wow I think this is the longest Nate's kept Ray Allen on the bench. Something like 7 minutes. Ball movement and defense were a lot better during that stretch.,
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Allen bristled when asked about his shot total 'No, I'm not getting enough looks,' Allen said. 'You'll have to talk to the coach about that'</div> Is that what he said at centercourt after the game? I saw most of the game and he was flopping around trying to draw fouls as he was coming off screens. It's not like they weren't running plays for him, and he spent half the time complaining to the refs. He's turning into a real drama queen. Probably what George Karl was talking about when he had him in Milwaukee. Oh yeah what happened to the 'I'm happy if we spread the ball around and I only take 10 shots.' after an earlier game this season.
Rashard is the boy in form at the moment, Rashard is the boy who should be getting the shots. And he is. If Ray wants to get out of this shooting slump, someone ought to tell him to attack the basket and get to the line, not keep jacking up shots. Team comes before the individual, I don't care if you're playing for a contract.
Ray Allen is turning into a joke...his worth to this team is showing lately with all the losses and his below average play coinciding. I don't know if it has to do with his contract situation or if he's just in a slump but he needs to quit his bitching and make some plays to win games. Maybe he's having trouble playing with another all-star on the team. Hopefully things will all piece themselves together soon before the Sonics start slipping.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Casual:</div><div class="quote_post">How quickly we turn on our heroes...</div> I'm still just as big of a Robert Swift fan.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Casual:</div><div class="quote_post">How quickly we turn on our heroes...</div> Indeedy-doo. Team beginning to show cracks <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Just looking at it from our standpoint, we felt like it was a bad loss. We just didn't play our style of game. Guys have different attitudes on this team. I don't know what the problem is, but we've got to solve it." Lewis declined to name who he believed the offending teammates were, but one Sonic, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said several players are upset with both All-Star guard Ray Allen, who made 6 of 11 shots and finished with 20 points, and forward Vladimir Radmanovic. "Too much one-on-one stuff and not enough ball movement," the Sonics player said. "You saw that game just like I saw it. Nate (Sonics coach Nate McMillan) talks about that all the time. Move the ball. But some of us in here don't do that." </div>
Right now the only positives on this team are Shard and Reggie. Rashard Lewis is starting to be come the go-to guy on this team and has brought his game to another level since the all-star game, and Evans has been puting up monster numbers on the board as of late. This team is really starting to fall apart at the seams, and it isn't just because some of our players are in a shooting slumps, namely Vlad and Ray. It's because we aren't moving the ball around like we were at the begining of the year, mainly be cause of the two players mentioned above. I'm sick and tired of Ray's complaining, right now re-signing Evans would be a higher priorty than re-signing Allen. Ray needs a serious attitude adjustment.
This is the imploding that I was talking about in my season preview. I'm honestly surprised that this hasn't happened earlier. Ray Allen is out solely for Ray Allen. I can't believe that he'd go on record saying that we as a team struggled b/c he's not getting open looks. If you are a player that believes that you are worth a 90 million dollar contract extension, then you should be able to create your own looks. Nate McMillian has been coddling Ray for the past two seasons. He doesn't get on him for shot selection, he doesn't get on him for his poor defense, and he doesn't get on him for his elaborate commentary to the media. You would think Ray would be appreciative but instead he blames his coach for his inability to get open looks at the basket. I don't want to hear anyone talk about Ray Allen being the best pure shooter in the game. The best pure shooter in the game doesn't have a field goal percentage that is just over 40 percent. This is why I've gone on record as saying Ray Allen is a born loser. He and his lacky Antonio Daniels can go run up their cell phone minutes talking about what it's going to take for them to get the free agent contract that they want. Great job Sweet Lew for being man enough to address some issues that have been brewing all season.
Not to pile on , but I'm no fan of George Karl but you can be a lot of things and George will tolerate you; if you're a selfish, no-defense, me-first drama queen George will call you out. See his benching of Carmelo for further evidence. I made several posts right around the All-Star break regarding Ray Allen's shot selection, lack of defense and propensity for pounding the ball waiting for a big to set a screen while the shot clock ticks away, not to mention his A-Rod-esque disingenuous remarks he makes to the media. If this continues to fester I guess this means no more team outings to Disneyworld.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">He and his lackee Antonio Daniels can go run up their cell phone minutes talking about what it's going to take for them to get the free agent contract that they want.</div> I don't know that AD's his lacky. He actually made some statements to the media similar to what Rashard said. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Great job, Sweet Lew for being man enough to address some issues that have been brewing all season.</div> Further evidence that Rashard is maturing into a team leader/All-Star. He probably would've (and has) deferred to the veterans last year.
