GAME 5 SONICS V. KINGS LIVE BLOG

Please put your questions and comments in the comment zone at the bottom of the blog. I will try to get to them as soon as possible.

REMEMBER I WILL GIVE OUT THE SECRET PHRASE IN EACH HALF. THEN TOMMOROW DURING THE SHOW I WILL ASK FOR IT. CALL IN AND YOU WIN PLAYOFF TICKETS TO THE SONICS NEXT HOME PLAYOFF GAME.

SONICS WIN THE SERIES AND ADVANCE !!!!!

SONICS 122 KINGS 118 -- FINAL SCORE
RAY ALLEN IS SUPERMAN AGAIN. Peja hit a 3 to make it a 2 point game with :30 seconds left. Allen just worked the dribble, waited until 5 on the shot clock. Guarded by Evans he went to the right hand dribble and got into the lane and scooped in the lay-up.


SONICS 117 KINGS 111 with 1:46 left.
Brad Miller crumbles under pressure. We have seen it all season when Reggie bothers him. he is extremely frustrated right now.
Nick Collison missed both free throws and Miller couldn't corral the rebound. Seattle ball.
Peja didn't get the rebound on the last miss.
Peja has not taken a shot since he missed his 4th on the 5th possession of the quarter.


REACTION TO COMMENTS

Andy said...

It's over...peja pulled a peja.

The question who is pulling a bigger peja -- peja or miller.

SONICS 113 KINGS 104 with 3:26 left in the game (series?)
Lewis is on his own 7-0 run. Welcome back Rashard. (THAT IS THE SECRET PHRASE FOR THE SECOND HALF. LISTEN TO LOCKED ON SPORTS TOMMOROW WHEN I CALL FOR YOU WIN TICKETS TO THE SONICS NEXT HOME PLAYOFF GAME)

SONICS 110 KINGS 104 with 3:51 left in the game
AD is finshing again tonight for Nate at the point guard.
Collison re-enters for Vlady. JJ has 5 fouls.
With all his dramatics tonight AD might join Jamie Foxx at the Oscars next year.
Lewis first points of the 4th Q with 4:45 left.
JJ makes the dumbest pass out of a post for a turnover. Trying to cute instead a fool.
Lewis going at Peja with nice aggressiveness.
Brad Miller is either gassed or he is playing the role of Peja in the 4th quarter

SONICS 106 KINGS 101 with 5:45 left in the 4th Q
Peja 0 for 5 -- Lewis blocks Peja.
Gorgeous back door to Allen from AD
4th Q pts -- Allen 7, Nick 5, AD 2, JJ 2
Sac -- Peja 4 (all free throws), Miller 2, Williamson 2.


SONICS 102 Kings 97 with 6:48 in the 4th quarter.
Rashard comes in for Vlady. Vlady has been dissapointing. A win tonight would give him a needed break to get his rhythm back.
RAY ALLEN IS SUPERMAN. ANOTHER UNREAL THREE OVER EVANS.
He then made an amazing block on Williamson right after the 3.

SONICS 97 KINGS 95 with 9:07 4th quarter
Peja just missed his best shot. A two dribble J to his left and he missed. 0 for 4.
Surprise, Surprise -- Rick Adelman is berating the officials.
His teammates all meet with him and hugged him for support when the play stopped. This is in his head big time.
Nick Collison back to back buckets.
The bench has brought the juice that was missing.
The arena is going nuts.
How will the Kings react? Will Peja fight through this? This could be an amazing fall from grace for Peja.
KINGS 95 SONICS 92 with 9:53 in the 4th Q
Where does Nate turn? Danny is playing terribly, Reggie has negated in this series. The Kings are exploited JJ on defense? He will go to JJ.
Peja starts the quarter 0 for 3.

KINGS 93 SONICS 92 opening moments of the 4th Q
What will Peja do in the 4th is what everyone in Sacramento is wondering? Will he disappear again?

KINGS 93 SONICS 90 end of 3rd Quarter
Rashard Lewis is going to have to fight through the Kings defense and make plays in the 4th.
Everything in the second half is different. Everything for the Kings is easy and everything for the Sonics is tough.
Sacramento is playing like a team that has a lot of pride. It is impressive.
Seattle is not sure what is hitting them, they look befuddled.
Seattle's defense is getting beat on every set.
Their are no such thing as nervous buckets or nervous stops for the Kings tonight. They are just playing with no worries and a lot of heart.
With all that said the Sonics are in striking distance and at home.


KINGS 88 SONICS 81 with 2:47 left in the 3rd quarter
Great move by Nate. He has moved Reggie onto Miller so he can shadow the ball in the backcourt.
Seattle is not valuing possessions.
How is Peja get so much room. The Sonics are not switching onto him.
Seattle has no juice. They are in serious trouble.
Nate is going to the bench, they better come with some energy.

REACTION FROM COMMENT ZONE

Chawhe said...

So far in the first half of game 5 JJ has been a little slow defensivly and it has reflected in his offense. Like many ball players in his situation you get your juices going on the def. end then the offense comes.

Exactly that is a great point.

KINGS 82 SONICS 76 with 5:28 left in the 3rd Quarter
Seattle got their first stop at the 7:02 mark of the 3rd Quarter
The Kings are exploiting JJ on the pick and roll in the same fashion they did in Game 3.
Luke Ridnour made two in a row. Sac has to feel good ever time they end up with him shooting.
Lewis can't find any room on the floor. He has to keep working and not wilt.
The Kings have more backdoor baskets tonight then they have had all series
Reggie Evans is lucky he wasn't ejected. He just had a nasty dirty shot at Bibby on a drive.


KINGS 76 SONICS 66 with 8:07 left in the 3rd Quarter
Seattle does not have a defensive stop in the second half
Seattle looks awful.
Sacramento has come to play and stay alive and Seattle has not matched it.

Be sure to check out Kevin Pelton's blog at Supersonics.com.

KINGS 64 SONICS 63 with 10:14 left in the 3rd quarter
Mobley is not in the game. He is out with a sprained right foot.
Knocking a team out of the playoffs is not easy and now the Sonics are in for a fight.
Let's watch shots in the second half. Allen and Lewis combined for only 13 in the first half.

HALTIME STATS
Pace of Play: 48 trips
Offensive Efficiency: 130 (that is very very high)
Defensive Efficiency: 116 (under 105 is the magic number -gave up a 135 in 2nd Q)
Effective FG%: 59%
Defensive EFG% 56% (73% in the 2nd Quarter)
Offensive Rebounding%: 40%
Defensive Rebounding%: 80% (terrific)
Offensive Turnover %: 15%
Defensive Turnover %: 6% (Seattle has to force some turnovers)

SONICS 60 KINGS 57 at Halftime
Nick Collison played the role of JJ making three big plays including a put back dunk to hold off the Kings run.
The Sonics shot allocation is little off. The Kings are doing a nice job of forcing the ball out of the hands of Lewis and Allen. The Sonics still need those guys to make the plays that are deciding plays.


SONICS 56 KINGS 53 with 2:00 left in the 2nd Quarter
The Kings have gotten hot.
This reminds me of Game 2. The Kings got hot and starting rolling, but the Sonics answered with back to back buckets with James in the post. It deflated the Kings and the Sonics burst out in the 3rd Q. Let's see if they can do it again.,

SONICS 54 KINGS 48 with 2:45 left in 1st half
Whatever adjustment was made by the Kings is not working. The only thing I have seen iis they are doubling hard on Allen at all places on the floor, but doubling at 23 feet is basketball death and the Sonics have exploited it by finding the open man.
In addition, they are making Ridnour hit shots and he has.



SONICS 50 KINGS 41with 4:41 left in 2nd Quarter
Adelman is not using Bobby Jackson tonight on Allen. Instead he is using Mo Evans. That is surprising.
Vladyjust beat Peja in the right block. That will be talk of some summer conversations.
LUKE RIDNOUR JUST BROUGHT THE PLACE TO ITS FEET.WITH A REMARKABLE BEHIND THE BACK THROUGH THE LEGS PASS TO LEWIS FOR JAM FROM HALFCOURT.
Sacramento has shown no sign that they can stop the Sonics offense.

SONICS 42 Kings 34 with 7:11 left in the 2nd Quarter.
AD just fell to the floor and seems a bit gimpy.
Cutino Mobley just called for a sub with an injury
I think Luke may end up one of the league leaders in steals in the next few years. His anticipation is great and his hands are amazing. Once he is established some of this years fouls will be steals.
Brad Miller is a terrific passer. He is finding gaps in the Sonics

SONICS 33 Kings 24 with 10:45 left in the 2nd Quarter
There are signs that the Kings are trying to take the easy way out. They took 9 threes on 24 trips down the floor. That is really lazy. Their transition defense is lazy.
AD and Luke are combining for great effort right now.


1ST QUARTER STATS
Pace of Play: 24 trips
Offensive Efficiency: 125 (as good as Game 4)
Defensive Efficiency: 97 (under 105 is the magic number)
Effective FG%: 59%
Defensive EFG% 42
Offensive Rebounding%: 43%
Defensive Rebounding%: 80% (terrific)
Offensive Turnover %: 17%
Defensive Turnover %: 0% (impressive)

SONICS 29 Kings 24 end of the 1st Q
The last two defensive possessions by the Sonics were GREAT. Trapping the double team, perfect rotations and super energy.
The bench seems much better than it has been in this series.

SONICS 25 Kings 24 with 1:31 left in 1st Q
The over on Javie's first T just won. (THAT IS THE SECRET PHRASE FOR TICKETS IN THE FIRST HALF)


SONICS 20 Kings 19 with 3:47 left in the 1st Quarter
Little things. In transition Rashard Lewis went out of his way to pick for Ray Allen to get him an opportunity. That is cool. The ball never got to Allen, but that is what great teams do.
Is it a coincidence that once the Sonics #1 +/- left the game (Jerome James) and the Kings #1 +/- player came into the game that the Kings went on a 7-0 run.

SONICS 17 Kings 12 with 5:31 left in the 1st Quarter
Seattle is beating Sacramento down the floor. The Kings are not picking up in transition.
The Kings are doubling Allen all over the floor
Peja hits his first shot. He went to his left. It is amazing the difference if thehy can force him right.
Peja only scored 10 of his points in Game 4 against Lewis.
It looked as though Reggie Evans punched Miller in the stomach on his way to the Slam Dunk
Jerome James out with 2 fouls. Collison in.

SONICS 9 Kings 2 with 9:14 left in the 1st Quarter
First adjustment from Sacto. They have put the ball in Mobley's hands and have Bibby rolling off the baseline picks to try to get free offensively.
It also allows the Kings to run Allen off of Brad Miller picks.
The arena is pumping.
Ray Allen just drove the middle and faked out Brad Miller so badly that Miller fell to the ground

FINAL NOTE BEFORE TIP-OFF
Steve Javie is one of the officials tonight.
Three betting lines in honor of Javie.
The following odds are over/under lines
First Techinical by 2:00 left 1st Q
Fortson first T - 5:00 left in 2ndQ
Total T's: 4


FROM THE COMMENT ZONE

From DJ
The Sonics are 5 - 9 on three point atempts below the elbow the last two games and 9 - 36 on threes from obove the elbow.

Wow you are a mad man. That is a great note. AD is the player where that is most obvious. I talked to the coaches about the corner three and they said it really isn't a play you can call. Instead, it is the last pass on rotation therefore, usually the spot where the defense breaks down.

On another note I want to thank DJ, Andy and all the other that have made the Comment Zone full of activity during these blogs. Thanks guys.

REACTION TO COMMENTS
From the comment zone ...

