SIMULBLOG FOR SONICS V. BLAZERS

Sonics 121 Blazers 108 – FINAL SCORE
Seattle just outscored the Blazers tonight. The Blazers didn’t have the offensive fire power to match the Sonics
Sonics move to 11-6 with Watson and Wilcox in the line-up.
Ray Allen was the best player on the floor and dominated the game
Wilcox gets his third straight double and added a career high assists.
Collison return was positive.
Overall I find this game impossible to evaluate. The Sonics were up 10 for most of the second half and knew they could score at will, therefore had no need to defend at any point. You would like them to but really they didn’t need to any point. It also is why Portland is screwed. It is impossible to evaluate your talent in a game of this nature.


Sonics 88 Blazers 73 at the end of 3 Quarters
Ray Allen dominates the third with 14 points and now has 26 on 10 of 15 shooting.
Chris Wilcox has 16 points 8 rebounds and 6 assists in another terrific game.
The highlight of the game is how well Nick Collison has played
Honestly, I am not sure if the Sonics defense got better or if Portland’s terrible offense just showed up.


Sonics 66 Blazers 54 with 9:15 left in the 3rd Quarter
A good 3rd quarter start
Swift with some nice boards
Wilcox another follow shot, he doesn’t rebound like Reggie but he finishes just about every time he gets an offensive board

Sonics 58 Blazers 52 – at the half
No defense in this game
Collison hit back to back shots after my last comment
He and Wilcox look very good together
Blazers hoot 58% and they are the worst offensive team in the NBA


Sonics 49 Blazers 45 with 2:38 left in the 2nd Quarter
Ray Allen moves into #2 all time on the 3 pointer list
Wilcox and Collison are playing together and it is neat tandem that will have success.
Collison is rusty and having a hard time with his shots but is in the right place to get garbage.
The Wilcox dunk show is on
Juna Dixon is keeping Portland in the game


Blazers 29 Sonics 26 at the end of 1
Not much defense being played
Ridnour bounced back
It is great to see Nick back on the floor he understands where to be on the court terrifically
Telfair, whose game I don’t like at all, made two nice plays to get points for the Blazers


Blazers 23 Sonics 14 with 2:55 left in the 1st Quarter
Ridnour is in the midst of a really poor stretch.
Blazers on a 9-0 run
Sonics don’t have a defensive stop in the last 7 possessions
Collison has made his first appearance playing the center.
Swift had two turnaround jumpers that looked great expect for the end result. Both missed, but both look terrific and he will always be able to get those shots off


Sonics 14 Blazers 14 with 6:15 left in the 1st Quarter
Luke really has to be able to beat Steve Blake. He has done that so far.
Zach Randolph doesn’t have an offensive touch until the 8th possession.
I find that interesting since Wilcox is not a good defender.
Nice move by Swift early and Wilcox has 4 points


STORYLINES
1) Will the Soncis take the Blazers too lightly?
2) What does Chris Wilcox have in store tonight?
3) Get up early and make the Blazers wilt like they want to.

RUN EXPECTANCY CHART

OUTS

RUNNERS    0        1          2
-------------------------------
---    0.5165    0.2796  0.1075
1--    0.8968   0.5487   0.2370
-2-    1.1385    0.6911    0.3502
12-   1.4693    0.9143   0.4433
--3    1.5120    0.9795   0.3718
1-3   1.8228     1.1830   0.4931
-23    2.0363   1.4144    0.6073
123    2.3109   1.5279    0.7485

MARINERS WINS ITS THIRD STRAIGHT

MARINERS 6
OAKLAND 2
WP: Gil Meche (1-0)
LP: Esteban Loazia (0-1)
SV: JJ Putz (1)
HR: Carl Everett (1)

This was flat out impressive. In control from the first moment of the game and stayed in control the entire game. Solid pitching, good work from the starter and into the bullpen. Then the defense and the offense was solid throughout the game.

This is a game that makes you believe a little bit.

Lots of different feelings throughout the game on Meche. But the bottom line is he got the job done and he really pitched well. His movement was terrific and he did a better and better job of pitching to contact throughout the game. The 5th inning was particularly impressive. His pitch count was very high and with a 4-1 lead he really went at hitters to prolong the outing. This was smart pitching. He needs to get the pitch count down so he can go longer then 5 innings.

Any frustration about Meche was in the bottom of the 2nd when he was given a 3-1 and then got into a huge jam. It was typical Meche not closing the door but on this night he was able to get out of the jam.

Some of his specific pitches tonight were terrific. He threw a great 1-1 change-up to Chavez, a terrific 2 seam fastball that drifted away from left hander Kotsay.

Meche did an amazing job of wasting the A’s big hits.

