Ballin’: Say Goodnight, Seattle
NBA April 14th. 2008, 11:05amSeattle 99, Dallas 95: Last one out in Seattle, please turn off the lights. It perhaps their final game in the Northwest before moving to the Dust Bowl (er, Oklahoma), the Sonics capped the worst season in franchise history with a nice triumph over the Mavericks. The chant is somewhat moving; Kevin Durant said he almost cried.
Denver 111, Houston 94: The Nuggets are a win (they play Memphis) or a Warriors loss away from locking up the 8th playoff spot in the West. Iverson pumped in 33 and JR Smith came off the bench to add 23. Nope, don’t think the Nuggets have a chance against the Lakers - LA swept the season series 3-0, and didn’t have Gasol for any of the games. Only once was game decided by single digits (the time Iverson scored 51).
Los Angeles Lakers 106, San Antonio 95: The Lakers overwhelmed the Manu-less Spurs in the second half, and this win, combined with the one Friday over the Hornets (both came at home), all but cements LA as the top seed in the West.
Detroit 91 Toronto 84: The Pistons have nobody on their roster that can match the charisma and charm of Chris Bosh. Few teams do, in fact. Nice desk, man.
Orlando 101, Chicago 84: The Magic have been locked into a playoff spot for weeks, and yet JJ Redick still gets no burn. Through six games in April, the kid has played in only two of them for a total of seven minutes. He’s 1-for-5 with five points.
53 Responses to “Ballin’: Say Goodnight, Seattle”
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April 14th, 2008 at 11:12 am
Sean Marks has no sympathy for kk reddick.
April 14th, 2008 at 11:13 am
That should say “jj”. I’m not making any socoal commentary. My fingers just slipped.
April 14th, 2008 at 11:13 am
TBl- what do you expect out of JJ Redick? to come off the bench and drop 15-18 points a game? lol he deserves to get no playing time. Maybe he doesnt impress Van Gundy enough during practice. Just because you shined at Duke doesnt mean you will shine in the pros.
April 14th, 2008 at 11:13 am
i feel bad for the sonics fans…clay bennett is a dipshit, enjoy oklahoma you steaming pile.
if stern has a heart, the first thing he’ll do is find a way to get a team back into seatlle with good owners. maybe milwaukee will move there once herb kohl dies. or maybe NO when they finally collapse financially. perhaps the cavs once LBJ leaves.
April 14th, 2008 at 11:14 am
what the heck are they chanting?
April 14th, 2008 at 11:15 am
Yeah JJ Redick is done. He’s Trajan Langdon except with a DUI. Get him out of there.
April 14th, 2008 at 11:15 am
I hope the sonics stay in Seattle. Will the playoffs just start already.
April 14th, 2008 at 11:16 am
How stupid is JJ.. you can’t blow brotha.. you just can’t blow
April 14th, 2008 at 11:16 am
maybe NO when they finally collapse financially
Shinn is going to lose his out next year, because the city will probably meet the attendance benchmark he set the city to meet by the end of next year. Funny thing is, there was no way in hell they were staying if they were even a .500 team. Damn that team getting good all of the sudden.
April 14th, 2008 at 11:17 am
maybe there just arent a lot of minutes for a shooter who cant create his own shot or play any defense. honestly, who can JJ reddick guard in the NBA as a SG? he has no shot against anyone with athleticism and doesnt have the height to guard guys like kapono or mike miller.
April 14th, 2008 at 11:17 am
That should be in the admissions literature.
April 14th, 2008 at 11:18 am
reddick is just in the wrong system.
April 14th, 2008 at 11:18 am
It is april. On playoff-bound teams and lottery-bound teams, everyone plays.
April 14th, 2008 at 11:18 am
By the way, I’ve made the point that the Cavalier offense has been worse with LeBron in it since the new players arrived. Now we have proof!
Thanks to Brian Windhorst (Cavs Beat writer.. like people in here didn’t know that)
April 14th, 2008 at 11:20 am
I agree with this. He deserves to be on a team with a different system…in the ACC.
April 14th, 2008 at 11:21 am
KKredicK?
social commentary indeed
April 14th, 2008 at 11:23 am
@cursed: I’m convinced. Trade him! Maybe we can get Deng/Ty Thomas for him. Has nothing to do with teams playing their best players against Lebron when he’s on the court.
April 14th, 2008 at 11:23 am
JJ might get a lil pt if he played for Miami.