It doesn't seem likely that Ray Allen is going to be able to go at a 61% FGP clip again. That was more amazing than 45 points. However, I also think that Rashard Lewis is due to get his jumper going. I also think that with the Kings soft front line, the opportunity for Nick Collison to put up double digit points off of offensive rebounds is pretty high. Particularly if the Kings try and use one of their bigs to stop Jerome James in the post.

I totally agree. They are going to incorporate more of their plan on Jerome and they will double Ray off the pick n rolls. Therefore, AD or Nick is going to have to make some plays. Look for some corner threes being open off the double of Ray. This may mean it is Vlady time. Ray said he thinks Vlady will have a big game.


PRE-GAME NEWS
Rick Adelman says that he wants to double Ray off the pick and roll.
The Sonics want to bring a shooter to the corner of the ballside when Ray is doubled.
The Sonics will still try to work Miller on the pick and roll and on the curl picks.
Which Kings team is going to show up is the great mystery?

SHOOT-AROUND
The Sonics look to clinch tonight. Nothing eventful at shoot-around. The Sonics went through the two scenarios that they anticipate the Kings will throw at them to stop Ray Allen. The group was loose and seemed ready to get the job done.

KEY STATS FOR GAME 5
· Defensive Effective Field Goal% : Effective Field Goal % weighs the value of a three point. In the three wins the Sonics have held the Kings to an effective field goal% of 45% or lower. In the loss they allowed 53%. This is a tough task since the Kings average a regular season effective field goal % of 49.6%

OPENING SMASH FOR MAY 2

RAY ALLEN 45 POINTS
So many things were impressive about his night, but three things more than anything else jump out at me. First, he wasn’t forcing or playing out of the offense. In fact, when he got tired, he found Collison and Lewis for buckets instead of forcing it. His defensive intensity was at a high level in the second half as well. Finally, the #1 game plan of the Kings is to take him away in the playoffs and they can’t do it. The Sonics have negated Peja at time. The Sonics have made Bibby’s life difficult. The Kings can’t do anything to Ray Allen. He is too complete a player. He can go either way, he can finish with both hands, he can stop and pop or rise and fire. When he is on his game his shot release is the quickest in the NBA. He is unguardable. It is the elite, elite of the NBA.

RAY ALLEN REACTION TO GAME 3
Ray Allen’s unusual reaction after Game 3 now is beginning to make so sense. Allen was furious after Game 3. I spent a good deal of time with him and I was really mystified about why he was so upset. After Game 4 and talking with him again today it makes sense. Allen wasn’t just hot last night he has been like this all series and he thought with a few more opportunities on Friday he could have willed them to a win the way he did last night.
That is what makes a superstar. He has the complete belief that given the opportunity he can will his team to a win every night. He was unreal last night. Before tonight’s show I am going to re-watch a lot of last night’s game because I am convinced that he got very few good looks and he created all of this on his own. That is the ultimate in awesome.

NATE
Nate deserves huge kudos is how he handled his team between games 3 and 4. These guys flipped out after Game 3. They were snipping at each other in the locker-room, they were pointing fingers in the huddle, they were blasting the coaching staff in the post-game interviews and at halftime they were a zoo inside the locker-room. It was a vast over reaction. It felt like they were on the verge of a terrible collapse. I was wondering if the adversity had arrived and they were about to fold under the pressure.
Instead, McMillan addressed his team and told them stop worrying about everyone else and put the focus on yourself and take care of your own energy. Do your job and stop wondering if someone else is doing their job. The credit also goes to these players because they responded.

RASHARD AND HIS TOUCHES
One of the issues was Rashard Lewis and his touches. Here is an interesting note on Rashard and his touches. He had 25 touches in game 3, which was more than in both Games 1, and Game 2 but he had 39 in Game 4.

OTHER THOUGHTS
Nick Collison taking three charges was amazing. Moreover, after struggling badly in the first two games he finally came out and did what makes Collison great. He executed the defense and he was in the right place at the right time all night ….. Jerome James defensive rebounding in the second half of Game 4 was terrific. It was the best I have ever seen out of him and it was the most impressive thing I have seen him do all series. Yes, including his absurd offensive production, his defensive rebounding was awesome …. Nate McMillan has an incredible feel of his team and the game. Antonio Daniels has been so terrible in this series. At the end of the first half I was wondering if Nate could afford to play him in the second half and I am betting Nate was wondering the same thing. Instead, he rolls him out their and he closes the game and did it well. That is incredible. Give Nate huge credit again for having the faith in his players and having an environment where they can succeed.

THE ORGINIAL BOOM!! THERE GOES THE DYNAMITE

Where did KC's call of "Feed it to the Man. Boom their goes the Dynamite," come from. Here is it. This has to be the worst sports cast of all time.

LIVE BLOG -- SONICS V. KINGS 2nd half GAME 4

WE ARE SPLITTING THE BLOG BECASUE WE ARE LOSING INFO.
Please place any questions or comments in the comment area and I will try to get to them

SONICS WIN !!!!! 115-102 -- they lead the Series 3-1
Ray Allen did what special players do. They win games. They dominate. They reach a level where they are unstoppable. Flat out sick, wicked and nasty.
The Sonics defense was outstanding in the second half. That they were able to switch from as the first half to the second half is shocking.
What the Kings will do next will be very interesting.
One of the toughest things to do in basketball is to knock a team out of the playoffs who are playing for their lives. However, no one is sure what the Kings are going to do.

SONICS 114 KINGS 100 with :24 left.
Ray just equalled the Sonics record of 45 points in a playoff game.

SONICS 111 KINGS 98 with :41
A 30 point second half by the Kings. The Sonics whose defense could not have been worse in the first half dominated in the second half.
Reggie Evans is screaming it is cold in here, it is cold in here. He may be talking about the Kings offense.
It looks like a fire alarm just went off in the building.

SONICS 109 KINGS 98 with :54
Mike Bibby is 4 of 17 from the field and has just missed two free throws
Luke Ridnour made both free throws and Ray Allen has willed the Sonics to a win.

SONICS 107 KINGS 98 with 1:02 left.
ALLEN JUST RIPPED THE KINGS HEART OUT WITH A FALL AWAY THREE AS THE SHOT CLOCK SOUNDED. THE BASKET FOR RAY IS BIG !!!!!

SONICS 104 KINGS 98 with 1:27 left.
AD runner puts Seattle up 7.
Bibby hits 1 of 2 free throws

SONICS 102 KINGS 97 with 2:39 left
Allen misses off a pick and roll with Collison.
Allen and Lewis run the pick and roll. Lewis fouled hits both free throws. Sonics by 7.
Miller has 5 fouls

SONICS 100 KINGS 95 with 3:51 left.
Nick Collsion just took his third charge of the Quarter.
Sonics are gassed -- great timeout by Nate

SONICS 98 KINGS 91 with 5:23 left
Jerome James has been great on the boards. Particuallrly on the defensive side.
Of course as Jerome works as soon as type that he brutalizes a possession by not screening out Mike Bibby on the shot and gives up an offensive rebound.
RAY ALLEN HAS 40 !!!!!!
Fred Brown has the Sonics playoff high with 45
Ray Allen's career high is 47
Ray Allen's playoff career high is 41

SONICS 97 KINGS 90 with 6:15 left
Collison on the pick and roll from Allen puts the Sonics back up 7.
The Kings have only scored one of their last 7 possessions.
The Kings have just 22 points since halftime. That is over 18 minutes.

SONICS 95 KINGS 88 with 7:25 left
Kings just got their first offensive rebound of the second half.
RAY ALLEN AGAIN.
Nick Collison has taken two charges in the 4th Quarter.
Lewis misses a wide open three that would have put the Sups up 7.
Antonio banks a three and the foul -- Sonics by 7. They trailed 41-22.

SONICS 90 KINGS 88 with 9:13 left.
Lewis enters as does Peja.
Sonics have the ball with a chance to take the lead for the first time since the 1st Q
RAY ALLEN BURIES THE SICKEST THREE WITH TWO GUYS ON HIM. HE STROLLED AROUND THE ARCH AND THEN JUST EXPLODED!!! SONICS LEAD

KINGS 88 SONICS 87 with 10:00 left
On the floor to start the 4th: AD, RA, VR, Danny and Nick. Fortson only lasts :50 seconds. JJ in. Kings are going three guards.
Bobby Jackson is on Ray Allen.
Ray Allen is in a different place. 35 points.

KINGS 84 SONICS 80 end of 3rd Quarter
Here we go !!!!!!
Ray Allen has been amazing with 30 points. He is doing what great playoff players do. He is making plays when their is nothing left on the floor. The Kings are surrounding him and they still can't stop him.
The Kings never got their high post offense rolling in the 3rd Quarter.


KINGS 82 SONICS 76 with :52 seconds left in the 3rd Q
Strange match-ups. The Sonics have Vlady guarding Mobley. Can they exploit it on the other side.
Mobley just hit a three

KINGS 75 SONICS 73 with 2:51 in the 3rd
"Give it to the man and boom goes the dynamite."
Check out the video of the worst sportcaster ever lower down on the blog and you will get why Kevin just said that on Ray Allen's three.

KINGS 75 SONICS 70 with 3:17 left in the 3rd Q
This is agonizing. Both teams have gone brutally cold and sloppy
The Sonics have blown 5 straight chances to get it to three points.
Vlady through a terrible pass to James and on the possession before he got stuck and the offense broke down.
Here comes the Seattle bench. AD in for Luke. This group killed the Sonics in the 3rd Quarter.
In the first

KINGS 75 SONICS 70 with 4:14 left in the 3rd Q
I just saw the first nervous body langugue from the Kings. Mobley missed a three and jumped up and down about how big it would have been.
Seattle has blown three chances to get it to one possessions.

KINGS 75 SONICS 70 with 5:34 left in the 3rd
This arena is different all of a sudden.
The crowd is beginnig to get anxious.
But Seattle can't get the stop they need.
Seattle can't have the mental breakdowns they had at the end of quarter 1 and 2.

KINGS 70 SONICS 62 with 8:14 left in the 3rd
Great flurry by the Sonics have them knocking on the door.
In Game 3 they could never make what I call the nervous basket or nervous stop. The basket or stop that makes the Kings realize their backs are against the walls. Will they tonight?

KINGS 72 SONICS 66 with 7:07 left.
The defensive intensity is much better. Moreover, they are handling the game on the boards.
Are the Kings nervous? They will be if the Sonics can get a stop and a bucket cutting it to 4.

LIVE BLOG -- GAME 4 SONICS AT KINGS

SORRY WE JUST LOST THE 1ST QUARTER BLOGS. I DON'T KNOW HOW TO GET THEM BACK SORRY
Place your questions and thoughts in the comments areas and I will try to get to them and give you my thoughts.

2nd Half Stats
Offensive Efficiency: 114
Defensive Efficiency: 132 (an amazing 140 in the 2nd quarter)
Offensive Rebounding%: 22% (not acceptable)
Defensive Rebounding%: 55%
Effective Field Goal%: 61% (70+% in the second quarter)
Effective Def FG%: 57% (That is shockingly poor)
Offensive Turnover%: 22 % (this is Game 3 all over again
Defensive Turnover%:10%

KINGS 68 SONICS 56 at the Halfime.
68 points in a half is a joke, the Kings aren't this good. They look great but that is largely because the Sonics are showing no resistance.
Second chance points are 17-2
Kenny Thomas is dominating Seattle.
The Sonics look like they have never played defense before.
Terrible ends of quarters will cost Seattle this game.