This team continues looking like they are going to be able to score. Carl Everett went deep and all of the Mariners RBI’s came from 6-9 in the line-up.

Jo-Jo is the real deal.

The defense is stealing outs each night. If you rob two or three plays a night it costs the other team an inning.

.

SIMULBLOG FOR SONICS V. ROCKETS

Sonics 92 Rockets 80 with 4:52 left in the 4th Quarter
Seattle is not great right now but Houston is not good enough offensively to make a run at the Sonics
Wilcox has 20 points and 20 rebounds tonight – 9th Sonics player to accomplish this


Sonics 83 Rockets 70 with 8:17 left in the 4th Quarter
Ming fouls out on the first possession of the quarter
This is one of those games where we have Ray Allen and you don’t. Allen is making a play every time the Rockets make a run he makes a play
Wilcox has 21 rebounds
Stomile Swift is awful


Sonics 78 Rockets 66 -- at the end of 3 Quarters
Sonics offense slumped but the defense held it together.
Van Gundy is going to gamble and play Ming with 5 fouls to open the quarter
Wilcox has 20 rebounds
Allen has been burying the 3 and is now the #2 all time 3 point shooter in NBA history


Sonics 67 Rockets 51 with 5:58 left in the 3rd Quarter
Yao Ming picks up his 5th foul at the 6:28 mark of the game
Ray Allen has 8 straight for the Sonics.
Rockets are forced to try to go small against the Sonics
Wilcox now has 17 points and 19 rebounds
Ray Allen is bombing the 3 he is 1 short of Dale Ellis for all time #2 spot.


Sonics 56 Rockets 41 - - at the half
Very good performance by the Sups
Defensively the Sonics have been very solid – the halftime defensive rating is 90
11 fast break points is really good in a relatively slow game’
Great work on the defensive glass today as let Seattle get out and run
Wilcox has been just unreal.



Sonics 47 Rockets 35 – with 3:08 left in the 2nd Quarter
Chris Wilcox is amazing tonight. He has 15 points and 13 rebounds. If it is possible he has been better then the numbers. His shots have been in the post and not all dunks. His rebounds have been tough in traffic boards with Yao Ming around. In addition, he has two blocks which not usually a part of his game. He has defended well also. He is unquestionably the best player on the floor.
Ray Allen has been great as well. 10 points.
The Sonics are not hitting the 3


Sonics 32 Rockets 21 – at the end of 1 Quarter
Watson closes the quarter hitting a buzzer beating three
Sonics hit 60% for the quarter
Lead by Wilcox who had 12 points and 8 rebounds


Sonics 24 Rockets 13 with 2:39 left in the 1st Quarter
Official Tommy Nunez is having a really tough night. At one point both Hill and Van Gundy were yelling at him so much that Dick Bavetta had to ask both coaches to stop. The next trip he blew another call and it was as though Hill felt sorry for him rather then yelled at him.
Ridnour has three turnovers in the first quarter
Sups are 11 of 18 from the field, the Rockets really are struggling at 4 of 15
Juwan Howard tore up Seattle last time and tonight he is 0 for 5.
Seattle is in serious foul trouble with Swift and Moore both with 2 and no Collison, Fortson or Petro.


Sonics 18 Rockets 11 with 5:26 left in the 1st Quarter
Swift with the assignment on Yao Ming committed two fouls by the 9:14 mark
Great start for the Sonics offensively. The Rockets are not a good offensive team therefore they will not be able to keep up with a good offensive night
Chris Wilcox has been very active –6 points and 6 rebounds


Storylines
1) Houston's putrid offense against the Sonics defense
2) Yao Ming
3) Sonics lack of player to guard Ming
4) Allen 3 point shooting

New York Daily News - Sports - Nate nearly shut down

More stuggles for Nate Robinson in his relationahip with Larry Brown and his adaptation to the NBA. The Stry says that Nate was shooting spitballs on the team bus of all things.

New York Daily News - Sports - Nate nearly shut down: "Nate Robinson had become such a nuisance for Larry Brown that the coach considered sending him to the Developmental League last month to work on his game and improve his attitude.

According to a source close to Robinson, Brown wanted to demote Robinson to the NBA's minor league rather than keep him on the inactive list. Brown broached the idea with Isiah Thomas, but Thomas felt that Robinson would benefit from practicing with veteran teammates."

HUSKY PRACTICE 4/03

950, kjr's and Locked on Sports Matt Gaschk attended Huskies practice today. Here is his report.

Tyrone Willingham gave his assessment of the first padded practice on Saturday, saying that he was not happy with the overall execution. “Intensity, at some points, wasn’t bad. We still have too many breakdowns, but that’s coachable and that’s something we can work on and continue to get better and better with,” Willingham said.

