Friday, April 14, 2006

SIMULBLOG FOR SONICS V. CLIPPERS

Clippers 101 Sonics 97 – FINAL SCORE
Ray Allen misses a three to win it
Rashard Lewis didn’t score in the 4th and was never able to take advantage of the mismatch. Ironically what the Sonics really missed today was a Vlady Radmanovic type player
Elton Brand has really changed his game and is much better player late in games then he ever was in the past.
Sam Cassell is a winning point guard
Tough night for Luke Ridnour and Vlady Radmanovic
Make sure you check out supersonics.com for the Ray Allen offer
The Clippers are really a terrific half court defensive team
Kaman and Brand are a dynamic tandem. Can Swift become Kaman?



Sonics 88 Clippers 88 with 5:28 left in the 4th Quarter
This game is going to come down to if Lewis can beat Mobley.
The Clippers have their small forward on Allen leaving the smaller Mobley on Lewis
Between Kaman and Brand the Clippers can really pound it inside
Livingston is playing down the stretch rather then Cassell.
Sonics aren’t getting any points out of their half court offense. They have to get out and run and again.


Sonics 85 Clippers 84 with 9:12 left in the 4th Quarter
Hill rests Allen by playing Wilkins at the 2 with Lewis
Swift turns his ankle and is out, plus no Wilcox tonight
When does it become Ray time?
Can Watson contain Cassell


Clippers 82 Sonics 81 at the end of 3 Quarter
Sonics go cold – 24% in the Quarter. --- you had to assume you couldn’t shoot 60%
A brutal start and then the Sonics never got going in rhythm
Chris Kaman is a really nice player
Ray Allen was quiet for most of the Quarter
The game slowed down considerably in the third quarter


Sonics 66 Clippers 63 with 9:37 left in the 3rd quarter
Brutal start for the Sonics
Cassell has hit a few.
Luke Ridnour tonight on the floor is -10 and Watson is +18

Sonics 66 Clippers 55 at the half
Sonics are crazy hot. Ray Allen has 5 threes. Ray has 24
Sups are shooting 60% for the half.
The only concern is you really can’t stay this hot.


Sonics 58 Clippers 48 with 2:38 left in the 2nd Quarter
Sonics run was 48-24.
Earl Watson was +18 on the floor tonight
Swift and Petro are playing together


Sonics 54 Clippers 36 with 6:43 left in the 2nd Quarter
17-0 run
Oh my goodness !!!! Ray is on fire. A different planet
He hit a three had a smirk on his face and turned and said something to the people behind hill, but the look was dam am i good.
He has 4 threes in the last 3 minutes
It is an awesome display.


Sonics 46 Clippers 36 with 8:52 left in the 2nd Quarter
Wow !! What a barrage. Allen hits back to back threes and then feeds to a wide open Watson for the next one. Five trips up and down the floor, 3 for Seattle and 2 for LA and the Sonics go on a 9-0 run. That is hard to make up .
The Sonics are pushing the ball and getting good looks before the Clippers defense gets set.
When the defense gets set it is impressive but they haven’t been set all game. Sonics are shooting 61.5% and 6 of 10 from 3.
Radmanovic was not very good and he was booed (surprises me) He went 1 for 7 in 8 minutes and got 1 rebound and the Sonics killed him defensively.


Sonics 33 Clippers 30 – at the end of 1 Quarter
The Sonics are going right at Vlady and exposes his defense.
Lewis killed him on the last possession of the quarter driving by him from the top of the key and leaving him standing still like a statue.
Bob Hill called a “:20 timeout and went off on his club when they were down 16 to 8 and they responded well.
The Sonics are playing very well offensively against a good defensive team
Earl Watson was the spark. Unreal performance.


Clippers 11 Sonics 3 with 8:13 left in the 1st Quarter
Terrible start
The Clippers are wearing the old Buffalo Braves uniforms and I find it hard to believe anyone ever wore these god awful things. They are a truly ugly orange with a diagonal stripe of brown and white. Bad, very bad.
Robert Swift picks up two fouls in the first 1:50. He is really going to need to improve the quickness of his reactions.
The Sonics are having a hard time getting Lewis post opportunities with two bigs on the floor with Lewis.
On the other, Lewis is being guarded by Mobley and an opponent should never be able to get away with putting a 6’4 guard on Lewis.


