The Case For Saer Sene
Posted on Wednesday, June 28th, 2006 at 9:21 pm by Xteve
OK, here’s the deal with Sene. According to Sonics brass this was largely Bob Hill’s pick. After Sene’s workouts Hill praised this rookie like I have heard few guys praised. They feel that Sene was better than any free agent center they could have signed that would have made the rotation this year, which I agree with. Basically you have to think of it as a Moneyball pick. I know that everyone will say “Why didn’t they take Brewer?” the simple facts are:
1) There is a Brewer in the draft every year. Locke wisely compared Brewer to Dez Mason. Dez Mason is good, yeah, but still …he’s a replaceable player. Brewer wasn’t going to get minutes here.
2) If Sene pans out then Seattle has THREE young centers all of whom can run, play at the NBA level and are all 20 years old. This is unprecedented. If two of the three guys pan out as rotation players then instead of being forced to sign the Calvin Booths and Jim McIlvaines of the league we can hold another team hostage for once trying to sign one of these guys away. 7 footers who can play are THE most rare commodity in the NBA. It’s the equivalent of drafting left tackles in football, or LH pitchers in baseball, or stud shortshops.
3) Seeing as no matter who we picked was destined to have a minimal role, why not swing for the fences? Let’s face it this draft was at best 6 or 7 players deep and the best guys were gone. Gay didn’t drop to 10 (and it’s questionable how good Rudy Gay really is to drop all the way to 
and Foye was long gone by then.
4) Even if we drafted a swingman, where does he fit in behind Damien and Gelebale….the org has obviously not given up on Damien Wilkins after signing him to that 5-year deal and we should all give them their due diligence on following through with that commitment.
5) Even though offensively Petro and Swift made a good rotation at center last year, they sucked defensively. That’s not hatin’, it’s the truth. If (and I readily grant it’s a big if) Sene is as good as advertised as a shotblocker and a rebounder, then the Sonics have a guy who can help keep teams out of the paint and block a shot or two. If he’s limited offensively, SO WHAT. We don’t run any offensive plays for our centers anyhow. If the guy can hold down a 10 mpg backup role and give us 2-4 pts, 2-4 rebs and 2 blocks, he’s doing his job as a rook. and Bob Hill says he WILL have a role in the rotation next year with Nick getting minutes as a 4 only and Petro being the 3rd PF on the depth chart behind Wilcox and Nick. Versatility and depth are a good thing since Nick hasn’t shown he can stay healthy.
So that’s my case for Sene. Hey, at least we didn’t pull a Portland and draft 10 guards….
June 28th, 2006 at 9:30 pm
Good points. You’ve swayed me
June 28th, 2006 at 9:33 pm
As much as I hate it, Locke made a decent case, although if he allowed me one more question, Ida busted him good.
If we had gone after a veteran center we’d have payed upwards of 15 million in a contract, probably lasting 3 years (much like Mr. James) and would have a very UN-servicable center in two years.
Futhermore, the team, Rick Sund included, seemed like they are very high on bringing over Gelabale, so the competition for backup spots at the 2 and 3 should heat up. He can shoot, better then D-Wilks.
Also, D-Wilks shoulda worked on his bit, I don’t think he could have been any less entertaining, maybe he’s just got a bit of stage fright.
June 28th, 2006 at 9:34 pm
“Seattle takes Saer Sene of Senegal. Say that three times fast. The guy is a 7-footer. Are there any guards in Senegal? Fran Fraschilla reports that he averaged three points a game. “Offensively, he has a lot of work to do.” Sounds like it. … The thinking behind the pick seems to be that Seattle can leave him overseas and not pay him. Wow, that ought to thrill the season ticket holders and tax payers who are supposed to build the Sonics a new arena. Can’t imagine why the franchise is in jeopardy. ”
While I see some logic in the arguments I still feel more like the commentary above. 3 straight raw young centers. At least the thought process is consistent if not obsessive. I hardly endorses the strenght of their 1st 2 attempts. The guy scored 3 ppg in Belguim and could barely make a lay up last year according to the ESPn foreign analyst who was doing all he could do to try and find something good to say.
With the 10th overall pick you just have to expect more than a slightly taller OO. This is a flash back to the exact some reasoning we heard with OO who fortunately was not drafted #10. While I admit I’ve been disappointed in the past with picks only to find religion later, I hated this pick when I heard it and it still leaves me feeling sick…………
June 28th, 2006 at 9:35 pm
My huge complaint would be if they drafted a guy with the 10th pick and didn’t plan on having him on the roster this year… That’s not what 10th picks are for, weak draft or not. If they trully like his potential and think he fills that last center position, fine… that means they look for a defensive swing man on the open market, I hope.
On 7 footers… I don’t think his height is an issue for me. It’s the fact that he’s not really much of a basketball player. That worries me quite a bit. OO was 6-10 but never took to playing hoops. Seems odd to spend a 10th pick on any guy who has only played the game for a few years no matter what his body is like. The reason why European have been getting more and more successful in the NBA is they have introduced to the game and younger ages. This seems like an enormous long shot to me.
Great to hear he’ll be on the roster.
June 28th, 2006 at 9:38 pm
It’s really bizarre as I was the guy who said a couple days ago the ONLY guy I didn’t like was Saer Sene … after seeing a bit more of him and listening to Pendergraft and Hill, I was wrong. I was speaking because I didn’t really know sh!t about the guy and wrongly assumed he was a short Olumide Oyediji type. As a physical specimen the guy is ginormous and seems to have exceptional timing as a shot blocker.
It cannot be denied that Pendergraft has done well at spotting frontcourt talent, and that Bob Hill’s done a good job of developing it.
Why wouldn’t you take a chance on a big now that we have a coach that actually understands how to use one? Like I said it became very clear that unless Gay or Foye dropped this was the guy they were going to take. I’ll trust Pendergraft and Hill on this one.
June 28th, 2006 at 9:41 pm
Yeah, I think the Sene pick was predicated on the Sonics rating Gelabele at least on a par with Brewer or Carney, if not higher (and we weren’t alone in ranking them down, since after us three teams passed on Brewer and five teams passed on Carney.
So, giving Sonics’ management’s rating of Brewer and Carney the benefit of the doubt, I really don’t see anyone better than Sene at #10. Simmons wouldn’t get any playing time at PF. Shawne Williams?
Let’s not forget that the NBA is largely a game of freaks. Sene was freakest of the freaks available. You can’t coach a 7′8″ wingspan…
June 28th, 2006 at 9:46 pm
I’m sorry as much as the Sonics might try and spin this I feel that their logic is faulty and their projections are flat out coming from someone with rose colored glasses.
LOGIC FAULTS:
— By saying you shuold draft Sene because seven footers are hot commodities and it protects you in case you lose Swift or Petro you are basically saying that you should only ever draft seven footers. Because, if you are worried that you are going to lose one of the two current young centers (Petro/Swift) in one year shouldn’t you be just as worried that the following year you would lose one of Petro/Sene??
— On top of that, having to develop three centers is unprecedented and I really think you are running a HUGE risk of screwing all three of them up. Now you need to split developmental minutes between Swift/Petro/Sene. I would imagine that it was already difficult to get these guys experience when playing them 24m/pg each. Now you will have to find another 10-15 mpg for Sene. Those minutes will come from somewhere, which means Swift and Petro will get 18-20 m/pg. That just is a waste.