EJ Savannah should benefit from the spring drills in getting back into the mix because it will naturally limit the amount of contact drills he will participate in

WR Sonny Shackleford will not be available for spring practice in the immediate future after he sprained his ankle in Saturday’s practice. No timetable has been set on his return

Though Wilson Afoa has had some back troubles that have limited his work in the past, Willingham touted his perseverance last year in keying his leadership role on the team this season. With Jordan White-Frisbee still on the shelf with his foot injury, the competition at Defensive Tackle is heating up in spring. In addition to Afoa, UW has Erick Lobos, Jordan Reffett and Jovon O’Connor competing for playing time alongside mainstays Dan Milsten and Donny Mateaki.

MARINERS OPENING DAY

Welcome to Mariners opening day. This season lockedonsports.com and the Locked on Sports Blog will keep a running commentary about what is happening during the Mariners games. It will be somewhat similar to the Simulblog of the Sonics season. Obviously with 162 games it will be impossible to cover all of the games but we will do the best we can. Enjoy the season and please give us any thoughts on what would improve the coverage or bring you to lockedonsports.com more often.

ANGLES 5 MARINERS 4
WP: Scott Shields (1-0)
LP: JJ Putz (1-0)
HR: Guerrero (1), Johjima (1), Petagine (1)

THOUGHTS FROM THE GAME

A lot of the talk out of spring training is that hitting coach Jeff Petland has changed the approach of the Mariners hitters. In addition, the Mariners said they were going to push the limit on the baselines. The rally in the 6th inning showed a lot of signs of this being true. Both Johjima and Reed took the ball the other way. Betencourt battled with a solid at-bat and a short swing for a hit and Jose Lopez hit a flair to right by simply battling.

Great sign that Johjima has enough power to take it out to right field. Johjima also made a great play to cut off a runner at second when Reed’s weak throw had no chance to get the runner at home.

A good sign that the bottom of the line-up started the rally because last year the Mariners gave away every third inning with the bottom of the line-up.

Jamie Moyer was vintage. A slow start but then he got his game on. The issue for Jamie over the past few years has been how the home plate umpire calls the game. Today he was given a really wide plate.

First guy out of the pen was Rafael Soriano. If he can be anywhere close to what he was before Tommy John surgery it will significantly change the Mariners staff. He hit 94 MPH on back to back fastballs to Vlady Guerrero. He is consistently at 94. Then he threw a great breaking ball to Vlady at 83 MPH. That is a great differential.

The gun at Safeco must have been fast George Sherill was at 93MPH which is hard to believe or he got a hold of Ryan Franklin’s illegal stuff :-o

If Soriano is solid he can control the 7th inning, JJ Putz, who should improve again, can take the eight and Eddie the 9th. That could be a very solid group and if the Mariners can shorten games in that fashion they could be much better.

JJ is still a big circle pitcher. In other words, he is throwing to a big circle rather then specific spots on the plate. Until he shows the ability to find specific locations he will be an average pitcher with great stuff. It cost him today.

Maybe it is just opening day, but I am optimistic that both Lopez and Betancourt will be able to hit. Lopez has shown some signs of being special. Time will tell if that all comes together, but I assume he will have a good year and could have some stretches where he is really on fire. Betancourt has been talked about as a defensive only player, but his swing looks and his contact is solid. He is really inexperienced, but my bet is he gains an idea of what he is trying to do and hits for decent average.

Bases loaded in the 6th and nobody out and the Mariners can’t score. That is brutal. You simply have to score a run. Last year, the Mariners were the worst in baseball in hits per run. It simply took too much energy to score a run. This has to change if the Mariners are going to have success.

In the 9th inning the Angels had runners on 1st and 3rd with two outs. The Angels runner stole second without a throw. It was on a pitch that would have been nearly impossible to throw anyone out on. However, so often teams allow that steal uncontested and in this game that run was the difference when the Mariners added a run in the ninth inning.

SIMULBLOG FOR SONICS V. BLAZERS

Soncis 107 Blazers 65 with 6:02 left in the 4th Quarter
Top 10 things to do during a 40 point blow out at the Key Arena instead of watching this disaster …….

10) Count the tattoos on the floor.
9) wonder if New York basketball is any good if Sebastian Telfair was really a school yard legend
8) think that the blazers broadcaster who just got up and left maybe the smartest man in the building
7) Wonder if you could drink the entire Pepsi 8 pack in one sitting
6) Eavesdrop on all the conversations around you and see what you can learn
5) Come up with another geeky stat that Groz can’t understand
4) scan nba.com’s dance team bracket and really analyze what was an upset.
3) nap
2) check out all the talent in the building
And
1) read my junk mail.