The prop bet tonight is Ray Allen's threes or Mariners hits off Curt Shilling.

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

SIMULBLOG FOR SONICS V. HORNETS

Hornets 104 Sonics 99 -- Final Score
The Sonics made a nice flurry late in the game but they lost the necessary focus to win this game in the third and fourth quarters
It seemed to me this game changed to open the 2nd half when it was clear the Hornets were playing for their playoff lives and the Sonics were just playing, playing hard but not with the same tenacity.
The rebounding told the story the Sonics got crushed on the defensive glass. At the half the Sonics had allowed 50% of the defensive rebounds to go the Hornets and that didn’t really change throughout the game they finished with 51% defensive rebounding rate. That is terrible --- truly terrible.
Only appropriately the Sonics got a miss that would have given them a chance to tie down three but the Sonics couldn’t garner the defensive rebound and the Hornets preserved their win.
By the end of the night the Sonics defensive rating was not awful but they allowed too many free throws along with the rebounding woes. The Hornets are one of the worst shooting teams in the NBA and the Sonics took advantage of that but couldn’t finsh the deal.
Chris Wilcox left with a sprained ankle but before that was quiet for the second straight night. If Wilcox is going to be great he needs to expand his game so that it can translate to all match-ups.
Mark Jackson can’t beat you.


Hornets 73 Sonics 69 with 5:13 left in the 3rd
Seattle is getting crushed on the boards
Robert Swift must get stronger and he must gain stamina tonight was a night that really showed all of his weaknesses. For a young player he is not good on the back end of back to backs; strength and fatigue are an issue for his future.
Petro doesn’t have a great feel for space on the floor and is letting his man get too much room around the hoop.
The Sonics are just hitting threes to stay in the game. If you believe in the game will reward you theory the Sonics are in trouble.


Sonics 45 Hornets 45 with 4:50 left in the 2nd Quarter
Bad sign for Seattle they are shooting 60% from the field and are tied
The Hornets are on a 15-4 run
Lewis missed back to back threes in a mysterious fashion as both skimmed the bottom of the front of rim and went straight down.
No Petro in the second quarter as Hill went to Mikki Moore. Moore is playing well.
Wilcox is a 7 pts and 5 rebs


Sonics 29 Hornets 24 – end of 1 Quarter
Game gained some pace finally at the end of the Q
KC talked about Chris Paul as Tim Hardaway what about Kevin Johnson
Sonics shoot 55% from the field in the 1st Quarter
Rashard has been very good with 9 points
Speedy Claxton is one of the leagues most underrated players


Sonics 18 Hornets 12 with 5:22 in the 1st Quarter
Hornets leading scorer and reboudner David West is not playing tonight
I love Desmond Mason but he really is one of the worst offensive players in the NBA
The Sonics have started well.
It is impressive on the back end of a back to back that they aren’t jogging through this with nothing on the line.
Swift needs to get stronger and when he does he will start finishing down low and be quicker with his jumps.

USATODAY.com - Kacyvenski tackles forgiveness

USA Today did a feature story on the life of Isaiah Kaxyvenski. Many of you have heard it before but it is still worth the read. USATODAY.com - Kacyvenski tackles forgiveness: "The father was a dishwasher and a nursery home fix-it man. The mother was a missionary. They had six children. The first, Suzie, died at 5½ months because of previously undetected pneumonia.

The last went to Harvard and played in Super Bowl XL.

This is the story about that youngest child, Isaiah Kacyvenski, a 6-1, 252-pound reserve linebacker for the Seattle Seahawks."

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

SIMULBLOG FOR SONICS V. SPURS

SPURS 106 SONICS 95 -- FINAL SCORE
Sonice were unable to match the level of the game the Spurs played
It was a good reminder of high on the sclae the great teams are.
Chirs Wilcox and Earl Watson both had their weaknesses exposed.
That is what a great team does it exploits all of the weaknesses of their opponent and that is the difference between Phoenix and San Antonio
Tony Parker killed Seattle.

