Tag Archives: pacific northwest

Gonzaga’s 5-0 Record Against the Big 12 Keeps Looking Better, Plus Justifying the Zags as a Number-One Seed in the Tourney

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Gonzaga has a 5-0 record against the Big 12 this year. They have beaten West Virginia, Oklahoma, Kansas State, Baylor and Oklahoma State (in the order) by an average of 18 points. When these teams played GU, only one was ranked, that was Oklahoma State who was sitting at number 22 in the polls. However, a quick look at the polls as of the 10th of this month sees both Kansas State and Oklahoma State in the top 15 of both polls.

At the time, I’ll be honest, I thought that each win would be a win that was shoved towards the back of the “quality wins” sentence that telecasts provide. But alas, here we sit with K-State, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma considered higher quality wins.

(Oklahoma is still likely in the field despite losing to TCU. Yes, the same TCU that has 16 conference losses and managed a paltry 31 points against a slightly-better-than-paltry Northwestern team.)

People say that Gonzaga shouldn’t be number one, or even get a one seed in the NCAA tournament because of the weak competition they play. While the WCC is no Big 10, it certainly isn’t as bad as it is made out to be. Continue reading →

Well Known Piece: Spite: Why Again, is the Sonics’ History in OKC?

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(Here’s a piece I wrote where I talk about the Sonics’ illustrious history and why it belongs to the people in the largest city of a certain Midwestern state. Again for all you twitter folks out there this would call for a #NOKC. Anyways, I wrote it last June on my other site knowhitter.com, thought you might like to check it out.)

(Also if you like what you read here you can check out my other site where this was originally posted, knowhitter.com.)

 

Oh yeah, spite. That’s the answer, or at least that’s my take on it. You see, not only have we (Seattle) lost our team, but in a matter of years the Raiders are in the NBA Finals. So, not only does that irk me (that’s the PG version), but I should also point out that all of the Sonics’ history is owned by Clay Bennett and his “posse”.

So, assuming you’re still following along after that painfully short lead-in, here is my perception:  spite. Yes, spite. Why else would you want to take a team’s history? When Seattle gets a team back (looking at you Stern), I don’t want that team’s history. That’s their history; they accomplished it, and they deserve to have it.

Say your team is gone along with its history. Say you’ve had some Hall of Fame worthy players as well. Now let’s say that those players’ jerseys were never retired and that the history, as stated, is owned by somebody else. Welcome to our world readers who aren’t Northwesterners and/or Sonics fans. Gary Payton’s jersey was never retired, and the ability to retire it now lies in the hands of Clay Bennett. And that’s what bugs me. Bennett isn’t going to retire the Glove’s jersey. Even if he did, GP has said he doesn’t want it retired in OKC. So basically, the jersey is useless in OKC’s hands. And that’s what bugs me. They know that they weren’t going to do anything with the jerseys of guys like Payton and Kemp, not to mention the 1979 NBA Championship Trophy. But they own the history nonetheless. Which seems spiteful to me.

You’ll notice that I don’t refer to OKC as their actual nickname, and more accurately call them the Raiders. They are in fact just that, Raiders, who took the team and the history.

A quick side slant at Bennett and Stern here. Stern named Bennett the head of the NBA Relocation Committee. That might be the worst hiring since the Knicks brought in Isaiah Thomas. Or maybe even worse.

Another  thing that is bothersome (again, being PG rated here) is that every time I watch the NBA playoffs, they throw out stats like “OKC’s first playoff (put accomplishment here) in over 15 or 20 years.” That’s also a load of bahooey (again PG), because it wasn’t OKC. It was the Sonics.

And just to clear things up, I’ve got no ill will towards the Thunder players or coaches. Most of them weren’t in Seattle, but the people I do have a problem with are Bennett and his “posse”.

And Stern.

The Kings’ To-Do List

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Seattle is likely getting the Sacramento Kings.

WAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

(Excuse my brief Super Mario impression.)

We are finally getting the NBA back, and I’ll be darned (wanted to use another word there) if the board of governors, or whatever they call themselves, votes against it.

Key Arena: The Sonics soon to be temporary home.

Key Arena: The Sonics soon to be temporary home.

(It doesn’t matter if the Kings weren’t coming to Seattle, they need to make some changes purely from a team standpoint to be successful.)