KINGS 60 SONICS 52 with 1:04 left in the half
Vlady Radmanovic really looks like he is out of rhythm. He missed a ton of practice
Vlady is so bad on the boards right now it is almost impossible to have him on the floor. Then back to back turnovers by Allen and Lewis.
The bonehead plays to end each quarter are enough to cost you a game.
The end of the 1st Quarter and now allowing offenisive rebound on the back end of a free throw.
The game has gone small with Collison and Songalia playing center
The turnovers are killing the Sonics.

KINGS 55 SONICS 48 with 2:55 left in the 2nd Quarter.
No one is playing any defense.
Seattle has scored on 11 of 13 possessions.
Then they committed back to back turnovers.
They can't make mistakes they built to big a hole. If they let down in the final 2:58 left they will never have a chance in this game.

KINGS 49 SONICS 44 with 4:34 left in the 2nd Quarter
A 17-2 run
When Vlady re-entered Nate said to him, you have to rebound, he just got beat again on the defensive boards.
Jerome is scoring ont he pick and roll instead of post up like he did in Game 1. This is much better for the Sonics.
I like having Cutino Mobley on the other team.

KINGS 43 SONICS 34 with 7:13 left in the 2nd Quarter
Miller is killing Jerome
The Sonics scored on 8 of their first 14 possessions and once they went to the bench they scored on just 3 of their next 15.
They have gone to the starters plus Vlady for Reggie and have scored on 5 straight possessions.

SATURDAY REPORT FROM SACRAMENTO

SATURDAY REPORT FROM SACRAMENTO

Be sure to tune in tomorrow starting at 6pm for live coverage from Arco Arena. I will air interviews with Luke Ridnour, Rashard Lewis and Ray Allen.
In addition, Frank Hughes will be live from Sacramento today at 4 pm.

Here is the latest from Sacramento
• The Sonics were a mad and frustrated group after the loss in Game 3. Players were openly questioning play calls and strategies.
• The foucs on much of the discussion was what happened to Rashard Lewis.
• The talk today is whether Jerome James is taking away from Lewis’s touches. Both Allen and Lewis were outwardly supportive of James and the amount of touches he is getting and converting.
• Nate said the offense has to do a better job with shot selection and shot allocation. In other words, Lewis has to get more looks.
• The Sonics need to find plays other than the post-up on the left block to get him the ball. Nate talked about isolation plays in the middle of the floor.
• Defensively the big’s had a terrible game. Their help defense was non-existent. Jerome James left Luke to die numerous times by not calling out a pick including the huge shot that Brad Miller got on Luke in the second half.
• The Sonics focused their practice today on offensive adjustments.
• Tomorrow at shot-around they will put the focus on the defensive side of the ball.

LIVE BLOG --- GAME 3 SONICS AND KINGS

Please place any comments or questions in the comments area at the bottom of the blog.

FINAL STATS
Pace of Play: 97 trips (their is no way Seattle can win at this pace
Offensive Efficiency: 107 (77 in the 1st, otherwise ok)
Defensive Efficiency: 121 (135 in the second half)
Effective FG%: 46% (this is below their season average)
Defensive EFG%: 53%
Off Rebounding %: 42 (a very good sign)
Def Reboundng % 72 (very solid)
Off Turnover % 17 (1st quarter they turned it over 35% of their possessions)
Def Turnover% 10 (Sac is #1 in the NBA at not turning it over)

KINGS 116 SONICS 104 -- FINAL SCORE -- SONICS LEAD SERIES 2-1
Final Thoughts:
The Kings brought the intensity we anticipated.
Mike Bibby was insanely clutch. Everytime the Sonics got close Bibby made a play.
The Kings made nice offensive adjustments and the Sonics defense never had an answer.
The Kings spread the floor very well. They had good awareness of what the Sonics were trying to do and reacted well to it.
The backcourt of Bobby Jackson and Mike Bibby was really terrific.
Brad Miller playing 35 minutes changes the complexion of this series.
The Sonics offense was still able to exploit the Kings defense for most of the game.
Nine Turnovers in the first quarter were the difference in this game. The Sonics got bullrushed early and never were able to get all the way back in the game.
JJ was terrific on the offensive end again. His effort has been solid for three straight nights.
Ray Allen is a stud. He carried the load tonight
In game 3 the Kings probably won't have that early burst and it will be a real dog fit for 48 minutes.

KINGS 113 SONICS 101 with 1:23 left.
Rashard Lewis has no lift. He is really gaming it through the knee injury. He is just 2 of 10.
Jerome James has fouled out with 22 and 9. As frustrating as his defense was at time tonight this is another great night for JJ. On the road this is pretty impressive. For the most part he stayed inside his game despite all the hype. I am impressed.
Nick Collison is going to need to learn how to finsih. Otherwise, his game is nearly perfect.

KINGS 112 SONCIS 99 with 3:23 left in the 4th Quarter.
JJ continues to be totally amazing offensively in this series.
Their is no reason to be upset by this. In fact, I might take the other approach. Seattle continued to slice up the Kings defense once they stopped turning the ball over.
The Kings had great energy and made nice adjustments. The Sonics staff will get to work and fix the areas that need to be fixed.
The Sonics must find a way to play a slower pace.
The Cowbells are behind us and they are brutal.

REACTION TO COMMENTS

DJ Chameleon said...

We need Lewis to finally show up tonight. Does anyone know of any health reasons for Rashard's horrible game tonight.

Lewis knee is causing him problems. He took the last two days off and never seemed to get loose tonight. He doesn't seem to have his usual lift.

KINGS 108 SONICS 93 with 6:04 left in the 4th Quarter.
I think Seattle is done. They have extended all their energy and the Kings have answered every move. Impressive night for the Kings and Mike Bibby

KINGS 104 SONICS 93 with 6:22 left in the 4th Quarter
Another huge play by Bibby. Splitting the pick and roll Bibby got to his left and into the lane and scored and the foul shot. Putting the Kings back up 11. That is twice that Seattle has knocked on the door and Bibby has made a huge play.
The Kings rotation is much better tonight.
JJ has had a poor defensive night. His offense has been great. His rebounding continues to be solid, but his defense has been less good then it was in Games 1 and 2.


KINGS 97 SEATTLE 85 with 8:55 left in the 4th
The cow bells are out.
Bibby is making all the plays tonight. A pull-up 3 in transition puts the Kings up 12
Seattle is going to need an awesome defense stand if they are going to win this.
The Sonics offense is rolling but they can't stop the Kings.
Bad Tech on AD.

3RD QUARTER STATS
Pace of Play: 75 trips
Offensive Efficiency: 150 IN THE 3RD
Defensive Efficiency: 154 IN THE 3RD Q -- OUCH
Effective FG%: 60% IN THE 3RD
Defensive EFG%: 61% IN THE 3RD
Off Rebounding %: 43
Def Reboundng % 75
Off Turnover % 20 (even in the 2nd quarter they turned it over 20%)
Def Turnover% 9 (Sac is #1 in the NBA at not turning it over)


KINGS 92 SONICS 81 end of the 3rd Quarter
Huge by the Kings they held off Seattle's run and still lead by 11
Missed opportunity in the final minute by Seattle. Collison missed a lay-in and on the rebound Fortson committed a foul with Seattle already over the penalty. A four point swing.
Huge shot by Mike Bibby. Seattle got it down to 7 points and with a stop it could have been nervous time for te Kings. Instead Bibby got off AD with a pick and hit the shot going to his left.
The difference in Peja going right v going left is one of the most amazing things I have seen. He never misses going left and never makes it going right.
Danny Fortson is really ineffective. He checks out. A really poor showing.



KINGS 86 SONICS 77 with 1:57 left in the 3rd quarter.
The Sonics have to get some stops. If they can get this game down to 6 then the Kings might get tight. but it just hovers at 10.
Fortson Tech costs the Sonics a point
Peja got a look going to his left and hit the jumper
AD hits VR on a gorgeous drive and dish for a 3.

KINGS 81 SONICS 70 WTH 3:11 left in the 3rd Q
No one can get a stop.
Sonics go with AD, Lewis, Vlady, Nick and JJ --- interesting. Score 79 to 69 with this.
Fortson in for JJ. Still going big. Now with Fortson as the center.
Rashard Lewis is absent tonight. 1 for 8 with 6 points.

KINGS 77 SONICS 67 with 4:30 left in the 3rd Q
Luke RIdnour just got blasted on a pick and roll. I mean blasted. JJ didn't let Luke know.
AD comes in for Luke. AD has not played very well yet in the playoffs.

KINGS 73 SONICS 63 with 6:18 left in the 3rd Quarter
Seattle is slicing apart the Kings defense the same way they did in Games 1 and 2. They are getting penetration, they are finding the open man and getting dunks and lay-ups.
Second chance points are keeping the Kings with their lead.
JJ just banked a free throw line jumper. This man is hot and lucky.
Seattle has scored on 8 of 10 possessions to start the 3rd.

KINGS 66 SONICS 56 with 8:00 left in 3rd Quarter
Seattle needs to stay within 10 by the 6:00 mark
The Kings are going at Reggie Evans with Kenny Thomas. This has been a new development in this game and it has been very succesful for the Kings. Evans is a great rebounder, but not a very good on ball defender and the Kings are going at that.
Seattle's offense is much more patitent in the 2nd half.
The post players are not playing defense at the same level they did in Games 1 and 2.

KINGS 60 SONICS 47 with 10:45 left in the 3rd Quarter.
Sonics assist to turnover ratio is 4 to 14. In the wrong direction.
Sonics pick up full court out of the half
Bibby going left on first jumper of the half and it was good. The Sups need Bibby going right.
Who is going to step up Lewis or Peja?
Terrible defense. Out of an inbound play in the back court Mobley was able to go full court for a layup with no resistance.
Nate calls a timeout because of it.

HALTIME STATS
Pace of Play: 50 trips
Offensive Efficiency: 89 (77 in the 1st and 101 in the 2nd)
Defensive Efficiency: 108 (125 in the 1st and 91 in th 2nd)
Effective FG%: 45%
Defensive EFG%: 53%
Off Rebounding %: 44
Def Reboundng % 76
Off Turnover % 26 (even in the 2nd quarter they turned it over 20%)
Def Turnover% 12 (Sac is #1 in the NBA at not turning it over)


KINGS 54 SONICS 45 at the half
The Sonics have to be pleased that they are inside 10 points. They controlled the last 8 minutes of the 2nd quarter.
Ray Allen is unreal right now. He is killing Mobley. The Jackson/Bibby backcourt was doing a much better job for Sacramento.
The Lewis/ Peja match-up is two guys with time resumes both playing very poorly.
The game has settled down into a half court game and this is to Seattle's advantage
The Kings defensive presure has subsided.
The loud mouth behind me is no riding Peja instead of Nate. Is that a sign.
James is much better if he makes his move quickly the longer he pounds the less he scores

REACTION TO COMMENT

DJ Chameleon said...

Great turn around by Jerome. This is our only opportunity to make a game out of this.

If Sacramento responds to this run we will be crushed just like we did to Sacramento at this exact same time of the game when they made a mini run and then we crushed them the last 3 minutes of the 2nd quarter in game 2.

Another great point. Seattle needs to keep this mo for the 2:26. That is exactly what happened in Game 2.

KINGS 49 SONICS 41 with 3:07 left in teh 2nd quarter.
Allen has gotten to the line twice in the last three possessions. They have opened the floor with Allen, Lewis and Vlady on the floor.
Allen in transition just popped a three in the flow.
14-1 run by the Sonics
Miller just committed his 3rd foul. Skinner comes in for Miller.