ROSE COLORED GLASSES
— OK so this guy who has never played at any level close to the NBA will suddenly be a serviceable big man with great defensive ability? I mean c’mon this is a joke right? Petro was young but had played pro ball for a few years and he had a difficult time adjusting to the league. To me it is indefensible that the Sonics can come in and act like this guy will contribute anything for at least two or three years.
The more and more I think about this pick the more I feel like the Sonics have made a really bad decision. What is sad is that if we had drafted someone like Brewer he might not have panned out. However, you wouldn’t have had to worry about him ruining the development of the core of your team. Sene could very well kill the franchise.
June 28th, 2006 at 9:51 pm
“Sene could very well kill the franchise. ”
I really don’t see how a guy who will be lucky to get 8 mpg next year and is on a rookie deal will kill the franchise. He’s not Vin Baker at the max or anything.
“By saying you shuold draft Sene because seven footers are hot commodities and it protects you in case you lose Swift or Petro you are basically saying that you should only ever draft seven footers. ”
Unless you clearly have a swing player or a point guard that can be a game changer ahead of them, why not? Have you seen how much centers cost in free agency lately? Dude, if Saer Sene was coming off his rookie deal he’d probably be looking at AT LEAST the midlevel from some team … if you’re going to pay the guy to develop I’m sure glad we’re paying him rookie money, not MLE or more … some team actually traded for Raef Freakin’ Lafrentz today, trust me … Seattle won’t have any trouble dumping this guy if they need to.
June 28th, 2006 at 10:08 pm
Steve:
— This is exactly my point…if he only gets 8m/pg he won’t develop. Therefore, it was a waste of a pick. The only way big men get better is to play. We all though Swift was horrible at the beginning of the year. Once he started playing he began to understand the game better and started to show some signs. Well Sene is about 100xs more raw than Swift.
Personally, if we truly want him as a back up plan he should stay in Europe so his rookie contract would start in one or two years…that is the only way it makes sense to keep a young center around to protect losing Swfit and Petro
June 28th, 2006 at 10:09 pm
We already have 2 of these guys pawned off with the same sales pitch only this guys resume is even more limited than either of theirs. This is a huge reach worthy of a later round selection. To smuggly say at 10 we got our man is simply an admission their lack in confidence in their last 2 “men”. It’s hard enough to develop 2 7 footers and find quality minutes. Where is he going to develop, playing 5 minutes a game. The guy is reported to have zero offensive game. All the talk of him “being on the roster”. Please, at whose expense??
For a team short on cash, losing fan base and fighting for a new arena this was a dubious gamble. The guy scored 3 ppg in BELGUIM and could barely make a layup. Why do we need to take this chance, we have two chances on the roster. If this is all you got at #10 trade out until next year, trade down, do anything but bring in OO jr at #10. Yuk.
June 28th, 2006 at 10:14 pm
To be honest this is EXACTLY the pick i wanted. MYK can talk all he wants about hurting the growth of petro and Swift, but I think if anything it enhances the growth of them. They just received added competition, added incentive to put in extra time in during the off-season.
Jack Sikma might as well be teaching three prospects instead of two… It’s the shotgun approach, and we have a better chance of 2 bigs working out for us.
Gelebale and Wilkens give us anything we would have gotten out of Brewer or Carney.
I applaud the pick.
Would have liked to see Foye fall to us though…
June 28th, 2006 at 10:14 pm
SW: I COMPELETELY AND WHOLEHEARTEDLY AGREE with you. Drafting a guy who never played to me would be a better thing that drafting him and risking not developing the guys you already got. I HAVE to think that something is in the works with regards to a trade. As I said in an earlier post Ray can’t be happy we keep drafting teenagers.
June 28th, 2006 at 10:16 pm
Jeff:
— Please explain to me where Sene will get these minutes to develop. Once this can be explained ot me I will reconsider my opinion. However, until they extend NBA games to 60 minutes this trade doesn’t make sense because there is no room to develop two players. Some feel that this is the same reason why Curry/Chandler never worked because neither of them got a committment from management and the bulk of the minutes to produce.
June 28th, 2006 at 10:18 pm
The only way this pick would’ve made sense is if we had been able to trade down and acquire another assest and still draft him.
June 28th, 2006 at 10:19 pm
8-10 mpg / practice / Developmental League.
Where was Brewer or Carney going to get their minutes?
June 28th, 2006 at 10:19 pm
“If this is all you got at #10 trade out until next year, trade down, do anything but bring in OO jr at #10. Yuk.”
What player was there that you would rather have that would actually get minutes?
Name ANY draft pick the Sonics would or could have made that’ll get more than 8 minutes a game next year on this roster … that’s your answer. There wasn’t one. Simple as that. If Foye was there, okay. I’m with you. But he wasn’t. The next best choice was Brewer, who is a totally fungible player type.
You’re acting like we passed up Paul Pierce or something to take Sene. That player wasn’t there today.
June 28th, 2006 at 10:19 pm
Also, you know if this guy defensively is already good enough to be better than a replacement level center in the NBA you sure would’ve thought people would have drafted him higher.
That comment by FO is the one I have the biggest problem with. They are just flat out lying. At least admit he is a big time project who might not get many minutes this year
June 28th, 2006 at 10:25 pm
“That comment by FO is the one I have the biggest problem with. They are just flat out lying. At least admit he is a big time project who might not get many minutes this year”
Rick Sund said at media day last week that they didn’t think any player they took in this draft was going to get significant minutes or singlehandedly change the defensive dynamic of this club.
Like I said you have to recognize this was a really, REALLY SHALLOW draft. in light of that I don’t have a problem with a high risk high reward pick. The Carneys and Brewers will all be there next year if you still want one.
June 28th, 2006 at 10:26 pm
Curry and Chandler were the 2nd and 4th picks. They were GIVEN minutes by management, Curry was lazy while Chandler has been on the shelf for half his career.
Thats the one thing I like about this scenario is that this is an open competition for minutes. Nobody is going to be handed anything because they are the 2nd or 4th picks.
In all reality, the one thing that really struck me about Sene from film is that they guy wasnt afraid to dive on the floor. How many 7 footers can you say that about.
With a team completely VOID of anybody willing to get their hands dirty, not to mention shut down the paint you have got to take a flyer on this guy
When was the last time you saw our 1-3 take a charge or dive on the floor?
This team needs to see some raw heart from somebody coming in that at worst can serve a Jerome James type role for 10 minues. Block a few shots, catch the ball take a step or two and dunk.
June 28th, 2006 at 10:34 pm
From what I understand we attempted to trade down for the #13 and cash, but the Sixers went with the Chicago deal.
Reported to be 3m and cash, not to mention a lower salary slot would have been nice, but as I’ll continue to say I didnt see anyone else at that point worth the pick.
Hopefully I am right on this one or my GM aspirations are shot…
Oh well.
June 28th, 2006 at 10:40 pm
“I’m going to go find a bridge to jump off of.”
That was my exact quote about 3-5 seconds after David Stern announced our pick of Sene.