Sonics 91 Blazers 55 at the end of 3 Quarter
I am currently working on top 10 things to do during a 40 point white wash.

Sonics 74 Blazers 38 with 9:02 left in the 3rd Quarter
THIS IS A JOKE !!! NOT MUCH TO SAY
If I was starting a franchise, and I could have every player on the blazers I would only take blake as a practice point guard on my inactive roster and I might take Przybilla as a 3rd center but maybe not.
Nate doesn't start Zach Randolph in the third quarter

Sonics 67 Blazers 35 at the half
It is one thing to be as bad as the blazers but what is even worse is they don’t have a single player who they can build around for the future.
This is the bleakest of the bleak
This reminds me of a college game around finals when the big program plays a division III team so they can just get out and sweat.
Ray Allen did a ton of damage in the first half 20 points on 10 shot attempts
The Sonics put down the hammer and the Blazer crumbled.


Sonics 47 Blazers 27 with 5:52 left in the 2nd Quarter
Back to back threes by Ray Allen over the top of Jarrett Jack.
Sebastian Telfair is unimpressive. I think at best he is Earl Watson
The Blazers are really awful. It is hard to tell if they are not trying or if they are not good.
Great low post power move by Johan Petro
Allen has 9 in the Q
Not much to say about this one sided affair.


Sonics 34 Blazers 19 at the end of the 1st Quarter
Wow – I am not sure how Nate watches this every night his team is brutal.
Robert Swift is playing without the mask and his rebounding has been very strong in the game so far.
Earl Watson has been able to pick up the tempo and give the Sonics a ton of easy looks.
Sonics hit 14 of 19 in the quarter with only 4 fast break points but that is misleading they had numerous early chances
Good defensive rebounding by both teams.



Sonics 14 Blazers 7 with 7:00 left in the 1st Quarter
Damien Wilkins starting in place of Rashard Lewis who is not playing tonight with the ankle injury. Wilkins has come out on fire scoring 10 of the Sonics first 12 points on 4 of 4 shooting.
Seattle has hit 7 of 8 shots to open the game.

RE-CAPING DECEMBER'S STORY ABOUT SONICS DEFENSE

UPDATE -- I wrote this in December. A similiar story was just written on ESPN. The part of the story John Hollinger didn't include is how amazing it is that the Sonics have won any games at all with a defense this bad. Check out what the rest of the teams that have been at this nadir did in the win total.

Here is what I found.
First, since 1988, year the Minnesota Timberwolves entered the NBA no team has had a defensive rating as bad as the Sonics current rating of 114.6. Defensive rating is figured as points allowed per 100 possessions.
The only teams that were anywhere close are as follows …..


Year Team Def Rating Wins
05-06 Sonics 114.6 ??
92-93 Mavericks 114.3 11
90-91 Nuggets 113.2 20
95-96 76ers 111.6 18
94-95 Pistons 111.6 28
89-90 Magic 111.6 18
97-98 Grizzlies 111.3 19
97-98 Nuggets 111.1 11
94-95 Wolves 111.1 21

30 teams since 1988 have had a defensive rating worse then 110. Three of those teams managed to get to 41 wins but none were above .500

The only real way to judge a defensive team from one year to the next is to judge them in relation to the league average. This accounts for increases and decreases in scoring trends. The Sonics defensive rating is 114.6 and the league average is 102.6. Therefore the Sonics are a –12.

Again this is the worst of any team in the NBA since the 1988 season and maybe longer.
Here are the other terrible teams and their success rate …..


Year Team Def to Avg Wins
05-06 Sonics -12 ???
99-00 Clippers -10.46 15
99-00 Warriors -9.22 19
92-93 Mavericks -9.21 11
97-98 Grizzlies -8.63 19
99-00 Grizzlies -8.63 22
03-04 Magic -8.59 21
99-00 Bucks -8.49 42
90-91 Nuggets -8.49 20
97-98 Nuggets -8.39 11


The only team that won more then 22 games was Ray Allen’s Milwaukee Bucks.

None of this accounts for how good the Sonics are offensively. Therefore, I looked at efficiency differential, offensive efficiency minus defensive efficiency and charted 16 years of efficiency differential and its correlation to wins. The Sonics currently have an efficiency differential of –7.2, 4th worst in the league. History says that over the past 16 years teams with a –7.2 win between 21 and 28 games.

The most alarming findings were the following over the last 16 years …
No team with an efficiency differential of –7 or worse has ever won 30 games.
No team with an efficiency differential of –6 or worse has ever won 35 games.
No team with an efficiency differential of –5 or worse has ever won 37 games.
No team with an efficiency differential of –4 or worse has ever won 39 games.