KINGS 49 SONICS 30 with 4:32 left in the 2nd Quarter
Miller is abusing JJ
Seattle's offense has no flow. The Kings are denying the first pass and it is pushing the Sonics deeper then they are comfortable.
In addition, the Sonics have no room when they are pentrating.
12 turnovers at the 5:37 mark of the 2nd quarter.
The Kings have the line-up on the floor that I was worried about.
JJ is not helping out at all on the defensive end. Ridnour was just run off a pick and James needs to show to help out on Bibby and he was no where near the play.
The Kings are re-setting picks for Bibby so he can get going to the left. The Sonics have been forcing Bibby and Peja right all series.
On the next play James did a nice job of showing.

KINGS 44 SONICS 27 with 6:47 left
Mike Bibby is killing Seattle tonight
Jerome James is flat out not following the defensive game plan on Miller. Listen to our pre-game show and the Sonics are trying to push Miller off the elbow and James is letting him work freely and shoot freely.
Miller has hit three in a row.
Rashard Lewis is not flowing tonight. He just missed two in a row

KINGS 36 SONICS 25 with 8:45 left in the 2nd quarter.
This is the Bibby we anticipated. He is getting space on the floor and hitting his shots.
Seattle is totally out of sorts.
Another tell tale sign. Seattle executed well on the offensive side but AD missed a in paint jumper, the Kings got the rebound and Bobby Jackson went coast to coast past all the Sonics for a lay-up.
The Kings are using Jackson and Bibby together in the back-court and it is effective.
Ridnour just broke a 7:30 drouhgt by the Sonics without a Field Goal.
Sonics with a 6-0 flurry. If they can get it within 6 at the half they would be in great shape.

1ST QUARTER STATS
Offensive Efficiency: 77 (terrible
Defensive Efficiency: 125
Off Rebounding %: 55
Def Reboundng % 77
Off Turnover % 32 (that is gross)
Def Turnover% 4 (ouch)

REACTION TO COMMENTS

m_dawg21 said...

Hey Guys,
Well we look alright so far. Gotta get Rashard goin here but it looks to be an even game through the first 6 Minutes.

Totally agree. Rashard didn't look as active as usual in the first quarter. Sometimes a player nows he is going to be doubled and losses his aggressiveness. The Sonics need to get Rashard some easy looks.

KINGS 31 SONICS 19 end of the 1st Quarter.
The Kings dominated the quarter in every phase. The crowd is now juiced and rolling.
Eight turnovers in the opening 10:30 by the Sonics. You can't win this way.
The Sonics defense has tightened up after the opening run, but their offense is awful.
A very telling play was Vlady making a lazy in bound pass to Antonio who didn't come to the ball, Bobby Jackson stole it and went the lenght of the floor for a layup. In the meantime, none of the Sonics ran back to help and when it was time to in bound Vlady had to sprint back to help get the ball in bound. No energy and shell-shocked is the story.
The Kings are on a 12-1 run. Most of it off turnovers.
The crowd behind me is ruthless on Nate and the Sonics. If they have any good lines I will send them along.


KINGS 23 SONICS 15 with 2:53 left in the 1st Quarter.
The crowd is incredible so far.
The Sonics help defense which was so good in Games 1 and 2 has been terrible thus far.
The quarter is going as badly for Seattle as they could imagine.
Reggie Evans just went to the locker-room. He is sick to his stomach.
Seattle has 5 turnovers already in this game. One of the keys was to reduce turnovers and they have not done that so far.
The Kings defensive hands are much more active. Mobley stripped Allen and Bibby came down and digged it out on Collison.
Luke got an elbow to the check but will be able to return


KINGS 15 SONICS 11 with 6:23 left in the 1st quarter
Frantic pace to start.
The Kings scored on 7 straight possessions.
Mike Bibby got good early looks and hit all 3.
The Sonics have been forcing the Kings big to hit the 16 footer and they have done that early.
This is what was anticipated the Sonics just have to stay in this game after the first surge.

LIVE FROM ARCO
We are up and running after a moment or two of problems.

The primary offensive sets today will be ...
1) 1/3 pick and roll on the side (point guard/ small forward)
2) Horns -- big waiting at each elbow
3) Early offensive post up

Here is a primer
KEY STATS FOR GAME 3
• Turnovers : The Sonics have done a nice job of keeping the turnovers under control at 13% of possessions in game 1 and 11% in game 2. This will be vital at Arco Arena. It keeps the crowd out of the game and the Kings have struggled in the half court. This may fall on Jerome James ability to pass out of a double team. .
• Free Throw Attempts. This has been an advantage for the Sonics in every match-up with the Kings. In game 1 the Sonics shot 28 free throws to the Kings 15. In Game 2 they doubled their free throw attempts 30-15. In the regular season the difference was 36-25 Sonics advantage. The Kings are #24 in the NBA in free throw attempts. It is also a sign of how aggressive the Kings are. Brad Miller is the guy who will be able to draw the most fouls.
• Offensive Efficiency: In the regular season the Sonics averaged 115 offensive rating against the Kings. In the regular season the Sonics averaged 109, #2 in the NBA. In game 1 of the playoffs they had just a 101 rating. In game 2 they got it rolling up to 111. The Kings are not a great defensive team allowing their opponents a 107 in the regular season. The Sonics will need to be efficient tonight to quell the crowd.
• Pace of Play: This is my bread and butter all season long. Game 1 was 87 trips. Game 2 the Kings took the tempo up to 94 and it was 75 by the third quarter. At Arco Arena the Sonics must keep it in a slow half court game.

LIVE FROM SACRAMENTO

Coming to you from Sacramento getting ready for Game #3. I will attempt to live blog again tonight if we can technically get it going.
A ton of storylines coming out of the Capital City ….
Rick Adelman denies all of Jerome James account of what happened when he got cut by Sacramento. I have to say that I side with Adelman on this one. I find it hard to believe that any coach would tell a player who is 7 foot one to pick another profession and I am sure they didn’t get him a garbage bag to clear out his stuff. The real issue is that Jerome James has forgotten who he was. When he was cut by the Kings he had sat out an entire season, they did him a favor by inviting him to camp and he was grossly overweight for an NBA player. Jerome is playing revisionist history and he just got called out. As a media member who has covered James for 5 seasons I have always found it a struggle because his stories are often lacking a factual reference point. This is the case on his stories out of Sacramento.
Is anyone else terrified that Jerome James is now talking a little trash and pumping out his chest. I have visions of a 5 for 17 coming and JJ forgetting about all the great rebounding and rotation defense he has been playing …..
Rick Adelman has to be the biggest cry baby in the NBA. Before Game 2, in an interview we aired on the pre-game show, he complained about the officials in Game 1 and how the Sonics ran roughshod all over his players. Now he is complaining the James is walking every time he makes a move to the basket. Poor Rick ….
The heat here in Sacramento is on Peja Stojakovic. Peja is 12 of 29 from the field in this series and shot 29% in last years series against Minnesota. The Headline in the Bee is “Peja needs to become a shooting not falling star.” The article closes with the line, “The Kings need a grown-up Peja.” The problem is part of the reason Peja struggles in the post-season is scouting. He has flaws i
n his game and when a team has days instead of hours to prepare they are able to expose some of those areas. He is totally dependent at going left and the Sonics have been able to take the away from him. Peja and Bibby combined to take just 6 shots going to their left in Game 2. Both of them have to have that shot in their game …..
Look for Brad Miller to play a tremendous amount in Game 3 which should slow down Jerome. Also, look for the Kings to double team JJ. This is a problem because James is terrible at passing out of the double team. It is why they should have doubling him the whole series. Not so much to stop his scoring, but to force turnovers. The flip side is the Kings are a bad defensive rotation team and the Sonics have killed them on the double team of Lewis. Now they will have Lewis and Allen available.
Bottom line Luke Ridnour has to make some shots tonight.
A few other notes … Kings are just 19-13 at Arco Arena in the post-season. They have won 7 of their last 8. The Key to Game 3 is going to be staying close and avoiding the death blow from the Kings at Arco,. If the Sonics can stay close then the pressure really turns on the Kings. Every shot is to stay in the series, every possession has magnified importance for them and they have not shown that they are a group that is capable of answering that bell in the first two games of this series
Notes from around the NBA. Jason Williams of Memphis passed up an open 3 in the 4th and then went scoreless in the 4th quarter. It makes you wonder. … Denver is playing a dangerous game of turning it off and then flipping the switch back on. …. Eddie Jones may be the biggest choke in the NBA he is just lucky he has been surrounded by great players his whole career …. Reggie Miller is playing at a totally different level …. Vince Carter was terrible late in the game before he hit his buzzer beating tying shot. The Nets had the Heat on the ropes and Shaw had 5 fouls and then all they did was shot threes.
Talk to you tonight from Arco Arena.

How to get fired !!!!!

This is a classic. Check out the video of how to lose your job drunk at an office party.

LIVE BLOG - GAME 2 SONICS V. KINGS

REMEMBER TO HIT REFRESH TO GET THE LATEST.
Please place any questions or thoughts on tonight's game in the comment's area.

2-0 SERIES LEAD FOR THE SUPERSONICS

SONICS 105 KINGS 93 FINAL SCORE
It has been a long time since Key Arena bounced with the Super - Sonics chant
Great win. They won it with defense in the 3rd and by withstanding the run in the 2nd Q.
Ray Allen kept carring the mail all night long.
Jerome James has done it again. Back to back huge nights.
Nick Collison had a very strong outing.
Luke Ridnour's box score won't wow you but his game was terrific.

SONICS 100 KINGS 92 with 1:49 left in the game.
The Sonics have stopped executing. The picks aren't being set.
Nate is going nuts on the sideline about the lack of execution. He keeps screaming "go" to remind guys to set the pick for the pick n roll.
I might be wrong about pushing this group to far. They are able to get out and run and Seattle can't keep up. But once they are in the half court they have no idea where to go.

SONICS 98 KINGS 85 with 4:33 left
Adelman is making a mistake. His bench got him back in the game and now he is pushing them out of their comfort zone. That is bad coaching

SONICS 95 KINGS 85 with 5:54 left in the game.
Out of the time-out the Sonics go to James in the post. And he scored over Skinner.
Bobby Jackson is on Ray Allen. It didn't work in Game 1
Sacramento is getting out in the open floor every trip.
Lewis shot looks wrong.
Seattle is flat out lazy right now.

SONICS 90 KINGS 79 with 8:13 left in the 4th.
Nervous time. The Kings have opened the 4th quater with a 17 to 2 run.
They are doing it with Evans, House, Jackson, Songalia and Skinner. No starters.
The Sonics just dropped their guard something they haven't done all night.
The Kings are running. They are getting easy looks and the Sonics have stopped moving offensively.
The Sonics are trying to get the knock punch instead of playing basketball.
This is the same thing they did in the 3rd quarter the other night.

REACTION TO COMMENTS

Sundodger says said...

So I actually have a question:


Why were the Sonics the team everyone wanted to face in the playoffs?

Everyone has forgotten that this team was nearly unbeatable when it played well early in the season. They have their swagger back after tonight.


SONICS 90 KINGS 72 wiht 9:51 left in the game
The owners of the Kings, the Maloofs, just left the building. This is with 11:00 left in the game.
The Maloffs will be on Frank Hughes Sonics Access show on 950,KJR this Saturday.
Sonics have dropped their guard and the Kings are getting easy buckets

SONICS 3rd QUARTER STATS
Pace of Play: 75 trips (this is very fast)
Offensive Efficiency: 119 (133 in the 3rd Q)
Defensive Efficiency: 86 (outstanding)
Offensive Rebounding %: 25%
Defensive Reboudning %: 75% (vastly better than Game 1)
Free throws: Sonics 25 to 7 advtange.
Turnover%: 12%
Forced To%: 15% (24% in the 3rd quarter is amazing)


SONICS 88 KINGS 62 end of 3rd quarter
What a line-up by Nate: AD, Lewis, Vlady, Fortson and Nick.
This is a butt-kicking
The Sonics scored on 17 of 24 possessions in the quarter
The Sonics stopped the Kings on 16 of the 24 possessions of the quarter.
Seattle dictating the game from the 1st moment of the 3rd quarter and never relented.
I go back to the end of the 2nd quarter when the Kings made what seemed like a run and the Sonics answered. It may have ripped their heart out of the game.
AD's 3 % drops off dramatically if he is not shooting from the corner.