Spurs 81 Sonics 68 – at the end of 3 Quarters
The Spurs have buried the Sonics a few times tonight but the Sonics keep removing the dirt and fighting for air.
Watson hit back to back threes to close the Quarter
The Spurs are hitting the Sonics with too many weapons and are able to expose all defensive weaknesses.
The Spurs look playoff sharp.
Ray is 3 of 9 and Rashard is 3 of 10 they have to get hot for the Sonics to get in this game.


Spurs 70 Sonics 54 with 6:48 left in the 3rd
Whap !!!!
The Spurs just put it down on the Sonics
Seattle didn’t match the intensity of the Spurs
Seattle got sloppy with the ball on a few plays but everything Seattle was doing was a little soft and the Spurs were playing at a different level.
Wilcox got caught three or four times where his lane got cut off or he went for his jump hook and a guy was there before he realized it or on a fast break he got sloppy with the ball.
Parker continues to dominate.


Spurs 55 Sonics 48 at the half
Watson and Wilcox have been absent
This is a big test for Wilcox since he lite up some lesser teams recently and in the case of Phoenix a non-defensive team.
The Sonics are shooting just 36%
Tony Parker is great. Really great. He is close to unguardable.
Seattle has played hard and fairly well. This game is closer then the score.
The 13-0 run has been the only time SA outplayed Seattle.


Spurs 39 Sonics 31 with 5:43 left in the 2nd Quarter
Spurs extended there run to 13-0 and that has been the difference
Watson is having a hard time in transition because the Spurs get back so well that he isn’t finding the lanes to basket and get caught in traffic. Watson is 0 for 6.
Another big man having too good a day. Nestorivic is 5 for 5.


Spurs 25 Sonics 22 –at the end of 1 Quarter
Spurs close on a 7-0 run.
Numerous highlights in the quarter
Swift hit a sick post move fadeaway to the baseline
Petro had a gorgeous floater
Collison had a fantastic post jumper
Ridnour finished a fantastic fast break.
Sonics were tied at 12-12 when Allen went out and Watson went in.

SEAHAWKS ADD SAFETY DEPTH

Seahawks.NET has learned that former Jets safety Oliver Celestin has signed with the Seattle Seahawks. Celestin was used primarily in nickel and dime packages with New York. Playing in 12 games last season, the second-year pro from Texas Southern amassed 21 tackles and one pass defensed. The 6'0", 207-pound safety is regarded as a tough player with marginal ball skills - he could be a special teams option for Seattle in 2006.



Locke's Breakdown
-This is a typical Ruskell signing. A guy that helos solidify the special teams, but has also shown enough ability to play down after down if necessary. I am making the assumption that Ruskell and his staff have watched this guy since he was drafted out of Texas Southern and they see something they liked. This fits to mold of the guys that were very valuable last year.

Sunday, April 09, 2006

SIMULBLOG FOR SONICS V. SUNS

TONIGHT I WILL GIVE YOU A "GLIMPSE OF THE FUTURE" TO REMEMBER AND THEN TOMMOROW ON 950, KJR'S LOCKED ON SPORTS I WILL ASK FOR THE "GLIMPSE INTO THE FUTURE" AT 7:30, 8:30 AND 9:30.

SONICS 116 SUNS 114 -- FINAL SCORE

Great defense -- Nash misses and the Suns get the rebound --- Diaw drives great help defense and the Sonics are were going to win
Ray Allen 11 fourth quarter points
Chris Wilcox has another double double and for the first time we have seen him pick his game up late in the game when it was most important. He really rebounded very strongly.
But the Sonics had 6 men on the floor and barely got one of them off the floor in time
The Sonics actually played good defense for the night despite the score




Sonics 116 Suns 114 with :16.5 left

RAY ALLEN DOES IT AGAIN !!!!!
Watson drives and Allen drops to the level of the ball and hits a three.