SIMULBLOG FOR SONICS V. LAKERS

Lakers 92 Sonics 83 with 5:20 left in the 4th Quarter
Here is this for weird – Mikki Moore gets tied up on a jump ball and has his finger dislocated. He sprints straight to the locker-room. At this point Moore looks like he can’t make the jump ball so he is going to be DQ’d and the Lakers choose who is jumping. After much consternation Hill tries to send out Wilcox but the Lakers choose Ridnour as they are about to tip Moore comes running out of the locker-room and onto the floor. Now what …. Sonics have to take a time out to make it legal that Moore went to the locker-room. It was mass confusion.
Other notes – Luke is 0 for 8
18 turnovers for the Sonics
Sups got hot from three hitting two in a row to get the game to 6 but it is a false run because you can't live that way.


Kobes 81 Sonics 73 at the end of 3 Quarters
Kobe scored 10 of the final 14 points of the Quarter including a sick bucket at the buzzer
When Kobe gets hot he stops defending and the Sonics didn’t have anyone in the game who could take advantage of it.
Another poor third quarter for the Sonics 29-17 they were outscored
Sonics turnover issue is officially an issue – 15 turnovers in the game and 6 in the quarter


Lakers 73 Sonics 70 2:00 left in the 3rd Quarter
Kobe time. He has scored on the last 3 possessions and has 10 in the quarter
Sonics feel like they are on the verge of getting blown out but it has felt that way most of the night and they have made the plays.
Hill moves Wilkins to the 2 and brings Lewis is at the 3 with Allen resting and the Sups down by 3


Lakers 63 Sonics 61 with 6:57 left in the 3rd Quarter
Can the Sonics get rid of the 3rd Quarter and call it something else.
They have been terrible in the 3rd Q all year
9-0 Lakers run
22-9 run since 2nd Quarter
Lewis and Petro are out – Swift and Wilkins in
Chris Wilcox has missed three in a row.
Lakers got there 1st fast break point at the 9:05 mark of the 3rd Quarter
Kobe in the Quarter is 2 of 3 --- 1 was a fast break dunk.


Sonics 56 Lakers 52 at the half
Lakers 11-4 to the end the half
Sonics offense disappeared in the final moments of the half
Kobe is 4 of 15 when he is guarded by Ray Allen
Kobe is noticeable better tonight when he does not dribble when he has put the ball on the floor he has miss


Sonics 50 Lakers 38 with 3:59 in the 2nd Quarter
Sonics on a 13-2 run
Kobe is just 4 of 14 when being guarded by Ray today
Kobe has 17 on 18 shots and Ray has 16 on 11 shots
Seattle continues to get very good looks on the offensive end
Mikki Moore took a charge from Kobe and it resulted in a Kobe tech


Sonics 37 Lakers 33 with 8:03 left in the 2nd Quarter
Earl is boom or bust tonight. He is going full speed and making great plays and then on the next possession throwing it all over the gym
Swift made a terrible play and then looked very fearful about what he had just done. That is not the correct reaction.
Game feels like it is swinging toward the Lakers


Sonics 28 Lakers 23 at the end of 1 Quarter
The Sonics are pushing the ball and the getting really good looks.
The Lakers are a poor defensive team rotating out to the three point line.
They are pretty good when it comes to covering the paint and the rollers but they are really slow getting out on shooters. If the Sonics stay focused they will get good looks all game.
The Sonics defensive rebounding has not be as good as it needs to be. On the final play Kwame Brown stole a rebound from Robert Swift that the youngster should have never let get away, he was either weak or miss jumped.


Sonics 19 Lakers 15 with 4:31 left in the 1st Quarter
Kobe misses his first three shots and is 2 of 6.
Lakers are going at Rashard with Lamar Odom
Lewis has made two great hustle plays for the Sonics
Wilcox has made two buckets out of isolation plays in the post on Brian Cook
High paced game early on.

LOCKE'S BREAKDOWN OF THE M'S STARTING STAFF

I am not sure how you are supposed to equate spring training numbers to regular season performance, but if there is any relation at all the Mariners are in serious trouble.
The Mariners left Arizona with a 8.18 ERA. Sure they pitched a ton of guys that aren’t going to be in the big leagues this season, but on the other hand in the last two nights Moyer allowed 8 runs in 2 innings and Pineiro allowed seven in six innings.

All of this will look at a lot better when the pitchers get to throw in the Northwest cold of April and May in Safeco Field. However, what happens when they hit the road.
<-p> The optimism of this starting staff starts and ends with one man, Felix. There is no reason to believe he will be anything, but terrific. However, the Mariners are still managing him with kid gloves and would like to keep his season total innings pitched, including spring training, under 200.