SONICS 82 KINGS 57 with 1:55 left in the 3rd quarter
GREAT DEFENSE
The Sonics have stopped the Kings 8 of the last 9 possessions and 7 straight.
For the quarter they have stopped the Kings on 13 of 19 possessions.

MITCH IN THE MORNING
The way this game is going I will be able to have Bigger Dance breakdown and analysis of the Sonics dancers.

SONICS 80 KINGS 57 with 3:00 left.
VLADY BREAK-AWAY DUNK -- THIS IS A DOMINATION !!!!!

SONICS 78 KINGS 57 with 3:16 left 3rd Q
Nate comes out of the time-out will a full court press to try to grab the energy of the game back.
Nate has matched Adelman's small line-up with his own: Luek, Ray, Lewis, Vlady, Nick
Seattle must play small and slow
Seattle needs to take advantage of being in the bonus since the 8:00 mark of the 3rd.
Seattle has scored on 11 of 16 possessions in the quarter

SONICS 70-51 with 7:13 left
Adelman's answer is to go small. Let's see what happens. What is interesting here is last game he went big.

SONICS 70-51 with 7:13 left in the 2nd Quarter.
Wow!!!! They are playing great basketball. They are getting to every play. The Kings are a boxer that has just been hammered. The Sonics have the Kings look for the easy way out and nothing is easy against the Sonics right now.
A 15-7 run to open the half.
This is the team that was so dynamite early in the season,

SONICS 65 KINGS 51 with 8:04 left in the 3rd quarter.
I will promise you the Nate reminded his team how they lost focus offensively in the last game. They got quick in Game 1.
Jerome James is playing like a man possessed. It is unreal. He is killing the Kings. He took Ostertag to the middle and on the next trip he powered over Thomas and then drop stepped for a 8 foot jumper.
Kings are making frustration plays.


RESPONSE TO COMMENTS.

jhathaway said...

Ray is not getting enough touches.

The Sonics have made that a focus of the opening part of the 2nd half.


SONICS 60 KINGS 46 with 9:52 left in the 3rd quarter
Seattle opens the half dictating the energy. This is very impressive.
Reggie Evans has knocked Kenny Thomas out of this game with his physical pressence.
If Seattle wins this series they may have just won it in the first 3 minutes of this half.
Opening play of the second half was the adjustment off the pick n roll that Weiss told us about in the pre-game.
Luke is really guiding his shot. He is playing great, but he has to make some shots.
Rashard needs to get going -- he is playing passively offensively. He needs to go at Peja, who has slow feet.

.


SONICS HALFTIME STATS
Pace of Play: 49 trips (this is very fast)
Offensive Efficiency: 112 (120 in the 2nd quarter)
Defensive Efficiency: 90 (outstanding)
Offensive Rebounding %: 25%
Defensive Reboudning %: 79% (vastly better than Game 1)
Free throws: Sonics 16 to 7 advtange.
Turnover%: 12%
Forced To%: 10% (needs to pick up)

SONICS 55 KINGS 44 at the Half.
Largest lead of the game for the Sups
Great job by the Sups to hold off the Kings run. They made their move and Seattle stayed right with them.
Huge play by Damien Wilkins to grab the offensive rebound off a missed free throw. This got an extra possession at the end of the half.
Will Miracles never cease? James scores back to back buckets in the post. To quell the run. He is being guarded by Corliss Williamson, how is much smaller.
Bibby half court field goals have both come when Lewis got switched on him.

SONICS 47 KINGS 39 at 3:17 left in 2nd quarter.
Ray Allen just took Mobley to the rack and Miller was playing a zone in the middle to double him. If he scores on that you are screwed as an opponent.
Fortson checks out after playing the best 10 he has played in months.
Look-out -- Peja and Bibby have combined for 9 straight points.
Allen answers with a sick curl jumper -- that is a stud.
This is the Kings run in the first half -- Bibby and Peja are rolling. How Allen and Lewis respond will be big.
Allen leaves the floor. Can Seattle hold the Kings off?

SONICS 42 KINGS 31 with 5:04 left in 2nd quarter
7-0 run sparked by the Sonics transition.
The Kings look deflated and are not as intense defensively right now.
Bibby can't get room in the half court to get looks. He ahs no baskets in the half court his only two field goals are in transition.

REACTION TO COMMENTS
Ron Lov says ...

The Sonics are playing very poor off of screens on defense. Are they suppose to be hanging back and giving open looks? If the Kings were hitting the open jumper it would be a much closer game.

I really haven't noticed that. I think they are playing well in the half court. But I will keep an eye on it.

SONICS 38 KINGS 31 at 5:49 left in the 2nd Quarter
Nice line-up on the floor for the Sups: AD, Ray, Lewis, Vlady and Fortson
Allen missed a 3 on the best ball movement of the series. It is a good sign. It makes you wonder if the Kings are beginning to struggle defensively to stay with Seattle's shooters.
I will say it again. Keep Sac in the half court and they really aren't very potentant.
I talked with a Scout before the series and he said I would be shocked that they struggle to score and he was correct.


SONICS 30 KINGS 25 at 8:50 in 2nd quarter
Rashard will re-enter. The Sonics struggled in game 1 when Allen was on the bench. They are ok so far tonight.
Luke is having a brillant game but he has missed three looks that he needs to make. If those fall this would be his coming out party.
The Kings still have no answer for the Sonics pick n roll. The Sups are getting into the paint with ease.

SONICS 28 KINGS 25 at 10:00 in 2nd quarter
Ridnour's quick hands have saved the Sonics three baskets.
Miller is back in for Sacramento
Seattle opens the 2nd quarter with Ray Allen and no Rashard Lewis. Not sure how long this can last. Keep an eye on the score. It was 26-22 to start the quarter.

Remember Kevin Pelton has another blog going at supersonics.com

1ST QUARTER STATS
Pace of Play: 25 trips (this is way too fast)
Offensive Efficiency: 104
Defensive Efficiency: 85
Offensive Rebounding %: 20%
Defensive Reboudning %: 80%
Free throws: Sonics 9 to 0 advtange.
Turnover%: 16%

SONICS 26 KINGS 22 at the end of 1 quarter
Great defense from Vlady on the final possession on Mobley.
Vlady looks great. He is in rhythm hitting his shots and is a force in this game

SONICS 22 KINGS 20 at 1:36 left in the 1st Q
The Kings are getting almost all of their points in transition. Bibby is 2 for 4 and both of those on fast breaks. The Soncis have to curtail the running game by rebounding on the offensive glass and the Sonics have just 1 offensive rebounding.
Danny Fortson just enterted.

SONICS 20 KINGS 18 at 2:00 left in 1st Q
No three attempts in the first 7:30 of the game
Ridnour is doing an unbelievable job on Bibby. He is attached to him.
Ostertag's picks are noticably less good then Miller's.
Miller checked out at the 6:00 mark. Despite Adelman saying he has no limitations I have to imagine they have a limit on him they are not sharing.
Reggie Evans just blew back to back defensive assignments, allow Peja a lay-up and Thomas a jumper.


REACTION TO COMMENTS
From DJ

I expect either Vlady if he is allowed to play enough minutes or Nick Collison are the most likely candidates to step up and produce more than they are expected to produce. That would mean 12 and 6 from either player

Vlady's minutes are limited to 20 for today's game. Collison looked nervous in game 1.

SONICS 11 KINGS 10 at 5:35 left in 1st quarter.
The last play was one of the adjustments the Sonics have made off the double of Rashard, when he is doubled they are looking for a pick n roll at the top and the Kings won't have enough defenders.
Lewis has missed to rise and fires over Peja that were big misses. Peja is forcing him to take the 16 footer when he straightens up. He has to make that shot.
Ray Allen is forcing a bit and has turned it over twice.
Seattle must keep the pace down the Kings are not executing well in the half court.

SONICS 10 KINGS 8 at 7:00 left in 1st quarter
Miller's picks at much better than Brian Skinner's and it is giving Sac's shooters more room.
Lewis at Peja draws an early foul. One of things people in the NBA talk about is the that officials call it close early. Lewis got jabbed on it in Game 1. If the Sonics can get #2 on Peja early it would be huge. In Game 1 Sacramento needed Peja on the floor.
Sacramento has only 1 field goal off the hald court offense, they have 2 on the fast break and one on a second chance. If Seattle keeps them in a half court they will be ok.


ANOTHER BLOG
Kevin Pelton hosts a blog that is very good. Just click here.

TIP-OFF NOTES
Seattle adjustments
Offensively
1) Look for the Sonics to start their pick n rolls a little bit to the right side of the floor. The Kings are forcing it to the left side of the floor and this should give the Sonics more room.
2) Off the Rashard double team look for a pass to the top and a pick n roll with Reggie setting the pick. The trick here is that nobody is guarding Reggie at this point so the Sonics ball handler should get a lane to the basket.

Defensively
1) They are anticipating a bunch of cross court passes to the weak side.


STARTING LINE-UPS ARE IN
Sacramento: Brad Miller will start

STARTING LINE-UPS NEWS
I just spoke with Rick Adelman and he was very hidden about his starting line-up. He says he has to speak with Brad Miller. He did say that Brad Miller will start eventually and tonight might be the night. I anticipate that he will start tonight.


KEY STATS FOR GAME 2
· Defensive Glass : Seattle allowed the Kings to get 42% of their offensive rebounds. They only average 29% during the regular season. This has to be improved. The Sonics huge advantage is on the glass in this series and they didn’t do a good enough job in game 1 of the series.
· Free Throw Attempts. This has been an advantage for the Sonics in every match-up with the Kings. In game 1 the Sonics shot 28 free throws to the Kings 15 and in the regular season the difference was 36-25 Sonics advantage. The Kings are #24 in the NBA in free throw attempts.
· Offensive Efficiency: In the regular season the Sonics averaged 115 offensive rating against the Kings. In the regular season the Sonics averaged 109, #2 in the NBA. In game 1 of the playoffs they had just a 101 rating. I don’t believe that they will ever hit the 115 in the playoffs but they need to get close to the season average. The Kings defense in the regular season only held people to 107.
· Pace of Play: This is my bread and butter all season long. Game 1 was 87 trips. This keeps the Kings in the half court and the Kings are not a very good half court executing team right now. The Sonics average just 90 trips a game while the Kings average 96. If the Sonics can stay under 90 they are golden. Under 93 trips and they are in good shape. Over 93 and we will be tied going to Sacramento.

WOMEN WHO COULDN'T SING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM

Canadian singer Caroline Marcil had a rough night at a Canada-USA hockey game on Friday. She was invited to sing "The Star Spangled Banner," but forgot the lyrics not once, but twice. She left to get the lyrics and when she returned to the ice, took an embarrassing tumble. When the audience booed, "that made me completely blank. I didn't know what I was singing," she said.Marcil, whose first language is French, isn't alone in not knowing the words to the song. A recent study found 61 percent of Americans don't know the lyrics to "The Star Spangled Banner.

Here is a link to the video we were talking about on the air.