Since then I had time to think about the pick, watch us draft a very solid swingman, Brown, who I got to see a lot more of than Brewer, and watch some video of Sene.
I have completely changed my opinion. Sene was a great pick given the circumstances, and if I had done a little more homework I might have been asking for him going into the draft. Nice job Sonics.
After watching about 10 minutes of video of Sene can better understand Hill’s enthusiasm for him. His foot speed is simply AMAZING! His shot blocking is impressive and should help Ray, Rashard, and Luke become much more productive on defense. However the most encouraging thing I saw is that he has the hardest thing to find in a bigman; all-out bust-ass hustle.
I really only have one concern with Sene and it should be moot given his roll on our roster. Will he be able to stay out of foul trouble? That is the kind of thing you really can’t tell unless you see him in an NBA game. It shouldn’t matter at first because we have 5 guys for 2 positions so I’m really not that worried.
Once again, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I love the pick.
June 28th, 2006 at 10:43 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6Ho_dsWHvk&search=saer%20sene
check that out guys. I initially boo’d the pick but now I’m really excited about it. He has more potential than Johan or Swift.
June 28th, 2006 at 10:44 pm
Yes, but they are saying that this guy can come in and contribute defensively in the NBA and that is just not true. At least be completely honest and say look this guy won’t play at all for the first couple years. I mean he would probably get more experience in the NBDL.
Plus, I find it interesting that they don’t think that any of the swngmen could compete with Damien at the 3. It seems like Brewer had more talent in college than Damien so wouldn’t it be logical that he would be able to perform as well as Damien? Are they basically saying that Damien won’t have any competition in training camp and his minutes are guaranteed?
June 28th, 2006 at 10:45 pm
His block rate is a big part of the case presented for his pick.
I guess he had some good exhibition games.
But lets look at league play in Belgium:
http://www.rbcverviers-pepinster.be/saison05-06/joueurs/sene.php
25 games 25 blocks, 1 per game in 12 minutes.
4 per 48 minutes against second or third tier european players.
Swift got 3 per 48 against NBA, Petro 2.
How many blocks per 48 does Sene need to be worth his court time? 3? 4? 5?
Rebounds and defense will be important too.
He averaged 20 rebounds per 48 in his season but how many in NBA? 13 like Wilcox and swift? more? or less?
Will be interesting to watch.
June 28th, 2006 at 10:45 pm
Jeff has nailed it. If nothing else this will really push Swift and Petro. Have you guys watched that video? Yes it’s against negligible competition (although 3 or 4 of those guys at the Hoops Summit will be top 10 picks next year), but it is very obvious that he has the skills necessary to play in the NBA right now. He can block shots and rebound. Watch it…he grabs rebounds outside of his area..he moves to the ball. That’s a skill…not many 7 footers have it. And his shot blocking is clearly NBA ready as well. And did you see that outlet pass after he climbed for that block. perfect 3/4 court pass.
Yes, I know this was a highlight real…much of it against some wacky Belgians. But obviously during the workouts it became clear that he belonged, and a 7 footer that can block shots, rebound and run?!? Sign me up. Nothing more overrated in a big man than the ability to score, or hit jumpers. I don’t want him hitting jumpers. I want him settting screens, rolling to the bucket, rebounding missed shots and dunking. Yes, I want him to develop his hands so he can catch the pass on the roll. And maybe make one move on the rebound. That’s all very teachable. But he doesn’t need to learn the Dream Shake for crying out loud.
Brewer, Carney…meh. You find those kind of dudes every flippin’ year. Carney is going to be a collossal bust. Brewer? Maybe becomes Eddie Jones, but more likely he’s Reece Gaines, or John Solomon (however you spell that). How different is Bobby Jones or James White from Brewer? Or Denham Brown for that matter. Yeah, Brewer is a little more skilled, but sometimes that little extra skill just gets in the way. Average ability is worthless, and sometimes even worse than that. I don’t want him trying to break the defense down if he’s going to shoot 40% or turn it over (you all remember Flip right?). I want a guy who knows his role…unless he’s a star. We weren’t going to find a star at 10.
I sure wanted Foye to slide though…or us to trade up. But I’ll take the Sene flyer. Lots of positives…hard worker who will push or existing bigs. Like that. Competition is a good thing. Plenty of playing time…especially considering our fould woes :).
June 28th, 2006 at 10:48 pm
“From what I understand we attempted to trade down for the #13 and cash, but the Sixers went with the Chicago deal.”
According to Locke the fear was that Utah would deal up to 12 and take him.
I guarantee one thing: had that happened and Sene worked out there would have been a massive calling for the FO heads for dealing down to ’save a little cash’.
June 28th, 2006 at 10:56 pm
Sene is young and learning the game. His first 9 games he played only 71 minutes and had 9 blocks. The last 16 games he played 215 minutes and had 16 blocks. Convert to per 48 minutes and his block rate was 6.1 per 48 in first 9 games and then only 3.5 per 48 the remaining 16 games. Of course this doesnt count intimidations and changed shots but his block rate went down 40% from early in season to later. I guess the scouts told guys to adjust their shooting practices. Guys in exhibition may not have known enough or shown as much caution shooting.
June 28th, 2006 at 10:56 pm
With Rashard getting his minutes at the 3, what does that leave for our Backup? Damien got 18 mpg, but it dropped off alot after watson came over.
Add Gelebale to that equation and there really isnt much time for a Carney / Brewer. This is completely ignoring the fact that we have Damien locked up for the next 4 years.
Say we draft a 2/3 with Lewis and Allen set. Wilkins on board and Gelebale coming over, and a small amount of time with Watson playing the 2. how many minutes do you think they will get?
June 28th, 2006 at 10:57 pm
We not only have 3 7-foot centers, but 4, Mikki Moore. What do we do about him?
June 28th, 2006 at 10:58 pm
Does Sene get tired? Did going from 7.9 minutes a game to 13.4 zap some of his energy to make blocks? I am sure they want to build his endurance like Swift.
June 28th, 2006 at 11:00 pm
“We not only have 3 7-foot centers, but 4, Mikki Moore. What do we do about him?”
He has a player option on his contract. I’m pretty sure he’ll be back.
Moore is the perfect end of the bench big man, he works well with the kids, doesn’t complain and when asked steps in and gives all out effort.
June 28th, 2006 at 11:04 pm
His rebounding rate though impressive also fell 15% when his minutes increase by 5 a game.
His scoring rate fell 25%.
Perhaps going to more minutes he played more minutes against starters and that could also have some impact.
June 28th, 2006 at 11:06 pm
On the postive side his offensive rebounding rate was 7.2 per 48 minutes. Different levels of competition of course but that is Reggie Evans and Danny Fortson rate.
June 28th, 2006 at 11:12 pm
swsonicsfan — you have your facts wrong. It was ONE YEAR AGO that Sene couldn’t make a layup — this year when folks worked him out, he looked a lot better offensively. He’d made a lot of progress in one year. Is he still raw? Yes; but he’s a lot less raw than a year ago, and it’s a year ago that you’re pulling your complaint from.