From there it will be a crap shoot. In reverse order, nothing new pitching coach Rafael Chaves has done has changed Gil Meche and his performance. Dr. Phil is the only hope. My best guess is we get 5 starts from Meche before everyone throws there hands in the air and says I quit. There is nothing in his make-up that makes me believe he will be able to translate into a top line pitcher.

Joel Pineiro, despite his last outing, give the opening day optimists some room. Pineiro’s arm was never right last year and on occasion he showed signs that when it is right he can be terrific again. Truly the Mariners need a #3 quality season out of Pineiro because it is somewhat inevitable that either Washburn or Moyer will fade.

Speaking of Washburn, let’s forget about the contract for a moment. Yes, we all know it was bad, but the Mariners believe that since they paid for the hitters they had to follow the next season paying for pitching. I might not pass debate class if I had to defend it, but that is what they believe. Anyway, Washburn is a terrific inning eater who when blessed with a really good offense will keep you in enough games to win. He might be Aaron Sele before he got old. That is the best I can imagine out of Washburn. I doubt there will be many days when we say, “Washburn controlled that game.”

Lastly, we have Moyer. Can he only pitch at home? My concern with this staff is when Moyer throws up a stinker on the road, like he did every time last year, who is going to be able to stop the bleeding of the bullpen on a road trip.

Final thought. The reality and cruelty of injuries is that the Mariners will need two more starters this year to combine for almost 30 starts. Think about the Yankees last year. That is where this all falls apart. Who is getting those starts? Can they keep the M’s in games? The 30 extra starts is what separates staffs in baseball.

HUSKIES HAVE A SET-BACK ON THEIR OFFENSIVE LINE

Day 1 for the Huskies had a unusual and unfortunate twist. Tyrone Willingham announced that offensive line coach Mike Denbrock has left the team due to an "unspecified illness." They hope he will be able to return by the end of the spring. In the meantime, former Husky and former GA Kyle Benn has been hired to replace Denbrock.

The offensive line is the #1 concern this Spring and losing the position coach is a tremendous blow. Moreover, the entire spring relies on the offensive line coming through. If the offensive line is in shambles then it become impossible to evaluate both the other offensive players and the opposing defensive players.

On a more positive note, Willingham had a nice quote about JR Hasty on Dawgman.com "J.R. makes yardage," Willingham said. "Talk about not being a sprint champion or this or that, and we take up so much time talking about what they aren't we lose focus on what they do. He gains yardage and understands how to do that, and that's a great quality to have."

CAPTION CONTEST

Put your best caption in the comment zone. Please keep it respectful. I wll post the best ones as they come in.

LOCKE BREAKDOWN OF HUSKIES SPRING FOOTBALL

Huskies start their spring practice. As Dick Baird alterly pointed out last year was about getting acquainted this year is about getting something done. Both the Times and the PI have put together their questions to be answered in the spring pieces.

Here is a the Locked on Sports breakdown of this three week run. Of course, Willingham continues his fan unfriendly approach of closing the practices therefore, we will not be able to relay any insight from the practices to you.

Question #1 is at QB – What I think gets interesting here is that Stanback had no growth for most of last year. Now as a senior that becomes a huge drawback for him in the competition. If he doesn’t show amazing growth and blow DuRocher out then I think he losses this job. On the other hand, it is undeniable he is the best playmaker on the offense and you can have that sitting on the bench. Tim Lappano said on dawgman.com the other day we need to have the ball in #4 hands more often. Yet, as a QB being a senior is going to work against him.

Injuries could cripple the spring, particularly to the offensive line. The numbers are so small that if they lose one or two guys it is going to become impossible to make progress for the offense as a whole. This happened a few years ago and really stunted the growth of Gilbertson’s team.

Position changes. There are gaps all across this roster. Most of the players who played last year were inadequate. The real task of this coaching staff is going to find ways to maximize what may be insufficient talent by placing them in the correct positions.

Someone on the defensive line better step up or have an attitude change. Greyson Gunheim hasn’t shown the balls to be a great pass rusher. Donny Mateaki hasn’t been able to stay healthy or be influential when he is on the field. These guys have to change their make-up or the Huskies need to find guys to replace them.

Here is the scariest thing. There are only 3 newcomers that have any chance of making an impact on this roster. Therefore, there better be a huge surge from last year’s freshman who are now physically ready to make a mark. The guy on the top of that list is JR Hasty

SIMULBLOG SONICS V. ROCKETS

Rockets 115 Sonics 87 – FINAL SCORE
Not much to say
Defensively this was joke. The Rockets are the worst offensive team in the NBA without McGrady and the Sups allowed 60+ in the first half.
Finally at the end of the night the Sonics had more field goals then turnovers.