LIVE BLOG DURING THE SONICS PLAYOFF GAME

PLACE YOUR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT THE GAME IN THE COMMENTS AREA AND I WILL ANSWER THEM THROUGHOUT THE GAME.

I am off to do NBA - TV more later.

SONICS 87 KINGS 82 -- GAME OVER
Series goes 1-0 to Sonics -- 81% of the teams that win game 1 win the series.

SONICS 85 KINGS 82 with 9.2 seconds left.
Mobley let a quick three go and it was no good, Bibby follows with a miss.
Do the Kings know where they are going with the ball in this circumstance? They have so many new pieces.
Bibby's air ball three didn't need to shot at that point.

SONICS 85KINGS 82 with :25 seconds left.
Holy smokes. JJ recovers off the bobble and puts it in.
This is the essence of playoff basketball. Your plays aren't going to work. The opponent knows what you are going to run and therefore you are going to have to make plays. AD's backdoor cut and the pass from Lewis was making a play. JJ's finsh is making a play. JJ has 17 and 15.


SONICS 83 KINGS 82 -- :42.4 seconds left
Seattle just isn't making plays. AD missed the free throws, Ray missed a good look 3, Reggie missed a put back.
On the flip side, the veterans of the Kings are making play. Mobley hit two big shots.
Where do the Sonics go with :42 left. Look for a left wing Allen/Lewis pick n roll.
The Kings will stay with Mobley.
The Kings have never lead.

SONICS 84 KINGS 79 -- 1:07 left
With 2:44 left the Kings have just 2 fouls and the Sonics just 4. Following the script that we said the officials would follow.
Seattle went to Lewis in the post the only shot the Kings are giving him is a tough fading turn around J.
With 1:45 AD missed a good look well executed pull up J in the lane. Thomas got a questionable timeout.
The Kings are going right at Allen with Mobley for the final possessions.
Is Bibby's ankle worse then the Kings let on?
Kings missed 3 of 6 free throws in key moments.
1:21 left AD draws the foul from Ostertag off the pick n roll. Misses both free throws.

SONICS 83 KINGS 74 with 2:53 left in the game.
Without Miller on the floor, the Kings have simply gone to one on one breakdown dribble game with Mobley at Allen or Peja at Lewis
Sacramento is out hustling Seattle are the Sonics tired?
It is pure half court basketball at this point.
Out of the timeout Seattle has run great plays and executed perfectly.
Ray Allen is a flipping stud.
Lewis defense on Peja has been great effort.
Great effort over the last 3 minutes may have secured a win.

SONICS 77 KINGS 70 with 5:52 left in the game
Bobby Jackson is on Ray Allen -- Allen promptly busted a three on him.
Huge play with 6:22 left Seattle had a chance to go up 9, but Lewis turned it over after he was double teamed.
Mike Bibby checks in with 6:04 left.
Who will Seattle go to in the clutch? The Kings are taking Lewis away. They are going to have to run the pick n roll and penterate and dish.
Lewis played really solid defense on Peja moments ago, forcing a miss
Seattle 9 of 33 from the field in the second half. What will they be the final 5 minutes?

SONICS 72 KINGS 68 with 9:33 left in the game
The Kings are doubling Lewis and taking him away from the post on Peja.
With no other scorers on the floor (Luke, AD, Lewis, Nick and the Fort) the Sonics look lost when they take the ball out of Lewis's hands.
Bobby Jackson on Ridnour. The Sonics were concerned with this.
Miller has the Kings entire offense rolling.
For the first time all game Seattle is getting beat on back cuts
Fatigue is an issue at this point and are the Sonics mentally tough enough to dig deep?


SONICS 70 KINGS 64 End of 3rd Quarter.
In the 4th Seattle needs to slow down the game and get the floor spread, to exploit the match-ups and get the Kings back into the half court.
The bigs have to contiue to set great picks, this is the time of the game guys will die on them.
The officials are going to swallow the whistle so get tough.
Stats: Seattle's offensive efficiency in the 3rd Q was just 72.
The Kings was 112

SONICS 70 KINGS 64 with 29.5 seconds left in the 3rd quarter
The Kings have rolled Brad Miller and Greg Ostertag on the floor at the same time. The Sonics have Collison and Fortson.
All of a sudden Seattle is one shot and out.
Miller adds the ability to conduct the offense from the elbow which is the key to the Kings offense.
Seattle has just 2 stops in the last 10 possessions -- a 22 to 7 run.

SONICS 69 KINGS 57 with 2:28 left in the 3rd quarter.
Lewis's post game is becoming flat out nasty. He is making shots that were unguardable. The Soncis could be really tough if he keeps this up.
Ostertag is having a huge impact on this game. He has impacted Seattle's offense a ton, on all the Sonics last three possessions the Sonics had to change their shots or routes to the basket.
He has also scored two buckets, but those are a fluke. He can be a huge defensive force.

RESPONSE TO COMMENTS
DJ -- you are so right JJ is making millions tonight,

RESPONSE TO COMMENTS
From Andy:

The sonics crashing the offensive boards is keep sac from getting out on the break.

This is a great point. The Kings are totally out of their game.

Sonics 65 Kings 46 with 6:00 left in the 3rd quarter
Great move by Nate to open the second half with a full court pressure on Bibby. It forced Seattle to maintain the energy.
James and Evans are dominating the inside in the opening moments of the second half.
The Sonics started the first quarter and teh third quarter with possessions that had 5 opportunites at the basket. They both finshied with James dunks.
Sacramento looks like a team that has never played together and the crazy thing is this group has never played together as a unit.
I am not sure I have ever seen a team crush another team on the boards the way Seattle is Sacramento. This isn't that surprising. Seattle is #1 in the NBA on the offensive glass and the Kings are the 3rd worst defenisve rebounding team

HALFTIME STATS
Pace of Play -- 44 trips -- very slow league average for a game is 93.7
Offensive Efficency -- Sonics 120
Defensive Efficency -- Sonics 91
Offensive Rebounding % - 56% -- amazing
Defensive Reboudning % - 50% -- terrible
Offensive Turnover % -- 11%
Defensve Turnover % -- 18% -- this is great since the Kings are #1 in the NBA
Offensive Effective Field Goal % - 48% -- Nothing special right on the season average.
Defensive Effective Field Goal% -- 36% -- that is out of this world.

SONICS 55 KINGS 40 at the half
Jerome James has been great. He and Reggie Evans have dominated the inside of this game on the glass and cutting off the pick n roll.
How can Adelman not use Ostertag? The guy impacts games.
The Sonics have knocked the Kings off of their offensive spots and made them look uncomfortable offensively.
A perfect half of basketball on both ends of the floor.
Rick Adelman did the typical poor me we are getting screwed Sacramento routine at the end of the half complaining to the officials about each and every call. They are being out worked and that is the issue.
That timeout by Nate looks even better now that they go to half with a 15 point lead.
Mike Bibby is really off his game he is 0 for 9 from the field.
The Kings shot just 32.7%

REACTION TO COMMENTS
Great point by DJ -- super timeout by Nate. They have not gone back to Vlady for some reason.

Sonics 51 Kings 40 with 1:49 left in the 2nd Quarter.
I have preached slow slow slow game all year and today is the ultimate example. In the half court Seattle is playing great defense. The Kings only opportunites are coming on fast breaks or transitions.
The Kings have no one who can guard Ray Allen. When they went to Jackson he used his height, when he is guarded by Mobley he just kills him.
Wilkins has done a nice job guarding Peja
Seattle is slicing and dicing the Kings at will through the paint via the dribble and the pass
Seattle defensive glass work is the one area Seattle is under performing.
The Sonics need this lead to be double figures heading into the half.
Cutino Mobley has finally heated up hitting back to back jumpers.

Sonics 45 Sonics 30 with 5:40 left in the 2nd quarter
Seattle is killing the Kings on the pick n roll. AD is finding guys open on the roll. He is getting good looks. If the Kings have a plan it is not evident at this time.
This place just erupted when the Sonics got a steal and Ray Allen capped an open floor dunk.
It is a 6-0 run all on defense.
AD is doing everything on the floor right now. Running the offense. Making defensive stops.
The Sonics defense is holding the Kings to 31.6% shooting. Bibby is 0 for 6, Mobley is 1 for 5.

Sonics 41 Kings 30 with 7:00 left in the 2nd Quarter
My Kings X-Factor was Kenny Thomas and he is killing the Sonics right now. With an open floor and he is a tough guard because you have to body him and he is capable of putting it on the floor.
First moment of tension happened when Songaila close lined AD in the open floor after a great steal by AD. The officials called it a Flagrant 1. Within the next 4 games these two teams will have a great dislike (read: hatred) for each other. That is when it gets fun.
The Kings guards are doing nothing -- Bibby is 0 for 5 and Mobley is 1 for 5.

Sonics 37 Kings 26 with 8:58 left in the 2nd Quarter
The floor spacing by the Sonics has been terrific. The Kings are putting up little resistance.
The Sonics have executed their game plan on Kenny Thomas and Mike Bibby perfectly.
Rashard Lewis just picked up his third foul. We are going to find out what type of shape Vlady is in. We taked about the officials being tight early and letting it go as the game develops. That is taking place and Rashard did not adapt.
Seattle's shooting is still at a remarkable pace, 51%. It will cool off and how they react will determine the game.
Scoring is going to be tough here -- the on floor 5 is Ridnour, Daniels, Wilkins, Nick and JJ. This won't last.

Sonics 30 Kings 22 End of 1 Quarter
Great first quarter. Seattle dictated the entire quarter. They forced the action, they were hitting first on every possession.
Seattle's offensive efficiecny in the 1st quarter was 139 --- season average of 109
The Sonics reboudning rate was 60% of offensive rebounds. Kings got 39%.
Shooting Seattle 52% and the Kings shot 32%
There was no sign of nerves and inexperience, but will show if it does in the 4th Q.
Allen took Jackson to the post to draw an early foul
The scouting report says don't let Peja go left and he nailed two nasty threes going to his left.
Fortson and Miller were throwing each other everywhere.
Will Nate be able to trust Danny in the final minutes of a close game to not lose it?

Sonics 22 Kings 16 with 2:12 left in the 1st Q
The Kings have put Bobby Jackson on Ray Allen
Kings have hit 7 of 23 whereas the Sonics 10 of 21.
Early the Sonics did a great job of not letting the Kings to get into their offense.
Seattle still dominating the glass

Sonics 19 Kings 12 with 3:50 left in the 1st Q
Valdy made his return at the 4:44 mark. Lewis checked out with 2 fouls
Brad Miller and Bobby Jackson checked in at the 4:10 mark.
The crowd is amazing.

Sonics 9 Kings 1 with 8:00 left in 1st Q
Great start. Sonics area exploiting the Lewis - Peja match-up.
Jerome James help defense has been incredible -- two blocks
The Kings are doubling Lewis in the post. That will open other guys and make Vlady more dangerous.
Sonics have 100% of thier potential offensive rebounds in the opening 4 minutes.

SCOUTING REPORT FROM COACH CASEY
Give Mike Bibby numerous different looks and direct him the way the Sonics want
Force Cutino Mobley to put the ball on the floor
Force Peja to go to his right.
Take away Kenny Thomas jump shot and force him to put it on the floor
Push Miller off the elbow
Keep on the ball side shoulder of the Kings offensive players
Take Bobby Jackson to his left

MY KEYS FROM TODAY'S SEATTLE PI

INJURY UPDATE at 6:06 pm
Vlady Radmanovic, with a crazy near hairdo, looked terrific in his warm-ups. Brad Miller is on the floor with a huge air cast on his left leg. It looks very limiting. Peja has yet to take the floor.