June 28th, 2006 at 11:16 pm
And in the last analysis, I think the folks who like this pick have one thing right: if the Sonics like Gelabale better than Brewer (I have no use for Carney), and if they feel this would be a bad time to marginalize or dump Wilkins, then why not take a flier on Sene? For crying out loud, Hilton freakin’ Armstrong went in the lottery this year — it’s not like we had a lot of good options to choose from. If everybody’s high-risk, might as well max out the reward side.
June 28th, 2006 at 11:51 pm
I agree with the concensus that a high risk/reward pick such as Sene wasn’t such a bad idea. But there’s just no room at all for him, if we bring him to Seattle as planned, and if we cram him on, our roster becomes completely unflexible.
PG: Ridnour/Watson
SG: Allen/Wilkins
SF: Lewis/Geleballer
PF: Wilco (probably)/Collison/Moore
C: Swift/Petro/Sene
There’s our twelve guys… not to mention D-Fort (if he’s not traded / put on DL / assassinated by Jerry Colangelo)
And I don’t know the status on Noel Felix. I liked him, but due to our load of bigs it looks like No-more Felix.
The fact remains that we have 14 players, but only 1 shooting guard. I find this a major problem.
June 28th, 2006 at 11:58 pm
arrgh…moderation for saying ‘a$$a$$inate.’
June 29th, 2006 at 12:06 am
I have a question about this comment from Steve:
Name ANY draft pick the Sonics would or could have made that’ll get more than 8 minutes a game next year on this roster.
I don’t think next year is the problem. Where does Sene get his minutes any year? How does he turn into an asset if there aren’t enough minutes. I’m going to assume that Wilcox come back.
The team then has Wilcox, Collison, Swift, Petro, Sene all under 25 and all needing minutes to develop. I don’t see how anyone can make a rational case that Sene getting minutes won’t harm the development of one or more of the existing bigs on the roster. I realize that Locke said Brewer is a replaceable player, and that he’s a guy who is in the draft every year, Desmond Mason etc etc etc. Well, guess what, we haven’t yet replaced that position since sending Mason away so it doesn’t matter if they’re always available if you never take one.
June 29th, 2006 at 12:13 am
OO was only 6-8. He may have been listed taller but he wasn’t. This guy is clearly much taller and with a 7-9 wing span will be a shot blocking machine. Plus, he may not be done growing. This was a weak draft. Taking a flyer on this guy was probably not a bad idea since they were looking to trade the pick away. Gelabale is the Sonics lottery pick this year.
June 29th, 2006 at 12:32 am
Hey myk, would you have rather had Patrick O’Bryant?
Not saying you would want him, but if it was O’Bryant or Sene- ’scuse me, Muhamed- who do you take?
Myk, you have to realize, the international league he was playing is no way worse then the Missouri Vally Conference, hell, probably a bit more experienced, albeit likely not coached as well and a bit more hodge-podge on the teams.
Would you rather have Brewer practicing against a bunch of dudes who have been around the league a couple years, so practice is just the same old thing?
Or would you rather have 3, 7-foot dudes who will battle it out every practice with great enthusiasm because they all think they should play.
Check that highlight real- it’ll open our eyes a bit. The things that stuck out to me (not to even mention the shotblocking), was his extremely quick hands and agility, as well as his passing ability. That full-court outlet pass he threw was right on the money.
I’m such a homer, so don’t argue with me
June 29th, 2006 at 1:53 am
Sene 37% FT
June 29th, 2006 at 1:55 am
6 of Sonics last 7 1st picks were bigs
June 29th, 2006 at 2:10 am
How is Gelebale gonna stack up on this team and in the NBA…I heard hes got some good D but what else does he have. hes avg like 9 in Real Madrid in Euroleague so thats not that bad.
Also, will Sene be able to make this team this year strictly because of his defense? Or will he be NBDL material to improve his offense, then come to the Sonics in a year and light it up?
June 29th, 2006 at 3:03 am
Damn, a lot of you guys are drinking the Saer Sene flavored Kool-Aid. As far as I’m concerned, though, it tastes like bull****.
June 29th, 2006 at 3:20 am
The boos were absolutely deafening at the draft party …. I’m neither thrilled or depressed about this pick. I thought we would be trading somebody for all the hype and rumors… it was rather uneventful I say.
There’s no way in hell we keep all three seven-footers, that’s a given.. but who do we give up?
Swift has the best offensive game + footwork out of them three,
Petro has the best one-on-one defense,
Sene is just a raw athletic fffrrreeeaakkk.
All three has his pros-cons.
UNLESS we are looking to trade Collison and slide Petro at the 4, Sene will be gone in 3 years.
June 29th, 2006 at 3:23 am
I would have perferred Brewer.
However, I was expecting this pick if they thought he was going to be special.
As raw as he is, he already has a better body than Swift and Petro. His wingspan and his jumping ability will allow him to block shots at any level. I think this kid could be a really good player.
He seems like a hard worker and he can run the floor. They say he was improving from practice to practice…UPSIDE POTENTIAL! (sarcasm)…..But anyway, I would have perferred Reddick as a back up for Ray Allen, or Brewer…but this guy clearly is a great prospect.
June 29th, 2006 at 3:32 am
And to add to that, I would rather have him over Swift or Petro. He is much stronger and thicker than both of them, and he has the long wing span. He also seems to have much more power than either of them attacking the hoop. And the way he grabs some of those rebounds is amazing. And when it comes to the opening tip…he would be unbeatable.
Judging by the video, he has alot of work to do when it comes to one on one defense. He’ll have the same problems Swift and Petro had. But I guess that should be expected. As bad as Jerome was, he learned how to guard one on one by using his huge base and height to pretty much shut down other big centers.
June 29th, 2006 at 5:26 am
this guy is not gonna be in the D league. Jack Sikma will be working with him on his game personally.
we got our defensive center(swift and petro are bad defensively, part of the reason why we lost so many games).
great pick!
June 29th, 2006 at 6:59 am
“The fact remains that we have 14 players, but only 1 shooting guard. I find this a major problem.”
We got Denham Brown. I think he makes the roster. At 6-5, he gives us a big SG other than Allen. His offensive production was somewhat limited at UConn due to sharing the ball with all of the other good players they have, so he could be somewhat underrated coming into this draft. He’s also unselfish, a team guy.
It is interesting to me that we took a C, SG, and PG in the draft. That we didn’t take an SF or PF could be a signal to Lewis and Wilcox that getting them signed is the Sonics’ top priortity.
June 29th, 2006 at 7:18 am
Sene is much smaller than Petro or Swift - Swift is around 260 and Petro was at 275 late in the season. Sene is around 230 right now so has a way to go in the weight room to not get pushed around. The good news is that he sounds pretty strong already - kind of like Dikembe…deceptively strong considering how thin he is.
He’ll probably get manhandled in the post for awhile until he builds up his upper body strength. His strength in the post early on will be using his wingspan to poke away entry passes and his length to block fadeaways and jump hooks.
June 29th, 2006 at 7:22 am
“Sene is much smaller than Petro or Swift - Swift is around 260 and Petro was at 275 late in the season.”
You think Petro was that heavy at the end of last season? I don’t know myself, but was under the impression that he was consistently around 250 or so last year.
“Sene is around 230 right now so has a way to go in the weight room to not get pushed around.”