With the assumption that the Kings are coming to town, let’s take a gander at the Sacra-soon-to-be-Seattle-mento’s roster and see who’s worth keeping and who should be plying his basketball trade somewhere other than the Pacific Northwest next year.

(Side note, I have no idea what will happen with front office and coaching roles. Those are a little trickier to sort out.)

We’ll start in the back court where the Kings need to do a little tidying. The team currently employs Isaiah Thomas, Aaron Brooks (both Seattle-area natives I should point out,) overrated, but underrated Marcus Thornton, brick layer Jimmer Fredette, contractual albatross mini me Francisco Garcia and Tyreke Evans, who by the way happens to be the definition of an enigma.

Thomas is a keeper on a small, exceedingly cap-friendly contract while Brooks may be hung on to due to the fact that he might play like his old self in his hometown.

Thornton has the potential to score in bunches, but probably works best as a sixth or seventh man on a title contender. Garcia has the talent to be a really useful stat-sheet-stuffer off the bench, but his contract makes him a tad bit scary. There could be actual value in keeping Garcia. While a two-year 12 million dollar deal is bad, a one-year six million dollar one is much more friendly. We often see teams acquire an established player for a draft pick, young talent and an expiring contract that generally matches up with the established player. That way the acquiring team gets a future draft pick, a cheap, controllable asset and the chance to clean their hands of the long-term money owed to the established player.

That’s long hand for “large-ish expiring contracts are valuable.”

The Kings’ frontcourt is curious, yet appealing. DeMarcus Cousins has the potential to be the best big man in the entire league. Dwight Howard or no. But, you’ll notice the emphasis on potential. Cousins has to start putting it together to reach the point where he can be.

Knowing that Cousins is a keeper, the rest of the frontcourt, however, might actually follow suit. Thomas Robinson and Jason Thompson are the two players inhabiting the power forward section of el depth chart. Robinson is obviously the long-term choice, but Thompson has a ton of value and potential as a third big man. A role he could like fill and exceed at with nearly any club at this point in time.  Chuck Hayes is the last big on the roster. Hayes is a 6’6 center. Hayes is a 6’6 center. (That was so you don’t have to re-read it. I wrote the second part of the double take for you, aren’t I generous?) Anyways, Hayes has some value in the short term, but in the long term probably isn’t in the teams’ plans.

We’ve discussed the bigs, and we’ve discussed the smalls. Now let’s delve into the one position on the court that should be called “tweener,” the small forward position. There are a good number of cases where teams will play an athletic four-man or a big shooting guard on the wing. Sacramento Seattle, though, has some interesting contracts. James Johnson could be valuable down the road as a back-up tweener who can play both forward spots. A la a fifth big. Nonetheless he is on an expiring contract and might sign for more cash elsewhere. Now we get to the ugly part. John Salmons and Travis Outlaw, while talented, might have the worst collective contracts in the NBA in terms of worth. Both guys are being paid a grand total of 33 million buckaroos over the next three years. Did I mention that they exchange Christmas cards with the Yankees every year?

I’m no GM, but if I were the Sonics’ GM (come on Chris Hansen, the Grizzlies hired Hollinger!!!)(To be fair, Hollinger created a fantastic stat, I have, well you know…) I’d try to unload Salmon’s and Outlaw’s collective contracts. Let Johnson walk and only resign him if his market value doesn’t get absurd in free agency. I’d trade Tyreke Evans (whom I forgot to mention due to the fact that he could bring in a hefty return in a trade. Other teams are apparently mystified with the enigma) for a great return. Sell Fredette’s rights to a Chinese team where he will not only break Quincy Douby’s newly-minted record for points in a game, but also shatter the record for most shots in a game, probably 65. Cut Tyler Honeycutt to open up roster space. Keep around Francisco Garcia until next year’s trade deadline and flip him for a solid return to a team looking to unload money. Keep the All-Seattle Area point guard pairing of Thomas and Brooks. And finally, move Thompson and Thornton to the bench as the team’s respective sixth and seventh men, start Robinson and find a legitimate shooting guard who isn’t on a crap contract.

The Kings are moving to Seattle. The Sonics are coming back. I cannot convey my excitement with another Super Mario Brothers impression, but I can convey my excitement without one. YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!! Anyways, the Sonics are coming back. I’ll see you there opening night.