April 14th, 2008 at 11:24 am
TBL- maybe you could interview JJ Redick?
April 14th, 2008 at 11:26 am
“Save Our Sonics”
April 14th, 2008 at 11:27 am
Nick P, I wasn’t saying we should trade him (For anyone not named Kobe or Dwight Howard.. or CP3!).. I’m merely saying the offense looks better in terms of ball movement and structure than it does with him off the floor. And looking at those numbers (You love numbers right?), it’s pretty clear that not only does it look better, it is better.
April 14th, 2008 at 11:27 am
@Chelsea: Save our Sonics.
Also - Lakers 106, Spurs 85 and Magic 104 Bulls 84.
April 14th, 2008 at 11:29 am
man, this shit pisses me off. when the browns moved it was because art couldn’t manage his finances worth a shit. with the sonics, it’s just greed. it’s sad to see fans who actually give a shit, get their passion ripped right from underneath them.
seriously, fuck you clay bennett, i hope you burn in hell with all the other greedy prick owners. i hope you get an accelerated AIDS/Ebola hybrid disease that eats your flesh while you just sit there and watch your body waste away.
April 14th, 2008 at 11:30 am
We need a playoff predictions post - so we can all put our non-existent money where are mouths are.
Cavs are getting by Washington in 6.. but lose to Boston in 6
April 14th, 2008 at 11:32 am
Either that or your viagra stops working you.
April 14th, 2008 at 11:34 am
@cursed: I don’t consider +/- a valid statistic. Never have nor will.
If Keith Bogans has JJ Redick as his back-up, +/- will make him look like a superstar, even though he blows cock.
It’s the same with this situation.
Look at when Shane Battier played the Lakers. He shut Kobe down as well as anyone, but his +/- probably looked shitty because he only played when Kobe was on the court. Obviously Kobe on the court represents the best team LAL can have (since they don’t have Lebron), and Battier’s +/- shows it.
April 14th, 2008 at 11:35 am
Bogans doesnt start. He backs up Mo Evans. I think we have some pieces that can be trade bait for some teams. JJ Redick, Carlos Arroyo and Jameer Nelson need to go. Dwight is only making 6 mill this year and we need to free up room to give him the money he wants
April 14th, 2008 at 11:36 am
@irish: It was just an example. I know Redick doesn’t even play.
April 14th, 2008 at 11:38 am
Nick, terrific points about +/- .. My only problem with how LeBron has played since the new players arrived, is that it seemed to be he was going for a scoring title. The shots went down over the last 3 weeks, but the players just seem lost. LeBron’s defense, which had improved drastically the first 2 months of the season, seems to be right back where it was last year.. (Granted, his back has been an issue)
April 14th, 2008 at 11:39 am
Nick P, I think Shane Battier might win defensive player of the year. Funny thing is, he made his bones (Godfather line) defending Kobe on national television, when people need to realize he’s been defending that way for the last three years.
April 14th, 2008 at 11:41 am
Update: Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said Redick is unlikely to play or be dealt this season, the Associated Press reports
This comes less than a week after Redick’s agent requested a trade. The former 11th-overall pick has played in just 20 games this year — mostly in irrelevant minutes. Carlos Arroyo, Keyon Dooling and Maurice Evans all will be free agents this summer thank god
see he requested a trade, but who wants this bum
April 14th, 2008 at 11:42 am
We need a playoff predictions post - so we can all put our non-existent money where are mouths are.
The way they played this weekend, that probable Horets/Mavericks series will be ugly. I’m not picking my Hornets for anything right now after going 1-3 (only win in Minnesota) last week.
April 14th, 2008 at 11:43 am
Irish who would you trade from your poo poo platter of guards?
April 14th, 2008 at 11:44 am
CP3 played his absolute worst over the last two weeks. I have no idea why, was it the MVP pressure? Was it that teams are adjusting… are they running far too many pick and rolls?
April 14th, 2008 at 11:46 am
I’m optimistically going with Saturday’s shit-fest in Sacramento as the inevitable letdown after losing to the Lakers. Now, if they can’t beat the Clippers….
April 14th, 2008 at 11:47 am
@cursed: I think it will be KG, but Battier should be right there with him.
Pre-trade, Lebron averaged 21.7 FGA and 7.44 assists.
Post-trade, 22.2 FGA and 7.0 assists.
So you’re right, but is it significant?