One of the many things that none of us know right now is what kind of strength program he’s been on. If he’s 7′ and 230 without lifting a great deal he could rapidly put on muscle in the next three months. If he’s a guy like Chandler it could be a good 3 years before he gets up to 250.
June 29th, 2006 at 7:41 am
“LOGIC FAULTS:
— By saying you shuold draft Sene because seven footers are hot commodities and it protects you in case you lose Swift or Petro you are basically saying that you should only ever draft seven footers. Because, if you are worried that you are going to lose one of the two current young centers (Petro/Swift) in one year shouldn’t you be just as worried that the following year you would lose one of Petro/Sene??”
Except that argument hasn’t been advanced. They didn’t draft him because he’s 7′ per se. They’ve cited his potential, they think he’ll have an immediate defensive presence. I know you know that’s “just not true” but how do you know that, really?
“— On top of that, having to develop three centers is unprecedented and I really think you are running a HUGE risk of screwing all three of them up. Now you need to split developmental minutes between Swift/Petro/Sene. I would imagine that it was already difficult to get these guys experience when playing them 24m/pg each. Now you will have to find another 10-15 mpg for Sene. Those minutes will come from somewhere, which means Swift and Petro will get 18-20 m/pg. That just is a waste.”
Development happens in practice, too. And anyway maybe this’ll open the door for Petro to play some minutes at the four. It’s only a mixed drink, after all, if you get them both at once.
And development requires patience, which no one, amped for Dramatic Changes on draft day or on trade deadlines, ever has any patience for. It’s a fantasy wrecker. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t what’s best for the team in the long-run. Let’s wait and see.
“— OK so this guy who has never played at any level close to the NBA will suddenly be a serviceable big man with great defensive ability? I mean c’mon this is a joke right? Petro was young but had played pro ball for a few years and he had a difficult time adjusting to the league. To me it is indefensible that the Sonics can come in and act like this guy will contribute anything for at least two or three years.”
And according to this LOGIC no one would ever draft kids out of high school. Granted, that’s usually a bad idea, but sometimes they pan out, and sometimes these kids display real talent or promise to evaluators who rightly predict that the transition to the pros will be good, if not immediate.
“The more and more I think about this pick the more I feel like the Sonics have made a really bad decision.”
The more you think about it the more reasons you’ll invent not to be swayed by anyone. He might wind up being a total bust, and you might feel vindicated by that in the end, but you’ll have been made “right” for the wrong reasons, because the right reasons are in the exceptions to the rules your sky is falling around. If someone wanted to draft him higher than 10 maybe then he’d have merits? Wha’? It’s starting to sound like you hate the pick only because it was Seattle’s pick. Brewer fell to 14; no one wanted him higher than that; ergo….
June 29th, 2006 at 7:43 am
“Damn, a lot of you guys are drinking the Saer Sene flavored Kool-Aid. As far as I’m concerned, though, it tastes like bull****.”
“Sene is just 20 years old and averaged 3.1 points and 4.1 rebounds per game for Verviers-Pepinster, a second-division team in Belgium. One NBA official compared Sene’s Belgian competition to “playing against Carver High School.” ”
I’m still struggling here. Second division in Belgium, I didn’t even know there was one division in Belgium……be honest, did anyone else? If so name another player drafted from either division in Belgium.
This is a titanic reach componding the smaller reaches of Swift at 12 and Petro to a lesser degree at 26 or whatever. It’s like throwing stuff against the wall to see what sticks. Hardly an endorsement of their prior efforts….
I’m going to move on and hope they know what they’re doing but with the 10th pick in the entire draft I’d hoped we’d have a little more than stuff on the wall and a player who might produce in a couple of years after he gets the lay up thing down……It’s off to psychotherapy……….
June 29th, 2006 at 7:47 am
There was an article in the times that said Petro was putting on muscle like crazy with the weight program. He came in at around 250-255 - I remember Pendergraft saying after the draft last year that he thought he could easily play at 280-285 without losing any of his mobility - just a big boned kid.
DraftExpress mentioned that scouts thought Sene could get to 260 without hurting his quickness.
June 29th, 2006 at 8:06 am
Has anyone been listening to Frank Hughes on KJR this morning? A coupe of interesting tidbits:
Frank says that when Foye and Gay were both slipping, the Sonics were trying to move up a couple of picks to grab one.
The night before the draft Seattle had a deal in place to trade Fortson and the #10 for Shane Battier. Then Memphis backed out.
Wow, too bad neither of those scenarios worked out.
I did read (from Kevin Pelton, I think) that Sikma coached Sene in some league or tournament last year. When you factor in that with Pendergraft’s ability to scout big men, you have to feel like the Sonics as an organization probablly had a pretty good understanding of this guy and what he is capable of.
Also, Frank Hughes said this weekended they reached a verbal agreement to get Gelliballe into camp this year, and that his profile (athletic, slasher, good defender) is exactly what they would have been looking for in Brewer or Carney — so that sealed the deal to go with Sene.
June 29th, 2006 at 8:10 am
I remember quite well a tall, skinny kid being drafted in 1996 right before my Vancouver Grizzlies picked Shareef Abdur-Rahim. The Toronto Raptors fans were quite upset about them taking Marcus Camby because all he did was block shots and rebound. Camby hasn’t put on much more weight in his 10 seasons but he’s managed to survive.
And if what I read in here is true then I’m quite pleased because I’ve been hoping to see the Sonics give Petro a try at power forward for quite a while. I feel he could not only handle the position but might do quite well at it.
And this much I have to admit. The Sonics have never been afraid to go against the grain. In an era where teams are now starting to put together non traditional lineups and the lines are being blurred in regards to positions and size up front, Seattle is bucking the trend and is stocking up on height. They have also once again given notice that they won’t follow projected scouting reports and generally accepted mock draft tiering but will take a chance on whoever comes in and personally has a good workout for them. It started with Radmanovic, kind of went back to tradition the year Ridnour and Collison were picked, and went back to doing things their way with Swift and Petro.
June 29th, 2006 at 8:10 am
Another comment from Frank. Apparently a team (most likely NJ) offered 2 late first-rounders to the Soncis for Gelliballe once it became clear he would be joining the team this year. Sounds like the word around the league on this guy is pretty good — I’ll be happy enough with him in camp as oppsed to Brewer or Carney.
June 29th, 2006 at 8:19 am
if Sene is the great player like say some guys, he don`t play in Second division of Belgium. I can´t believe portland is the best winner draft taken Roy and Aldrige
June 29th, 2006 at 8:29 am
“Where does Sene get his minutes any year? How does he turn into an asset if there aren’t enough minutes. I’m going to assume that Wilcox come back. ”
Come on now … to think they won’t find minutes for a center that plays defense is a bit silly, isn’t it? Maybe they don’t resign Nick next year. Sene’s on a rookie deal, we’ve got him for the next 4 years. If he can play we’ll find minutes for him … understand the principle of competition in practice and you’ll have your answer. If he outworks Petro in practice, then he gets Petro’s minutes and we screw teams right and left trading a 20 year old center.
“I realize that Locke said Brewer is a replaceable player, and that he’s a guy who is in the draft every year, Desmond Mason etc etc etc. Well, guess what, we haven’t yet replaced that position since sending Mason away so it doesn’t matter if they’re always available if you never take one. ”
Are you saying we never replaced the 6th man position, or that we didn’t replace the backup SG role? Because either way you’re wrong.
