NBA Lottery
Congrats Sonics... you just won the opportunity to have the same team next year!! Durant can't me that much different that Rashard Lewis, though the contract is much less expensive and they might be able to get something for Lewis in a sign-and-trade (maybe the desperate/depressed Celtics wouldn't mind having a guy who looks and plays like Durant for one of their young big guys and Telfair or something)...Otherwise, the Blazers can now field a round-mound who can score and rebound and a long athlete that can get up and down and defend the paint in the way ZBo couldn't... the three-man rotation with Aldridge now make the Blazer front line pretty tough all of the sudden... However, the Blazers need to get serious about filling up the wings with studs not named Jarrett Jack.
***
My point is that unless the Sonics get something for Lewis they don't make the playoffs again next year... these two guys went to bad teams in the West... if they had gone to bad teams in the East they might have a chance to change the balance of power (just look at the players on the Cleveland team!)... now they're in the hunt for the 6-8 playoff spot in the West with the Lakeshow, Clips, Warriors and Nuggets...so we'll have to hold off on the saviour label for a while.
Is it possible that the Blazers trade Zbo to Seattle for Lewis? It would make sense for both teams... come to think of it, so would trading the picks. What chance is there that the Blazers draft Durant with the first pick instead of Oden? What would the Sonics give the Blazers to make that happen?
***
I saw Durant about 10 times this year and I believe that he will be a better player than Rashard Lewis (a former all-star), but here's the point... is Allen-Durant better than Kobe-Odom, Iverson-Anthony, Yao-McGrady? Not next season and all those pairs were 1 and done in the West... KG, Elton Brand, Chris Paul, Mike Bibby and Pau Gasol all watched the playoffs from home in the West. If Durant couldn't get a mediocre college team to the sweet 16 as an 18-year old, why should he be able to carry a mediocre NBA franchise to the playoffs a year later?
The truth about the Sonics...
Ray Allen is 32 and we all know how that feels... he's been on one playoff team since 2001
Lewis averaged 22-7-2 last year and shot 46%, 39% from 3 against NBA competition
Durant averaged 26-11-1 and shot 47%, 40% from 3 against college competition and will be a 19-year old in the NBA, only LeBron and Melo have averaged 20 PPG as 19 year olds and LeBron missed the playoffs that year, Melo got the 8th seed.
Hungry Chris Wilcox got fed and pulled only 14-8 last year
No one else averaged 10 points, no one averaged 1 block, and no other player on their roster should be a starter in the NBA.
Today, I would be willing to bet $100 that the Sonics don't make the playoffs next year... Lewis is the biggest free agent in the West, next are Travis Outlaw, Luke Walton or Jerrry Stackhouse... so the West essentially stands pat this year or grabs a Billups, Vince Carter or Gerald Wallace from the East. Given that, the Spurs, Suns, Mavs and Jazz can book their arenas for nest year's playoffs, the Rockets too if they stay healthy, that leaves the Lakers, Nuggets, Warriors, Clippers, Hornets, Blazers (+Oden) and Sonics (+Durant)...not to mention two teams from last year's playoffs, the Kings and Grizzlies... and KG and his Wolves.
Does 19-year old Durant get the Sonics from 31 wins to the playoffs at the expense of Kobe, AI/Melo and does it push them ahead of teams like the Hornets, Warriors or Blazers for the final spot? Methinks not. Does matching a 32-year old with a 19-year old sound like a recipe for long-term success? Not really.
posted by Big 3 Freak @ 12:17 AM
0 Comments