Suns 114 Seattle 113 with 2:33 left in the 4th Quarter

An insane game -- this is great fun
Ray Allen is carrying Seattle – he is more amazing then words can say
Allen has hit 4 of his last 5 shots on the last 6 possessions for 9 points all in the last 2:30.
He bumped backed in the post and faded to the baseline for two
He pulled up on a three
He went one on one at Raja Bell and drove by him for a powerful lay-up.


Suns 99 Sonics 93 with 8:48 left in the 4th Quarter
Chris Wilcox is having another big day 19 pts and 8 rebounds
He is active slicing without the ball and he has shown some post moves tonight
Bad line-up out of the shoot by Seattle – Ridnour, Watson, Wilkins, Wilcox and Petro.
Wilkins and Ridnour have missed the last two shots


Glimpse of the Future Moment #3 – The Sonics opened the Q on a Watson to Wilcox alley-opp and then two possessions later the Watson hit a slicing Wilcox for a silky two, coming down the baseline. The Watson to Wilcox combo is a glimpse of the future. Tune in Monday night at 9:30 for a chance to win tickets to the final home game of the year..



Suns 91 Sonics 87 at the start of the 4th Quarter

This game is maintaining a very high tempo.
Seattle must take advantage of Nash being out of the game. Di’Antoni is very conscience about his Nash and Marion minutes at this point of the season so their will be the opportunity to go on a run.
Ray Allen has not been special tonight – it is 4th quarter time now
Allen is 6 of 14 heading into the 4th.




Suns 85 Sonics 81 with 2:57 left in the 3rd Quarter

Watson enters for Ridnour – The Sonics are -9 when Luke is on the floor tonight and +5 when he is off the floor.
This is usually when Allen gets a rest but he just got hot on what has been a cold night.
Petro’s activity is terrific. He can play in this tempo a game. Swift is a much better rebounder, but Petro will learn that.


Sonics 70 Suns 70 with 7:01 in the 3rd Quarter

Seattle is matching the Suns in a bombing contest right now
The Suns keep making their move and the Sonics Rashard Lewis buries a 3 to bring Seattle back. He has three in the Quarter


Glimpse to the future #2 – Wilcox and Swift combined to grab the Sonics first 6 rebounds of the third quarter. Tune into 950, KJR’s Locked on Sports at 8:30 to win tickets the final Sonics home game


Sonics 57 Suns 56 at the half
Sonics are actually playing good defense. The pace is really fast and the Sonics are keeping the Suns below their offensive average.
The Suns don’t have their penetration and kick game going as well as they did last time they were in Seattle.
They have attempted 16 threes.



Suns 50 Sonics 48 with 2:58 left in the 2nd Quarter

Johan Petro makes his return with a mask
Nash returns and Phoenix gets its juice back
Watson and Collison are both out with 2 fouls. Hill believes in sitting guys with 2 fouls rather then let them get there third


Sonics 39 Suns 36 with 8:30 left in the 2nd Quarter
Seattle is out and running. Swift is clearing the glass and getting the Sonics out
9-0 run
The Sonics are taking advantage of the Suns poor +/- players.
Earl Watson the Sonics best +/- player is on the floor for the run.
Watson has 6 points, 3 reb and 3 asssists


Glimpse into the future #1- Swift pulled down a nice board then outleted the pass to Watson and Watson gave it back to Swift for a dunk and the foul – he hit the free throw.
Tune into 950, KJR’s Locked on Sports tomorrow at 7:30for Sonics tickets when I call for the glimpse of the future. More to come ……


Suns 31 Sonics 28 at the end of 1 Quarter

The game is exactly what you would anticipate
Wilcox finishes the quarter with 9 points and 2 rebounds
It may be as simple as how gets hot along the way
Seattle is pounding the post tonight trying to take advantage of the Suns lack of size.
Ray Allen is scoreless
Suns shooting 58% and the Sonics at 50%


Suns 23 Sonics 17 with 4:23 left in the 1st Quarter
The Suns have scored on 9 straight possessions.
The Suns are getting easy fast break looks and too many second chance opportunities
The Suns are the worst offensive rebounding team in the NBA so the Sonics can’t give up those chances.