There’s a big difference between Brent Barry and Ray Allen as far as how many minutes their backup needs to play.
June 29th, 2006 at 8:30 am
I have never seen Gelebale play other than video clips, so I have no idea what he’ll actually bring when he gets here, but the scouting report is pretty similar to Brewer (good perimeter defender, slasher/scorer, needs improvement on his “J”).
So bringing in Gelebale and Denham Brown seems to be a solid backup plan to drafting Brewer while also taking a HR swing at another young, freakishly athletic 7 footer.
I’m not wild about the pick, and won’t be until we see how it all works out over the next couple seasons, however I can see the logic and going for the Home Run, given the factors surrounding the pick (ie. the guys we really wanted were already off the board and the ones left on the board were too similar to Gelebale and someone like Brown who we were targeting in the early second round).
In the end, we’ll have to wait and see how it works out, but having seen the improvement in Swift and Petro last season as they got playing time, I have a hard time under standing how people on here are so critical of those picks, especially the Petro pick at #26 (IMO, that looks like a huge steal, one year later).
June 29th, 2006 at 8:31 am
“I can´t believe portland is the best winner draft taken Roy and Aldrige”
You actually believe that Portland ‘won’?
Here’s a breakdown of thier day…
They dealt a guy whom they were content with last year whom cost them Chris Paul, Theo Ratliff and a future pick for Dan Dickau, Raef Lafrentz (think of paying 35 million dollars for Peja Drobnjak) and what they hoped would be Brandon Roy. Then Minnesota takes Roy and Portland gives them three MILLION dollars in cash to take the guy Minnesota was going to draft anyways so they get Roy. Who by the way BURIES in the rotation the guy they got when they passed up on CP3.
Then with thier other pick they dealt the fourth pick (whom would have been Aldridge anyways) and Kryapha and a future pick…for ….the guy they would have gotten at 4….
Then they drafted three more SG’s….and thats a team that won?
June 29th, 2006 at 8:33 am
“if Sene is the great player like say some guys, he don`t play in Second division of Belgium.”
I think you are mis-interpreting what some people are saying. They are saying he’s got “great potential” and represents a bigger upside than anyone that was left on the board when the Sonics picked. I don’t think anyone is saying he’s a “great player” right now.
He has some solid skills that should translate well early on, as far as his shot blocking ability, but there is no mistaking that he’s extremely raw and needs a ton of coaching and repetitions in practice.
June 29th, 2006 at 8:39 am
“I can´t believe portland is the best winner draft taken Roy and Aldrige ”
In my opinion Portland is a horrific mess. Their rotation is completely FUBAR right now with many of their best prospects being blocked by other picks and headed by one of the worst coaches imaginable at developing young talent. It’s going to be interesting to see what that coaching staff can do with Aldridge since Nate has never been able to develop a PF or a C in his entire NBA coaching career.
On the bright side they may be the first team since the 50s to play an entire lineup under 6′6 …
June 29th, 2006 at 8:44 am
Rick Sund just clarified and said they were not offered two 1st round picks for Gelliballe, but they did receive offers (more than 1) yesterday to exchange Gelliballe for a fist round pick.
June 29th, 2006 at 9:01 am
I just watched the video, and by no means does it make me a Sene expert, but a few things stick out.
1) He gets up very quickly. Unlike some big men, he has a quick and explosive jump. That is a good thing, but one that needs to be kept in check so every head fake doesn’t leave his jock in the rafters.
2) He does look like he runs very well. Not just speed, but he looks comfortable running. Ever seen Shawn Bradley run?
Sene looks fairly fluid in his strides.
3) His positioning on rebounding is generally poor. Sikma will really have to work on this with him or he’ll struggle on the boards. He gets too close to the basket and doesn’t seem to body up well against another player, instead uses his size to grab the boards (in the video).
4) He’s going to have to learn to not get stuck behind the backboard when making an offensive move. In the NBA the defender is not going to let you reach up and under for the shot on the other side. It works for guards who are on the move, but infrequently for big men who are bodied up against a defender.
Big Chris
June 29th, 2006 at 9:04 am
Scott — re: the rest of Portland’s draft:
Sergio Rodriguez is a PG, not an SG (though if Nate didn’t like Telfair, I can’t see how he’ll ever deal with Jason Williams’ Spanish clone)
Joel Freeland is a PF, close on 7 feet tall
James White was traded (I forget where)
So they ended up with PF, PF, SG, PG. Hardly the slew of SGs you’re accusing them of taking.
And as regards Sene, I won’t say I’m happy about the pick — I’m not — but: dude’s 1) a 7-foot athletic freak, the NBA equivalent of Jevon Kearse or Julius Peppers, who 2) already gets playing defense and shows a lot of ability on that end of the court, 3) works hard, and 4) if Locke is to be believed, is an absolute sponge when it comes to soaking up coaching and working his (sizable) backside off to putting what he’s told into practice. Combine size, skill, coachability, work ethic, and an apparent mental aptitude for basketball, and he actually looks like a pretty safe pick, if a long-range one. I wanted immediate help, but between Gelabale, Brown and Halperin, I think we got that; it doesn’t make me happy *now* about taking Sene, but I think in two years, there’s a pretty good chance I will be.
June 29th, 2006 at 9:09 am
Picking Sene was an endorsement of Luke and Rashard’s game. If we’re going to keep those guys, we have to have guys that can defend our paint.
We’ve tried for the third straight year now to get that guy and I like the direction.
I know it’s a world of ‘what if’s,’ but had Sene gone to Wake Forest or even Pacific for 3 or 4 years, where would he have been drafted last night?
Yeah, as a 10th pick maybe it is as long of a reach as Sene has, but this draft won’t be judged for 3 years and it will be an interesting revisit at that time because if this guy works out, it’s an incredible pick.
June 29th, 2006 at 9:31 am
I did not know White was dealt, although interestingly enough for another PF. So they drafted 3 PF’s? A PG (whose thier third PG?) and B-Roy.
That’s one crazy roster they’ve got going on down there.
Lafrentz, Skinner
Randolph, Aldridge, Johnson,
Miles, Webster, Outlaw
Dixon, Roy
Blake, Jack, Rodriguez
Ouch.
June 29th, 2006 at 9:49 am
In reference to Sene’s strength mentioned earlier: The guy put up the bar 7 times at the combine which is actually quite impressive for a guy with arms that long.
I believe Collison only put the bar up 4 times…
June 29th, 2006 at 9:58 am
Lots of interesting points here:
— One comment say that Sene isn’t our lotto pick but Gelbale is. This just isn’t the case Sund even went on KJR last night and said that most people viewed him as a late first rounder this year.
— Ummm you are seriously underrating the MVC if you think the competition there was on par with the Division 2 Belgian legaue. I mean he wasn’t even a top player in the league. Does that mean we should go find out who the MVP of that league is because he should be pretty good.
— Name a player who has only developed in practice. Being that there will be no minutes for him to play we are going to rely on this guy to develop in the practice situation. On top of that he needs to develop immediately. After next year we will need to decide to extend Swift’s contract and isn’t the logic behind drafting Sene that we will have the flexibility to decide which of the ones we want to keep. Well that decision is going to have to be made really fast for a guy this raw.