STATISTICAL COMPARISION (ranking in the NBA)
AREAS OF SIMILARITY
Offensive Rating: Sonics are 109 (#2 in NBA) and the Kings 108 (#5)
Defensive Rating: Sonics are 108 (#25) and the Kings 107 (#22)
Effective FG%: Sonics are 49.5%(#5) and the Kings 49.6% (#4)
Defensive EFG%: Sonics are 49.6% (#23) and the Kings are 49.3% (#22)
Offensive TO%: Sonics are 13.3% (#7) and the Kings are 12.6% (#1)
Defensive TO%: Sonics are 14% (#22) and the Kings are 14% (#19)

AREAS OF DIFFERENCE
Pace of Play: Sonics play 90 trips per game (#27) and the Kings play 90 (#7)
Offensive Reb %: Soncis grab 32.8% (#1) and the Kings grab 29% (#14)
Defensive Reb %: Sonics grab 71% (#16) and the Kings grab 69% (#28)

STATS DURING THE REGULAR SEASON
Stat Sups --- Kings
Offensive Rating: 115 – 109
EFG% 49% -- 51%
Offensive Reb% 34% -- 26%
Turnover % 12% -- 12%
FTA per game 36 -- 25

Kings - Bobby Jackson gets back into action - sacbee.com

Huge news for the Kings heading into the playoffs
Kings - Jackson gets back into action - sacbee.com: "In his 16-minute stint, Jackson finished with 15 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals."

THE QUEST FOR .400 - Through games of April 20th

With the amazing start of Ichiro it is time to start the quest for .400. In the second half of last season, while setting the all-time hit record Ichiro hit . 429. It is my belief that during the run for the hit title Ichiro decided to only get singles to increase his chances for the hit record. In the process he learned that if he keeps that approach he could embark upon the hollowed ground of .400.
We will compare two items throughout the season. First, how he compares to Ted Williams and what he must do the rest of the way to reach .400.

COMPARED TO THE SPLENDID SPLITER

Player G - AB - H - Ave
Suzuki 15 - 60 - 23 - .383
Williams 4 - 4 - 2 - .667

On the 21st: Williams went 0 for 1

ICHIRO AGAINST TODAY'S PITCHER
Ichiro is 1 for 7 lifetime against Rich Harden

ICHIRO YEAR TO DATE
G - AB - H - Ave.
163 697 -265 - ..380

.400 SINCE .....
Since June 17th Ichiro is hitting .400 in 112 games.

ICHIRO SINCE ....
Since May 1, in 153 games, is hitting .391
Since June 1, in 126 games, is hitting .389
Since July 1, in 100 games, is hitting .418

WHAT MUST BE DONE
At this rate Ichiro ……
Will play: 162 games
Will have: 648 official at bats
Will need: 259 hits

THE REST OF THE WAY
Will have to ……
As of April 21 G -- AB - H -- Ave
Ichiro Suzuki 147 - 588 - 236 .402

THE FRAUD THAT IS PRE-DRAFT ANALYSIS

Special thinks to John Lund of Sports Radio in Detroit for this work. It is pretty outstanding.

Check out the below articles and mock drafts from the so called "experts" about what was going to happen or predictions of greatness for players drafted:

*Mel Kiper on Joey before the 2002 draft: (There is a special section on Mel a little further down) "Possesses all the intangibles; demonstrates leadership qualities and an ability to rally the troops. He's a clutch fourth-quarter quarterback who deals well with pressure. He has a presence and an aura about him in the huddle. He commands respect from his teammates. He is mobile and has above-average arm strength. And he's proven he can play in adverse weather conditions....Will be a solid pick."

*Pat Kirwan a former NFL scout who now writes for NFL.com and used to be with SI.com, in his evaluation of the Lions pick of Joey in the 2002 draft the night of the draft: "Detroit finally came to their senses and took the right player to rebuild the Lions franchise. Many of the quarterback coaches I talked to feel he has the intangibles of Brett Favre and Joe Montana."

*Unfortunately for SI's Peter King, SI.com leaves old archives on the net. Among his more memorable quotes during draft day blogs....I think ...I think he was wrong:

*After the Bears made Cade McNown (out of football) the 12th pick in the '99 draft: "I think Cade McNown’s going to be good. Really, Really good. Even in wind-whipped Chicago." (McNown NFL stats: 2 seasons, 16 TD's 19 ints, 67.7 rating)

*More King from '99 draft: " I think I'd feel a lot better about the Donovan McNabb pick if he'd played well against Miami and in the Syracuse bowl game." (138 career TD's, 5 Pro Bowls)

*King during the 1998 draft: " I think everyone is forgetting one thing about Randy Moss. It isn't only that Moss could leave a team in the lurch if he implodes in a year or two. It's the salary cap consequences. If, say, some team gives Moss $4 million to sign over five years, and this team has to cut him after one year, then all the prorated signing bonus (about $3.2 million) immediately comes due on that team's cap. So it's pretty dangerous to take a guy who, if he's not trustworthy, could really hurt your cap. " (90 career TD's in 7 seasons)

*Another King gem from '98 draft: " I think (Peyton) Manning is 3 percent better than Leaf and will be, long term, a better pro, but Leaf will be good too." (3% BETTER???... Manning: 216 career TD's, 92 rating, Ryan Leaf: 14 TD's 36 ints. 3 seasons....What kind of percentage is that?????......50 BAZILLION%????)

YOU DIDN'T THINK WE WOULD FORGET MEL KIPER DID YOU???

Mel Kiper in an ESPN chat April 18, 2001:

batman: How does the Chiefs running back situation look, do you think they will draft a running back like (LaDanian) Tomlinson or (Duece) McAllister, or will they sign someone like Priest Holmes?
Mel Kiper Jr.: I don't think Priest Holmes is feature back material. RB is certainly a need, as is QB. It will be interesting to see if the Trent Green situation takes place. (As a Chief, Holmes has 70 TD's and over 5,000 yards rushing in 4 seasons)

Mel on Kalimba Edwards before the 2002 draft: "Edwards flies out of the blocks, has improved his pass-rush technique over the years, will be a 10-sack type guy and always hustles on plays directed to the opposite side of the field."

Kiper on the 1998 draft debate of Manning or Leaf? "He isn't John Elway, Dan Marino or Jim Kelly, but he's as good as it gets in college football," Kiper said of Manning. "A lot of these teams in the NFL are desperate for quarterbacks and he's the best out there, with Ryan Leaf a real close second."

*Check out Mel Kiper going 0 for 31 in the 2001 NFL draft in his mock posted a week before the draft! (He got Michael Vick as the #1 pick but to the Chargers, not the Falcons...that was as close to a right pick as Mel Hair got in 2001)

*Mel got 5 right in this 2004 mock draft 3 weeks before the draft! (That's 6.4%)

*Here is SI's 1999 mock draft where they went 1 for 31 (Tim Couch to Cleveland with #1 pick...that's 0.3%) It had Lions taking Jevon Kearse with 9th pick.

I'm not making fun of these guys, the point is this: The NFL draft is one of the least understood days in sports from the GM's to the mock jockeys on the net. Take a look at the post on the blog which explains that almost 50% of top ten picks from 1990-2000 were busts! The numbers decline from there. (We'll talk about it on Thursday's SNL Show.) Teams have their boards, Mel slicks his hair with cement and ESPN makes a male soap opera out of the whole thing. It's a slick production, but it's closer to a game of Russian Roulette than anything else.

*NFL DRAFT: DID YOU KNOW?
at the 1979 Fall meetings, NFL owners unanimously (28-0) rejected the idea of allowing upstart network ESPN to televise the Draft
George Grande, Bob Ley and former NFL General Manager Joe Thomas anchored ESPN's inaugural Draft coverage in 1980
Mel Kiper, Jr. joined the ESPN crew in 1984

--The SNL Crew

HOW THEY ALL MISSED ON THE SONICS

Over the next few days I am going to try to collect all of the season previews as a reminder of how incredibly suprising this season really was.

Here is Bill Simmons (who we generally love), the Sports Guy, from ESPN ...
If the Sonics win 30 games or less, this will be the worst Sonics team in 31 years. In other words, this is going to be the worst Sonics team in 31 years.Here's the big X-factor: They need to trade Ray Allen before his contract expires. Why pay someone first banana money when he's clearly a second banana and you're already paying a third banana (Rashard Lewis) second banana money ... unless you're bananas? Why not maximize his trade value close to the deadline, when teams are desperate to make a move? Remember, not only did Allen nearly lead the Bucks to the Finals three years ago, he once filmed a movie scene with Chasey Lain and Jill Kelly. In chess terms, maybe he isn't an extra queen like J-Kidd, but he's definitely a rook. They should wait until February, then package him with Danny Fortson's ghastly contract to a contender for expiring contracts (Portland?)(Note: Since this makes way too much sense, I'm sure they'll re-sign him for way too much money. Hey, speaking of dumb front offices ... )

SI.com - Writers - Historical Draft Grades: 5 year review of draft performance.

This is really cool. This is a 5 year review of how teams have drafted. It is much better than the absurd day after the draft grades. It is good to be in the NFC West. SI.com - Writers - Historical Draft Grades: NFC West - Wednesday April 20, 2005 4:23PM

SEAHAWKS DRAFT STRATEGY

Today Tim Ruskell, the Seahawks new king pooh bah, meet with the media to discuss his draft plans and draft strategy. Here are the highlights.

* DRAFT ROOM – The draft room has four main boards. The first board has all the players listed by position ranked best to worst. Then they have their Hot List, which are players they are particularly interested in. Then the next wall has all the players listed best to worst regardless of position. Finally they have the results board and their own mock draft. The Hawks only mock the first two rounds of the draft.

* WHAT POSITION – Ruskell insisted that the free agent signing have given them the flexibility to draft the best player available. “I don’t think there is any position we can rule out. Because of what we have done in free agency.” He later admitted that if two players are ranked equally then they go by need. Finally he mentioned, “We want to do things for our defense.”

* RUSKELL RULES -- #1 rule is too make sure you don’t invent a player to have him fit your need. #2 Special Teams ability will have a large impact on who they draft on the second day. This is necessary after a terrible year with the special teams.

* DRAFT DAYS DEAL AND THE TRADE CHART – Ruskell says that he has a chart next to him that he uses to evaluate the trading of picks and says everyone in the league has one. In regards to trades he said, “I can’t think of not listening.”

* ASSISTANT COACHES ROLE -- They give assistant coaches taps of specific players that the personnel people like to see how the coaches compare them to the current players. Ruskell has found it insightful of how some of the coaches thought players would beat out the players he was interested in from the draft.

* ON FIELD OR COMBINE – Ruskell was very insistent on this issue. “I am a believer in what they do on the field, what you se live and what you see on game tape. You have to believe in what you see with the pads on.”

* ATTITUDE ON DEFENSE – On more than four occasions Ruskell mentioned the Sonics have to change their defensive attitude more than their personnel. Addition by subtraction has already taken place according to Ruskell. That is quite a statement about both Simmons and Lucas.

* QUARTERBACKS -- Both of the last two drafts Ruskell has drafted a QB in the 3rd round and both of them have been very successful back-ups. Look for it too happen again. Keep an eye on the QB from Georgia.

* RUNNING BACKS – After the top 3 Ruskell says it there is no consensus. It becomes a flavor of choice issue. Does your system what a change of pace, a power guy, a slanter, etc. JJ Arrington out of Cal is a guy he classified as a pounder. What style do the Hawks want?

* CHAD BROWN – His release is inevitable. If he doesn’t find any takers the Hawks would leave the door open.