Rockets 76 Sonics not very many with 6:39 left in the 3rd Quarter
Is it a bad sign if you are down 30 and your opponent goes on a 10-0 run.
Watson hits back to back three’s to bring Seattle within 34 – look out here we come


Rockets 64 Sonics 32 at the half
When you have more turnovers then field goals you are in trouble. Particularly if you have played 24 minutes.
Rockets shot 66% and the Sonics have shot 22% in the first half
Allen is 1 for 12.


Rockets 56 Sonics 25 with 2:56 left in the 2nd Quarter
Is there ever a point where you can just go home. Just hit he re-set button and say forget.
This would be the night.
The Sonics have no energy, no flow, no interest.
This is really tough to watch.
The idea of the Rockets scoring 56 points in a half is inconceivable. To do it with 2:56 left is even worse.


Rockets 37 Seattle 18 with 7:59 left in the 2nd Quarter
Seattle missed 14 straight shots
This is absurd. The Rockets are a terrible offensive team. I mean really really terrible and Seattle can’t stop them tonight.
Rockets are shooting 60% and the Sonics are shooting 20%
Ray Allen is 0 for 7
Seattle has 8 turnovers and 6 field goals.


Rockets 29 Sonics 10 at the end of 1 Quarter
This one has gotten away in a hurry
Juwan Howard crushed Chris Wilcox early in the game.
Wilcox really is a poor post defender.
Seattle can’t hit a shot tonight
Neither big has been able to handle Yao Ming



Rashard Lewis is out for tonight's game. Damien Wilkins will start in his place. Over the past two years Wilkins has thrived in this circumstances.

Spring Training - Morse, Dobbs sent down; Petagine, Borchard make roster

John Hickkey of the PI is reporting that the roster moves have been made.Spring Training - Morse, Dobbs sent down; Petagine, Borchard make roster: "As a result, two players who were not in camp when spring training started, first baseman Roberto Petagine and outfielder Joe Borchard, will make the team. But even they can't afford to be too comfortable -- one of them probably will be the odd man out when Matt Lawton's 10-day steroids supension to start the season has run its course.

Two players who reasonably could be expected to make the team, infielder/outfielder Mike Morse and first baseman/third baseman Greg Dobbs, won't. Morse will be asked to play in left and right and at third, short and first for the Rainiers."

ANALYSIS -- I am surprised that Dobbs couldn't make the roster. He has such a good swing and seemed to have the knack to pinch hit. In addition, I like Morse being sent down. This is what they should have done last year so he could learn the outfield. His natural knack at the plate is something you have to find a spot for once he gets comfortable on the big league level.

In addition on the pitching front the Mariners optioned Nagotte and reassigned Kevin Appier.

Locked on Sports: To foul or not: The answer is simple

Locked on Sports: To foul or not: The answer is simple: "When a basketball team is up by three points in the final seconds of a game, it has the option to foul the other team. This puts the opponent at the free-throw line, eliminating the chance of hitting a game-tying 3-pointer.

Numerous variables go into this decision: how much time is left, rebounding, inbounds plays and more.

However, no matter how you crunch the numbers, the correct move is to foul.

Yet coaches make their decisions based on fear of the worst-case scenario and blow this call almost every time.

Friday night, Washington had a three-point lead with seven seconds to play and decided not to foul a Connecticut player. Instead, Rashad Anderson, a 41-percent shooter from 3-point range, tied the game with 1.8 seconds left.

I can comfortably say had the Huskies fouled instead of trying to prevent the shot, they would have played another game and possibly would be on their way to Indianapolis for the Final Four."

SIMULBLOG SONICS V. GRIZZZ

SONICS 98 GRIZZ 97 – FINAL SCORE
Are you kidding me !!!! Ray Allen does it again. A buzzer beater on an impossible angle. Allen goes 1 on 1 on Eddie Jones one of the best in the game and hits the game winner.
The game changed when down 86-82 the Sups switched Petro onto Gasol. He forced Gasol off the box and Gasol who was brilliant all night finished the night going 1 for 5 with 2 FT over the final 8 minutes of the game.
Not only did Petro play d but he hit two 15 foot jumpers in the final 3 minutes.
Petro in back to back nights guarded Duncan and Gasol. His athleticism could allow him to be a very special defensive player.
Rashard Lewis got hurt with 2:45 left and Sonics to survive


Grizz 93 Soncis 89 with 3:12 left in the 4th Quarter
Huge play – Lewis missed his signature running hook and when he missed he hurt his ankle and the Grizz went the other direction with a 5 on 4 and Miller hit a three.
Miller has back to back buckets
Gasol got his first shot on Petro
We are back into the halfcourt game and Memphis is putting the clamps down defensively.
Earl Waston is finishing


Sonics 89 Grizz 86 with 5:00 left in the 4th Quarter
Gasol scored on the first threee possession while being guarded by Moore
Since they switched Petro onto Gasol he is 0 for 2 with a turnover.
Allen another nasty three


Memphis 80 Soncis 76 at the end of 3 Quarters
Gasol has 38 points
When will the Sonic double him in the 4th?


