New nickname for Chris Wilcox: Popcorn

SEATTLE - Last night the Orlando "we want an arena too" Magic beat the Seattle "arena Ceis to amaze me" SuperSonics.

The Sonics have two (2) wins, and a mini debate has been going on and on in various places on playing Chris Wilcox vs Nick Collison. Well, Collison is out for a few games with a busted face and Robert Swift is not yet ready to wear short pants either, leaving vet center Kurt Thomas and Chris Wilcox to defend Dwight "the beast" Howard. Howard is a load, no question about it, the Sonics didn't have an anwer last night. In a year Thomas will likely retire to the bench of some east coast team next year. He's a good vet that should be on a good vet team. A year after that, the end of 2009, Chris Wilcox will finish getting 6.75 million dollars for that season and I have to wonder after last night if he didn't make a mistake signing a short contract. If he expected to cash in in the summer of 2009 before last night he has to know that after being cast as a spectator on the defensive end of the floor last night that the level of cash just shrunk. While the ball was in some other player's hands, other than Howard's, Wilcox might as well have gotten a beer, seat, and popcorn. Howard walked into the paint as if alone in the building.
You have to defend your man away from the ball if you ever expect to win games and make money. At this point, when I feel like having some popcorn while watching the game I'll look in Wilcox's direction. I know, I'm not the spectator at the Sonics games.
I know Howard is a load but I didn't see Wilcox give anything near the effort the Thomas gave.
I didn't read much about Wilcox in most of the media reports on last night's game. I would like to know why. Maybe the Sonics only have two wins because the players are not very good, not talented, not trying. For Chris wilcox on defense, away from the ball, it's a trifecta.
Lucky for the team he has that short contact. Maybe Collison isn't the dunk machine that Wilcox is, but at least he knows how to play.

Seattle Times game story.

Have a great day,
Mr Baker

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Many Words for Rain: Apple Store: Counter Intuitive

http://manywordsforrain.blogspot.com/2007/11/apple-store-counter-intuitive.html

When I'm not thinking about the Supersonics I think about other
things. I'm going to write those thoughts some place else.

Have a great day,
Mr Baker

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Sonics gain first victory of season with 104-95 victory over Heat

SEATTLE - Sonics get first win on the court in Miami, against the lethargic Heat.

If Derick McKey were a better scorer an could dribble the ball better
would the be what Jeff Green is?
Maybe not, I keep searching my mind for familar comparisons.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com story on the win is here!

Have a great day,
Mr Baker

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I'm done with both.

SEATTLE - The punchline to last night's Sonics/Jazz game is that Watson has yet to have a plus (+/-) game, Wilcox was doubled on the catch in the fourth but wasn't in the first. Watson and Ridnour are the best backups that are starting NBA games, trade them both.

I had hoped that both would have been gone over the summer, I would have been just as happy with West and Mike Wilks coming off the bench. more than 10 mill in Watson/Ridnour, that's a lot of money without having a starter that can both defend and create a productive flow in the offense. Neither is a primary scorer, Ridnour is more likely to pass the ball to guys that are primary scorers. That's where my preference is, not with who those two guys are, but their effect on the other players. Of all three West is more of a ball hawk, he tracks players with a skill the other guys don't have. If he gets switched off he's not as likely to get eaten alive as will Ridnour, he recovers better if he's beaten on a step through than Watson.

Watson is redundant with West on the roster. Ridnour can play the role of Mike Wilks for the rest of the season. I would just assume West start and give the ball to Durant as soon as he gets into the half court.

How many pg's did MJ go through? Pass the ball, get out of the way, hit an open jumper once in a while, don't lay down on defense. There are plenty of these guys around that know that is their role when next to a second overall pick, too bad neither of them is Luke or Earl. Where's Melo? Not next to Earl, and Earl isn't in Denver. Too bad Luke can't defend better, if he could we wouldn't have to watch Watson, who has yet to have a + show up in the +/- column. I'm done with both.

There are only a handful of dominating pg's and an even fewer number that actually help their teams win.

Pass the ball.

Dennis Daugs makes offer to buy and keep Sonics in Seattle

SEATTLE - Dennis Dougs, a member of the former ownership group, has sent a letter to Clay Bennett to express Daugs' desire to buy the Sonics. Howard Wright, a local Seattle investor, was contacted by Daugs, as a potential investor.
Daugs has an interest in keeping the team in Key Arena. He knows what he's getting into, unlike Clay Bennett.

This announcement came as a response to today's announcement by Clay Bennett that he will apply to the NBA to relocate the Sonics, but not the Storm. The Storm may not be as popular in OKC unless they change the uniforms to green and gold aprons, and give control of the decisions concerning their bodies to men (to hell with that). One year and one day after the side letter agreement Bennett signed with the former ownership group to give a "good faith" effort to get an arena deal in place he is announcing that he is going to submit to the NBA a request to relocate the Sonics, but not the Storm.

I would like to know how binding that side letter is, and if Daugs can use that to regain ownership of the teams? I would like to know if just a single former owner can act on the letter, like Daugs, or does it require the entire group? I would like to know if a simple solution can be found in a simple letter, if not, why not?
If anybody has a copy of the letter leave a contact note in the comment section linked below this story, ALL of the comments go into a moderator file.

The simpleton (that's me) thinking goes: If there was a side-letter agreement written to all of the owners that bennett would give a good faith effort for one full year then it's not to hard to argue that he didn't give that effort. He backed off the 10/31/07 date by one full and legal day, I do not think it had ANYTHING to do with not overshadowing the home opener (yes, I'm calling Clay Bennett a big, fat, liar even if some will not), and that it had a LOT to do with 366 days passing since taking ownership. Think about it for one second, when has Bennett acted not NOT overshadow the team's presence in Seattle by throwing cold water on any upbeat and exciting moment for the team? Answer: NEVER!
He backed off the 1031/07 date for the same reasons he's done anything involving the Sonics, that's to cover his legal ass so he can take the team back to OKC.

So, how about that letter, and how about a person from the former ownership group stepping up to buy the team. We have one of those things on day one of taking the team back from Clay Bennett, from here on out know as the Renter of the Sonics, Clayton Bennett.

The announcement 366 days in the making is linked here.

And I thought it was going to be John McCaw.

Have a great day,
Mr. Baker

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