— I’m still dissapointed that they are basically saying that Wilkins is guaranteed the back up job this year. By not drafting Brewer (who as Sund stated above would’ve been drafted higher than Gelbale) because he wouldn’t have any minutes they are basically saying that Wilkins is guaranteed those minutes. He wasn’t that great next year so why not have another guy who can protect your from Rashard walking away?
— Wasn’t Petro supposed to be a young/athletic big man who could come over right away and provide defensive help but needed to work on his offensive game? I mean it sounds like we drafted the same guy this year. When Petro came over we saw that he wasn’t as good at Defense as they thought…why would this guy be any different?
— Finally, I got to hear the end of Sund’s conversation this morning on KJR and he made a great point, that to me shows the flaw in their logic. He was talking about Luke/Earl/Ray and their three guard rotation and he specifically said “Three man rotations are great, but you run into problems when it becomes a four man rotation”. Now he didn’t go into more detail, but I have to assume that he thinks this because there are only so many minutes to go around. There is only one C position and so three is way too many.
Finally, what I think really happened is that the Sonics are so happy with themselves on their last couple draft picks that they feel like they can just draft any big guy and it will pan out.
June 29th, 2006 at 9:59 am
Another flaw I have noticed in their draft Cs strategy is that I can’t find one center (besides Brad Miller) that has been drafted lower than 10th that has panned out to be a great or even good center…we some how think we are going to make three of them?
June 29th, 2006 at 9:59 am
I’m not as worried about Sene’s upper body strength, nearly as much as I think he needs to improve his lower body strength. From watching those video clips it was apparent that he needs to get stronger in the legs in order to better hold his ground and prevent the opposing player from backing him down deep into the paint.
June 29th, 2006 at 10:00 am
Finally, I think this is a huge sign that they are going to move Petro to the four and Nick will probably not be extended. That would at least make the move a bit more logical.
June 29th, 2006 at 10:08 am
“I can’t find one center (besides Brad Miller) that has been drafted lower than 10th that has panned out to be a great or even good center…we some how think we are going to make three of them? ”
Qualify what you mean by great or good.
Sam Dalembert, Jamaal Magliore, Brendan Haywood, Dan Gadzuric, Zaza Pachulia all drafted #10 or later, I think your point is busted.
June 29th, 2006 at 10:14 am
“Name a player who has only developed in practice.”
Jermaine O’Neal?
“Sam Dalembert, Jamaal Magliore, Brendan Haywood, Dan Gadzuric, Zaza Pachulia all drafted #10 or later, I think your point is busted.”
Jeff Foster, Nenad Kristic/Jason Collins, Mehmet Okur, Brezec
June 29th, 2006 at 10:17 am
“Are you saying we never replaced the 6th man position, or that we didn’t replace the backup SG role? Because either way you’re wrong.”
Point me to the player on the roster who can swing between the two and the three and play solid perimeter defense. I wish it was Wilkins but it’s not. I’m hoping it’s Gelebale but that’s no less of a risk than Brewer or Carney.
I don’t hate this pick, I just don’t see where he fits. If you were to have someone come in and completely breakdown our roster and make an assessment of what the team may need and may not need, is there any doubt that a third 20 year old center would be at the bottom of the team’s needs?
We’ve got two PF’S on the team, one a RFA this year, one a potential RFA next year. We’ve got a starting SF that can opt out of his contract at the end of this year. We’ve got a 30+ year old shooting guard with no real backup. We’ve got two point guards, one of whom has already made noise about possibly looking elsewhere and whom is a RFA next season. Lastly we have two 20 year old centers neither of whom can go anywhere for at minimum the next three seasons. What position would you draft cover for?
June 29th, 2006 at 10:19 am
“I’m still struggling here. Second division in Belgium, I didn’t even know there was one division in Belgium……be honest, did anyone else? If so name another player drafted from either division in Belgium.”
SW,
Rashad Wright
Toby Bailey
Lavor Postell
Omar Cook
I think even Sherell Ford played over there for a time.
Anyhow, give him the opportunity to develop.
June 29th, 2006 at 10:23 am
Gelabale, Sene the europe basketball es very poor. the stars in the best leagues european are argentinian and brazilians players. Luis Scola is an example.
June 29th, 2006 at 10:29 am
I just watched that Sene video.
Sene = Mutombo early on in college??? Striking resemblance to me.
June 29th, 2006 at 10:32 am
— Wait Jermaine O’Neal developed in practice? I thought it wasn’t until he actually started playing in Indiana that he became a good player. This is exactly my point. To get good in the NBA you need to play, by drafting Sene you are taking that away from ALL THREE GUYS
— Yes! We just speant three draft picks to get three of the next Jeff Fosters or Jason Collins. It is my understanding that they are “swinging for the fences here”, which leads me to believe that they want these guys to be more than middle of the road centers. Have any of those guys proven to have much trade value? Are any of those guys you listed players you consider swing for the fences kind of guys?
June 29th, 2006 at 10:33 am
SW:
— Also, if you want to find the Royals of the NBA then look to the Suns. As Bill Simmons said they should’ve just put their picks on Ebay
June 29th, 2006 at 10:35 am
“Wait Jermaine O’Neal developed in practice? I thought it wasn’t until he actually started playing in Indiana that he became a good player.”
This is why we don’t pay you to think.
June 29th, 2006 at 10:37 am
Myk, settle down, we still have an entire season ahead of us, and an entire season with a much better, and more experienced coaching staff then last.
All of your points are just round-about ways of saying you didn’t like the pick, and besides stating the obvious, you’re just reaching to find ways to bash the pick.
This team wasn’t going to find help in this draft at the swing position. They weren’t going to get first-round picks for next year. And they weren’t going to find veteran center help by trading this pick….and why is that? Because centers are overvalued.
All I’m saying with the MVC point is that the competition isn’t incredibly terrible…he was playing against guys who are basketball players, and he adapted after only playing for 2-3 years…That’s saying something, so don’t put words in my mouth.
“Sam Dalembert, Jamaal Magliore, Brendan Haywood, Dan Gadzuric, Zaza Pachulia all drafted #10 or later, I think your point is busted.”
It seems the same thing can be said about a lot of Myk’s points..
June 29th, 2006 at 10:42 am
“I’m still struggling here. Second division in Belgium, I didn’t even know there was one division in Belgium……be honest, did anyone else? If so name another player drafted from either division in Belgium.”
SW,
Rashad Wright
Toby Bailey
Lavor Postell
Omar Cook
I think even Sherell Ford played over there for a time.”
I’m back from psychotherapy and bumped into Rick Sund in the waiting room, he was just finishing his electroshock therapy and speaking in tongues.
OK let me restate the above question. Name a player who played in Belgium and made an impact in the NBA and might be considered for th 10th pick in the NBA draft…………
Trying not to be entirely critical and letting the healing begin I did like the Denham Brown pick. I thought I wanted Bobby Jones or David Noel here but like Brown alot.
When does the summer league begin, we’ve got to see these guys play…………
June 29th, 2006 at 10:42 am
Comparing Swifty, Petro, and Sene to the artist formerly known as Jeff Foster and Jason Collins is ridiculous.