Sonics 76 Memphis 75 with 1:30 left in the 3rd Quarter
Gasol scored on three straight possessions on Wilcox he has 36
The game is in the half court for Seattle offensively
Eddie Jones has gotten hot
Seattle is dribbling way to much right now.
Swift’s lack of upper body strength has been evident tonight


Sonics 71 Grizz 64 with 5:37 left in the 3rd Quarter
Wilcox three dunks in the Quarter
Grizz scored on the first 5 possessions, but Seattle has recovered.
Sonics need to keep the pace up.


Sonics 59 Grizz 49 at the halftime
Wow !!!
Rebounding edge 26-12
Bench play has been terrific. Mikki Moore came in for Wilcox and played great.
The game changed when Allen was on the bench and Seattle started there run.


Sonics 59 Grizz 49 at the halftime
Wow !!!
Rebounding edge 26-17
Bench play has been terrific. Mikki Moore came in for Wilcox and played great.
The game changed when Allen was on the bench and Seattle started there run.


Sonics 44 Grizz 37 with 5:55 left in the 2nd Quarter
This is remarkable.
The Soncis have been stymied by the Grizz all year and tonight they are taking it to Memphis.
Earl Watson has changed this team moreso then any player
Swift showed his talent with a great rebound and then sprinted the floor and was there for the put-back. Which he missed and then missed the free throws. So he is not there yet.


Sonics 28 Grizz 27 at the end of 1 Quarter
28 points against the Grizz in a Q is remarkable.
Great comeback.
Gasol has been great and the Sonics have been single teamed. The instinct is to not stay with the single team. I would stay with it. He won’t score 20 every quarter and his teammates are getting stale


Sonics 24 Grizz 24 with 2:51 left in the 2:36 left in the 1st Quarter
Holy smokes Sonics have hit 7 of their last 8 and Ridnour has been the offensive punch.
Most amazingly they have done this with Allen on the bench.
Allen has the biggest discrepancy of any player in the NBA in how his team performs when he is on the floor v. off the floor. This is very rare to make a run with Allen on the bench. Suddenly, if you can make a run with Ray on the bench you can win this game.
If the Sonics score on Memphis after scoring on San Antonio then they are for real offensively.
Earl Watson has been terrific


Memphis 14 Gasol 12 Sonics 2 with 8:00 left in the 1st Quarter
Gasol is dominating !!!!!
Gasol really has developed an awesome all around game.
First possession he put it on the floor at Wilcox and hit a 10 footer
Next possession he got doubled on the dribble and hit Akins for a three.
Then later he put it on the floor and went for the reverse lay-up.
The next possession they re-set him in the post and he hit a turnaround.
Then he got it again on the left block and straightened up on Petro and he dribbled on step to the baseline and then hit a step back from behind the backboard.
He has directly contributed 12 of the 14 points.
Lewis who has been terrible all year against the Grizz has not been very good today

HOW DO THE SONICS BIG COMPARE !!!!

I thought it would be interesting to see how the Sonics two young bigs were performing at a per 40 minute rate compared to the other young bigs in the NBA. Also, I have included Yao Ming as the All-Star.

These numbers for Swift and Petro are since Hill took over.

YOUNG BIGS PER 40 MINUTES:

Player          Points Rebounds Blocks
--------------------------------------
Yao Ming         25.4    11.9     1.9
Robert Swift     12.8    11.1     2.6
Johan Petro      12.0    10.0     1.5
Channing Frye    20.4     9.5     1.2
Dwight Howard    17.0    13.3     1.6
Emeka Okafor     15.8    11.9     2.3
Andrew Bogut     12.4    10.1     1.3
Tyson Chandler    7.8    13.5     1.9
Chris Kaman      14.1    11.5     1.8
Andris Biedrins  10.3    10.4     2.0
Rafael Aruajo     7.3    10.0     0.4
Andrew Bynum      9.4     9.7     2.5

GREAT NEWS ON MARINERS FRONT

According to the Seattle P-I Spring Training Blog Jeremy Reed wrist is not broken. According to the story the wrist problem is an old fracture not a break. While opening day may be a long shot it is not out of the question that he could avoid going on the DL.