April 14th, 2008 at 11:48 am
@ irish - Howard already signed an extention. What do you mean that they need to free up some money? Is too much of their money tied up in Lewis and Howard and they need to get rid of some salaries?
April 14th, 2008 at 11:51 am
I’ll answer for him: Every last one of them.
April 14th, 2008 at 11:56 am
clown- The exact value of Howard’s contract — which will be the maximum allowable under the CBA — can’t be determined until the salary cap is set in July 2008. His extension will apply from the 2008-09 season through the 2012-13 season.
so what extension were you saying? the bargaining argeement hasnt even been set.
his salary right now: there are 104 players ahead of him in the NBA who make more than him right now
April 14th, 2008 at 11:57 am
The Cavs could use Trajon right now. He shoots at an incredible clip (56% from 2 and 44% from 3) for the best European team. He would be both better and cheaper the Wally.
April 14th, 2008 at 11:59 am
Nick, P, no, not significant, but I said his shot attempts went down recently (back problems notwithstanding).. I’m talking about the first three weeks after the trade.. either way, what’s your prediction for our Wine and Gold?!
April 14th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
It’s too bad they didn’t own his rights at one point. Or maybe a guy like Jason Kopono; he’d probably fit in nicely with the Cavs.
Oh wait, we drafted bof those guys.
April 14th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
@cursed: Assuming home court, beat Wash in 5. Swept by Boston.
April 14th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
Looks like Suns/Spurs will be first round. Bye Bye Spurs
April 14th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
SM, Trajan Langdon is nowhere near the best player in CSKA Moskow, and he shoots 44% of 3pt where the line is 3 feet closer to the basket than in the NBA. The only player in CSKA that the Cavs maybe could use Papaloukas but remember Jasikevicius was the dominant player overseas for 2 years, then became a Warriors cheerleader in the end of his NBA career.
If you want to talk about European players, talk about Rudy Fernandez that even with a shoulder problem lead his team to the ULEB Cup win yesterday. If he improves his upper body and Nate McMillan gives the insurance he wants to go to Portland, then add him and a healthy Odom and you have a playoff team.
Oh well, i digress…
April 14th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
can someone please explain that video for me? according to the scoreboard, the game is over. why are the sonics in a huddle with their coaches? and why are jason kidd and josh howard standing at halfcourt, looking as if there is about to be an inbounds play? i’m more puzzled than jim leyland right now.
April 14th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
I guess I’m helping Irish here: Redick’s a bust, so why not trade him?; Dooling’s a damn good defender; Nelson’s expendable, and will never be able to guard bigger guards, but they gave him an extension; I still think Arroyo’s overrated, but he’s got pull with Puerto Ricans in Orlando; Keith Bogans is a poor man’s Dooling.
Really, I think the best idea is a trade for a draft pick high enough to get DJ Augustin or selling someone’s soul to the devil for Derrick Rose. People talk about getting a 4 to let Lewis slide back to the 3, but that’s already done well enough by putting two 3s (Lewis and H-Turk) out there and making other teams play quicker on two very tall 3s.
Better to get a better facilitator or a lockdown defender (Quinton Ross?)
April 14th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
You know why I wouldn’t put stock in anything I say? Sarunas Jasikevicius.. I guaranteed for three years he’s be a major playmaker for a contender in the NBA. I wanted to the Cavaliers to do whatever they could to get them (they actually did make a serious run at him).
I suck
April 14th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
D.J. Augustine is cool but he’s small and would get abused by bigger guards Nelson is stronger and more physical than Augustine. Could possibly sell the ghost of Lil’Penny though to get D-Rose.
April 14th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
We already don’t.
/Kidding
//Or am I?
///Yeah kidding.
April 14th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
is it far fetched to think that jj redick would fit in with phoenix?
April 14th, 2008 at 6:19 pm
Save My Sonics.
Fuck Clay bennett, Schultz, and Stern. I hope they all die of Gonarrhea and burn in hell.
I still have the sports illustrated with Gary Payton on the cover “Mission Impossible” from when the Sonics played the Bulls in the finals. I bought a hat too, with my own money, I was in 8th grade. Fuck those guys.
April 14th, 2008 at 11:02 pm
I love how folks want to save basketball in Seattle by taking it away from some other city.
I’m not defending Stern or Bennett, who both clearly got into bed with the express idea of taking the Sonics out of Seattle after they refused to play ball and build a new arena.
But as unfair as that is, the fact is that this is the way of modern sports. You don’t want to lose your team, you play ball.