This forum needs some life. Give an explanation of your answer and follow it with another question. Fact or Fiction: The Sonics will win over 44 games next season and make the playoffs.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Iron Shiek:</div><div class="quote_post">This forum needs some life.</div> I agree... <div class="quote_poster">Quoting Iron Shiek:</div><div class="quote_post"> Fact or Fiction: The Sonics will win over 44 games next season and make the playoffs.</div> Fact: If the Sonics play like they did towards the end of last season, they should have no problem winning 44 games. We have three good perimeter defenders in Wilkins, Watson, and Gelabale and with the development of the young bigs, we should be getting better defensively in the post as well. We haven't had problems scoring the ball, so we should be ok on offense. Fact or Fiction: Swifty will average 10pts, 6.5rbs, and 2blks a game.
False. He won't average double figure scoring, but he'll get above 7 boards a game and should be around the 1.5-2 blocks mark. T/F - Gelabale will be in the rotation by New Year?
Fiction: After watching about three French National games during the World Championships it is evident to me that Gelebale is really nothing more than a terrific athlete who is an above average perimeter defender. He isn't a good ball handler and he isn't a good shooter. Combined with the fact that he doesn't have an assertive personality I think that he isn't as NBA ready as the Sonics brass believe that he is. At this point I'd feel more comfortable giving Denham Brown the leftover backup SG minutes. At the end of the day I think that Bob will shorten the rotation and just play a three guard lineup with Earl asssuming the role of a combo guard. Fact or Fiction: Sweet Lew (Rashard Lewis) will sign a contract extension with the Sonics.
Fact. He'll tie up an extra two years before the deadline. T/F - Watson will continue to finish games while Luke sits?
I must say Fact! If they win +50% games this year (and we all think/hope they will) then he will be there. F/F Saer Sene will average more blocks than any other player on the roster.
Fiction: I can't imagine Sene getting enough minutes in his rookie year for him to be our leader in any major statistical category. Down the road I think that he could lead the entire league in blocks but that road is no where close to where we presently stand. I believe that Bobby will lead the team in blocks this season. Fact or Fiction: We will have six players average in double figures (points) next season.
Fiction - over 82 games? Ray, Wilcox, Luke and Rashard all will, but I can't see us getting another two out of Watson, Collison, Swift and Wilkins. Most likely they'll all be around the 7-9 mark, with Earl probably getting 4-5 dimes as well. F/F - Petro will end up the odd man out of the rotation?
Fiction: For what reason would he be the odd man out? Fortson and Sene initially will not factor into our rotation and Bobby Swift has definitely not cemented himself as a 30+ minute per game player. If Petro does end up being forced out of the rotation it will b/c he has regressed considerably from last season. Fact or Fiction: This will be Danny Fortson's last season in the NBA.
Fact. After what happend in Detroit vs Indiana game the league has changed. No team needs a mentaly unstable player in their roster, especcially when that player is 11th-12th man in the rotation. If Fortson cab significantly improve his on and off coart behavior and show some good games this season, he might have a chance but it is truly a slim chance. F/F We will see 4 white guys in Sonics uniform together on the court this year (Ridnour, Halperin, Collison, Swift, some free agent/player we trade in).
Fiction: Halperin won't make it out of camp, and I don't see any trades developing unless someone wants Danny's expiring contract. Fact or Fiction: The Sonics/Hornets game in Oklahoma will be sold out and we will see a sizeable amount of green and gold on display in the crowd.
Fact: NBA fans in Oklahoma City realize that the expectation for 2007 is that the Hornets will move back to New Orleans. There is a much better chance that Seattle will move to OKC permanently than there is that New Orleans will -- so I imagine that the NBA fans of OKC will go out of there way to try to influence Clay Bennett into relocating the Sonics. I just hope that Bennett is true to his word and exhaust all possible options to keep Seattle in the surrounding area. Fact or Fiction: Bob Hill will get an extension on his contract following this season.
Fact: With continued growth of the young bigs and improved perimeter defense via Watson and Gelabale the Sonics will defend just enough to win games again. Additionally, since they already have their core players here in Seattle working with coaches and each other voluntarily, and knowing Hill will run a training camp of pain to set the mindset for the season and differentiate from Weiss' day camp last year...the Sonics will jump out of the gate strong in November, taking teams that are still warming up by surprise and exciting the new ownership into thinking it will be another 50+ win season. This will make them eager to make the first team related decision of their tenure and give Hill a multi-year contract extension. Fact or Fiction: After setting an NBA record for three point shots made in a season (269) and setting a career high for three points attempted (653), Ray Allen will return to his carreer averages of of 176 made and 440 attempted this season.
Fiction: If Ray wants to continue to play at a high level for the remainder of his contract he will need to avoid punishment around the basket. I think that he is going to be a bit more reluctant to take the ball to the hoop b/c it may take more energy for him to get past his defender (age does that). Thus I can see him settling for more three point shots either off of screens or in transition. I doubt that he'll make as many as he did last year but I can see his 3 point attempts still being considerably higher than anyone else in the league. Fact or Fiction: One of the three young centers (Swift, Petro, or Sene) will be traded before the deadline.
False - we're not going to be competing for a title anytime soon and these three guys are an investment, meaning it wouldn't be worthwhile trading them this early on in their development unless someone offers us an amazing deal. T/F - Nick Collison will be gone by the deadline?
When did this turn to true and false Nick? Fact. He's the odd man out right now with three upcoming big men and coming off of a lackluster season. He'd be one of the first to go if we make a deal I think. Fact or Fiction: The Sonics will finish the season with a better record than the Portland Trailblazers.
Fact: The Blazers will still be one of the worst teams in the league despite all of the moves that they made this offseason. Zach Randolph is too inconsistent to be a franchise player and they still do not have a reliable point guard. The Sonics are in a much better position to make a run at the NW divisional title than the Blazers are at this point. Fact or Fiction: Clay Bennett and the Professional Basketball Club LLC will spend the money necessary to attract quality free agents to the Sonics.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Shard:</div><div class="quote_post">When did this turn to true and false Nick?</div> True/false, fact/fiction, what's the difference?