Locked on Sports: Playoffs a whole new game for Sonics

Locked on Sports: Playoffs a whole new game for Sonics

DEAL MAKING IN THE NFL DRAFT - WITH CHART

NFL.com - NFL News

GREAT GUARDS AND THE AGING PROCESS

Should the Sonics sign Ray Allen who will be 30 years old at the beginning of next season to a long-term contract? The argument is solely based upon the history of guards and the age that they decline. The following is a chart of the best guards in the recent history of the NBA and when their career took a considerable dive.
The results are daunting. Sixteen of the Forty greatest guards had a considerable decline by the time they turned 32 years old and twenty-eight of the forty or 70% declined in their 33rd year.
Should the Sonics sign Ray Allen to a long term contract if 70% of the greatest guards slipped by the time Allen would be in the third year of the contract.
Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson were excluded from this research due to the bizaree retirements or numerous retirements.

40 GREATEST GUARDS OF RECENT ERA

DECLINED AT AGE 30
Terry Porter 30 18 pts to 13 to 9 . FG% 45 to 42% to 38%
Doc Rivers 30 15 to 11 to 8. Games: 79 to 59 to 77 to 19
Dale Ellis 30 24 pts to 17 pts bigger at 34 –17 to 11pts
Paul Westphal 30 21 to 16 to 11

DECLINED AT AGE 31
Kevin Johnson 31 broken
Sleepy Floyd 31 12 to 9 to 6 pts per game
Mark Price 31 16 pts to 8 pts a game

DECLINED AT AGE 32
Ron Boone 32 huge dropoff
Byron Scott 32 statistical drop-off
Joe Dumars 32 dropoff 18 pts to 12 to 14 – broken at 35
Tim Hardaway 32 injuries and dropoff
Derek Harper 32 from 18 to 10 pts per game
Norm Nixon 32 injuries broken down
Pete Maravich 32 broken
Isiah Thomas 32 18 to 14 then retired
Alan Houston 32 82 games to 50 games to 20 games and 11 pts

DECLINED AT AGE 33
Dave Bing 33 huge dropoff
Rolando Blackman 33 broken at 33
Mookie Blaylock 33 broken at 33
Maurice Cheeks 33 14 to 11 to 9
Walter Davis 33 dropoff 23 to 18 to 16 – broken at 36
Clyde Drexler 33 no dropoff but games played 52,62,70
Walt Frazier 33 broken 16 to 10 to 2 pts game
World B. Free 33 broken 23 to 6 pts
George Gervin 33 26 pts to 21 to 15 pts
Gail Goodrich 33 22 pts to 19 to 12
Jeff Malone 33 broken down
Steve Smith 33 12 to 7 pts, 46% to 39%, only 53 games

DECLINED AT AGE 34
Dennis Johnson 34 13 to 10 to 7 pts per game
Nate Archibald 34 injuries + pts and assists decline
Mitch Richmond 34 23 to 19 to 17 then off the map
Reggie Theus 34 retired
Gary Payton 34 FG% drop, 3pt% plummet, pts down 3 a game
Latrell Sprewell 34 this season

DECLINED AT AGE 35
John Havelick 35
Jeff Hornacek 35 was the 3rd option
Alex English 35 off the table
John Stockton 35 declined but stayed effective

DECLINED AT AGE 36
Elgin Baylor 36 no decline until 36
Reggie Miller 36 from 19 pts to 16.5 to 12

SEATTLE STORM DRAFT TANISHA WRIGHT

From the looks of things Anne Donovan may have hit the perfect compliment to her Championship team. The team has filled most of the spots on its front court. They acquired a back-up to Sue Bird from Australia and two foreign players to battle for small forward. Therefore, she was looking for a role player to fill needs.

Checking the pre-draft anaylsis it looks as though she nailed it. From ESPN.com this is description of Wright.

>Probably the least talked about lock for the first round, just as she was the least talked about star in the Big Ten. Wright earned first-team all-conference honors by doing the little things in Kelly Mazzante's shadow as a junior and then repeated that honor as Penn State's focal point as a senior. The only knocks on Wright are that she lacks 3-point range and her field-goal percentage slipped dramatically when she took over for Mazzante as the primary offensive option. But even if her offense still needs polish, Wright is a perfect all-around threat for a playoff contender looking to add role players in the second half of the first round.

OPENING SMASH FOR APRIL 12TH

HAWKS
Huge news on the Hawks front. I have confirmed that the Seattle Seahawks have signed Jamie Sharper. The deal is reportedly for 5 years and 17.5 million dollars. This is a huge get for the Hawks. Money talks and that is the bottom line, but it is also a strong sign of the new leadership in Seattle. Sharper choose the Hawks over the Bengals who are coached by his former coach and the Ravens his former team. He knew what to expected at both of those places. He must feel strongly that the Hawks are headed in the correct direction. That is the good news. Now what does that mean for Chad Brown and other Seahawks is unclear. Losing Chad Brown would be a sad day for this franchise. It may however, be inevitable.

MARINERS
Great win yesterday and you have to tip your hat to Ryan Franklin who was just amazing. With all the question marks in the rotation my bet is he ends up starting 25 games this year for the Mariners. He is what he is, but he is consistent and I think Mike Hargrove is going to realize with all the other question marks he has, that Franklin is a nice guy to have around. Speaking of Hargrove learning, it seems to me that he doesn’t quite understand his personnel yet. It makes sense and it will take time, but right now I think he is fiddling and he is not sure what he is fiddling with. Keeping Thornton in on Sunday, not pulling Moyer on Saturday, going to Eddie two days in a row, relying so much on Olivo at catching all seem to me to be moves of a guy who doesn’t quite know his team yet.

MECHE
Bad news out of Mariners camp. Gill Meche is complaining about elbow pain. They X-Rayed him and moved him back a day in the rotation, but this guy has to be healthy and has to be great for the Mariners to be over .500, the larger concern is that his arms hurts again. It makes you wonder if the arm is sound or if his mind is sound. He obviously isn’t right and he has insane stuff. The question becomes does he have insane make-up.

SONICS
Can we all take a step back on the Sonics front? I was talking to Nate today and we went back to where we were at the beginning of the season. 5 game losing streaks or not this season is amazing. I think they will get the 1 game and win the division and yes it is looming and it is getting a bit tight. But back up. Think about it. This team has won 50 games. Nate should win Coach of the Year, Rashard has become an all-star, Ray Allen has been a stud, Luke and Nick have developed into legit NBA players. Before the injuries they had a formula to wins games and people couldn’t stop it. We are talking about the 2004-05 Sonics, a team most of us thought would struggle to win 35 games. Stop stressing out about what is going to happen and take a big picture look at this. It will make the celebrating all the better when it happens.

YANKEES ARE CLASSLESS
If you have ever needed more reason to hate the Yankees I have one for you. Their classless approach to the RedSox ceremony. They decided not to mention it, not to air one second of it. To pretend it didn’t happen. George it happened and one day you will have to deal with it.

TITLE IX
Very quietly the Bush administration is taking another shot at devaluing Title IX. It is beyond me why they would do this. They tried in their first term and failed and now they are shooting at it again. Why? What is the point? There is no explanation other than a conscience effort to hurt women. Why should my son have a better chance to receive a collegiate scholarship then my daughter? Under what pre-tense should my daughter loss a chance at the life lessons that I received and most of you received by playing sports? What is infuriating is that there is no need for this. Title IX is a success. Title IX ha opened doors for women that were previously closed. Title IX has given girls the same life chances and life opportunities as boys. College programs are doing fine. Budgets are tight and Title IX is a strain but that is what happens when you eliminate an unfair system and implement a system with equal opportunity.
To try to cut the legs out of Title IX is deplorable and malicious on the part of sexist power structure that has no explanation other than trying to put women back in their place. There is no need.
The worst part is how they are doing this. They have taken one part of the equation of proportionality, a survey that is conduction to the students on campus and if the results of that come out with a lack of interest in women’s sports by women then the University no longer needs to meet proportionality. It is not coincidence that the one value the administration has decided to give ultimate weight is the one that comes back with the lowest results. It is a survey. What college students fill out surveys? Do the men have to hold to this rule no they don’t – if they did they would fail too.
It is a concerted and malicious effort by the administration to pull back 25 years of progress towards opportunity for women sports. If you have a daughter, know someone who has a daughter, have a sister or have any women that is important in your life you should be outraged.

NIKE TV SPOT

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Did you see Tiger Woods shot on 16 at The Masters on Sunday? Check out the commercial Nike already has out!

FALSE REPORT ON MCMILLAN AND SONICS

The Chicago Sun Times reported that Nate McMillan and the Sonics have come to a verbal agreement. According to my sources this is not accurate.
According to the people I spoke with today, the Sonics contacted Lonnie Cooper, Nate's agent, about 3 to 4 weeks ago about starting the talks.
Nate’s camp stuck with the same plan of action they have had all season long that they wanted to wait until the regular season is over.
The Sonics still plan on retaining Nate and hope to have a deal done quickly once the season is over.
General Manager Rick Sund is also without a contract as of July 1.

LOCKE''S MONDAY MUSINGS

If you think the first few weeks of the season are the same as any other time you are nuts. Check out the 2001 Mariners compared to last years Mariners. What about this year’s Sonics? They won early and then began to believe they were great. They have won a ton of game because they thought they were supposed to.
For this reason the two losses by the Mariners on Saturday and Sunday were real crushers for a team that needs to get some confidence in their ability to win. This team is going to score runs, but it is going to be a night in night out battle to outscore the opponent.
Mike Hargrove doesn’t have a feel for his personnel yet. He made poor moves on Saturday and then on Sunday it was beyond me why he left Matt Thornton in the game. When a bench player or a fringe player gives you a good outing don’t push it. They will eventually revert back to who they truly are. In hoops the biggest mistake the coach makes is when he leaves his bench players on the floor to wrong because they are hot. The extra minute will turn a 18 to 4 run into a 20 to 16 run in no time. The same way Matt Thornton’s three innings of brilliance became ok by the 4th inning.
Ryan Franklin’s outing today was tremendous. He pitched with a point to prove and you have to admire that. His control was impeccable; fifty-one of his first sixty-two pitches were for strikes through seven innings. With the injury to Madritsch and the questionable health of Meche Franklin very well may spend the rest of the year in the pen.
I have been a huge Meche supported, but I am concerned. I wonder if there isn’t something wrong with his arm the way he complains about not getting into a rhythm and the inability to link one inning to the next.
Does anyone remember when the Scout was on Locked on Sports and said that he would move Madritich to the pen because his motion will lead to arm problems if he is a starter? Do the Mariners notice these things?
Final thought on the Mariners. Adrian Beltre is simply awesome to watch at the plate. His strength is unequalled. His plate coverage is terrific and his approach is very consistent. What a signing.
Random thoughts on other items in the sports world …… I have talked to a few scouts who think Nate Robinson could be a late first round pick. Don’t hold your breath I would anticipate a second round selection. Nate needs a better handle and a better shoot …. Brandon Roy will really need to dazzle at Chicago if he is going to be a draftable prospect ….. Tiger Woods looked like he thought he could win the tournament by playing par golf and then DiMarco forced him out of that plan and Woods could never get back into the rhythm …. Woods win was lucky. How else do you explain his chip going in on 16 and DiMarco’s squirming out on 18.
Onto the NBA …… Flip Murray is killing his value every time he plays right now ….. Don’t count on Danny Fortson in the off-season ….. The Rockets have not been the same since the Juwan Howard injury. Since when did he become so vital ….. Denver is going to be a real bear in the playoffs ….. Rick Carlisle in Indiana has to get strong consideration for Coach of the Year ….. Reggie Miller’s swan song is terrific to watch.
Will the Sonics win the division?