Oh wait, I forgot, I don’t have the innate ability to see into the future like Myk, as well as the deep knowledge of what will go on during every single practice session over the course of the next 3 season- MY BAD.
But really, Swift and Petro both outplayed Collins stat-wise in less minutes last year, while Collins is in his 5th year. The case for Foster isn’t looking much better. This all coming from a guy who says he doesn’t even watch the NBA nationally at all. Puhhh-leeeaze.
June 29th, 2006 at 10:45 am
OK then. All of my points are just as valid as your points considering this kid is a complete unknown…
Scott, if you are dumb enough to think that Jermaine O’Neal got better playing in practice then good for you…even if that was the case (and it isn’t) then you are using one person out of how many guys who have been drafted to defend your point. VERY SMART
June 29th, 2006 at 10:47 am
“OK let me restate the above question. Name a player who played in Belgium and made an impact in the NBA and might be considered for th 10th pick in the NBA draft…………”
Go back five years and name a guy who played somewhat sparingly on a Spanish team only to become an all-star. How about going back and naming a 6′ PG from Paris who’d made the jump straight to the starting PG for an NBA finals team?
Raw talent comes from strange places. Give the kid a chance, he might surprise you.
June 29th, 2006 at 10:50 am
So Jermaine O’Neals skills just suddenly appeared when he got suited up to play for the Pacers. Ummm, no. The skills were always there…and you know he didnt have them when he left highschool, so where could a young man have spent all his time in between practicing…
Two and two myk, two and two..
The change of scenery, coaching, fans, players, and not being in Portland for someone who grew up in SC might of had something to do with his effort level as well as opportunity.. Skills don’t grow overnight, and they certainly don’t grow by wearing a yellow jersey for 10 more minutes..
June 29th, 2006 at 10:51 am
“When does the summer league begin, we’ve got to see these guys play………… ”
Rocky Mt Revue is July 14 - 21 in Salt Lake City.
June 29th, 2006 at 10:52 am
For the record, Denham Brown won’t make the roster. Niether will Mr Isreali. This I can tell you.
June 29th, 2006 at 10:52 am
“Scott, if you are dumb enough to think that Jermaine O’Neal got better playing in practice then good for you…even if that was the case (and it isn’t) then you are using one person out of how many guys who have been drafted to defend your point. VERY SMART”
Seems to me he went from a shy 17 year old who couldn’t do much of anything but had an NBA body to being traded for a damn good PF. The minute he got to Indy he started averaging 14-10. Me thinks playing in practice against Sabonis, Wallace and Grant might have had something more to do with his development than you’re giving it credit.
“OK then. All of my points are just as valid as your points considering this kid is a complete unknown…”
Of course your point would be that this is bad because of something you can’t back up. While I think the other side is ‘lets give him a chance’….
In terms of what do all those picks have in common…Utah would deal Ronnie Brewer for every damn one of them…and those teams would all laugh at the suggestion.
June 29th, 2006 at 10:52 am
Myk, Vlade Divacs panned out and he was drafted at #26.
A few comments.
(1) The key to team defense is solid interior defense. How good do you think Manu and Tony would be without Tim Duncan lurking in the distance? That said, I am dubious that Sene will provide good team defense this year or next because it requires basketball knowledge. It is hard to be a defensive asset without a decent basketball IQ. Given how little Sene has played, I am not hopeful.
(2) When the Mariners drafted Brandon Morrow no one was upset that he wasn’t going to be pitching in the Majors this year. Like it or not, that is the way the NBA draft has gone. Every once in a while you get the Alex Rodriguez/LeBron James type with so much talent you know they will be good even though they are 18. But for most players, you have to PROJECT them three years down the line to know if it makes sense or not. Tyrus Thomas is a classic example. Imagine drafting James Worthy out of HS or after his freshman year. He’d have been a great athelete, extremely raw, and projectable. Look at a great draft like that of 1984. How would you have projected Hakeem Olajuwon, Sam Bowie, Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, and Kevin Willis in HS or after their freshman year? Admit it Sam Bowie would have gone number 1. He was tall, athletic, hadn’t gotten hurt, and had played well at a college basketball power house.
(3) It is possible that the Sonics didn’t have many options. Look at the 2000 draft. There is historical precedent for drafts that are extremely weak. Even if Sene doesn’t pan out, it doesn’t mean it was a bad pick if no one else pans out either.
(4) Let’s hope Gellebale is a player.
June 29th, 2006 at 10:54 am
“SW:
— Also, if you want to find the Royals of the NBA then look to the Suns. As Bill Simmons said they should’ve just put their picks on Ebay ”
Touche. They did sell off there picks. Then again they nearly made the finals with 3 near max contracts and a stable full of talent and pending contracts (Diaw, Barbosa). It’s different for a struggling perennial lottery team selling off picks to pay bills. That said, I give us credit for keeping all 3 picks to try and improve the team. Although I don’t like the Sene pick at least time might, and hopefully will, prove me wrong. At least they didn’t sell it that would have been more disappointing.
June 29th, 2006 at 11:06 am
I have two comments:
1) I’m always concerned that our big guys will end up like Jermaine O’Neal and, more recently, Diop. We will spend 3-4 years trying to develop them (and, hopefully succeeding to some extent) and then they will leave and be great for someone else. If we spend a lot of time developing all three (and not concentrating on just one), then we may not really know which to keep and which to trade and we’ll be sitting there like Portland and Cleveland with not much to show for it while a Dallas is making the finals with OUR guy making an impact. I think this relates to some of Myk’s points.
2) Having said that, I think the draft (particularly a weak one like this) is basically a crapshoot. To get too up or down about this pick right now is a waste of time. If he develops, we’ll be ecstatic (I’d love to see him come in for a few minutes a game, block a shot or two, get the fans riled up, and allow us all to dream of a great future with him). If he doesn’t, he’ll probably be right there with most of the other players picked from #1 to #20. I have no problem with swinging for the fences, especially for someone that may be able to drastically improve our defense in a couple of years (despite what I said in my first comment above).
I can’t wait for the season to start…but they better sign Wilcox if we want any chance of getting to the playoffs and (maybe) making some noise!
June 29th, 2006 at 11:33 am
“We just speant three draft picks to get three of the next Jeff Fosters or Jason Collins.”
Cool, much better than spending draft picks to get the next Frederic Weis … those guys are rotation players.
I really don’t get where you’re coming from. It’s impossible, IMPOSSIBLE to sign a decent center in free agency without overpaying. Hell it is impossible to sign a crappy center in free agency without overpaying. How much did Jerome James get last year?
I think you have decided that no matter what you hate the pick even though I’m telling you at the time there was nothing better out there. I have not heard you name one player you wish they had taken over Sene who would have actually cracked the rotation. That’s OK, you’re entitled to your opinion just like anyone else … but realistically if even one of the centers pans out as a starter, by which I mean he becomes a double double threat and an adequate defensive presence, the Sonics are leaps and bounds ahead of 75% of the teams in the NBA. I’m perfectly willing to take those odds rather than commit to a swingman who has ZERO chance of ever cracking the rotation ahead of Ray Allen.
June 29th, 2006 at 11:35 am
A lot of raw comments made regarding Sene was similar to Petro last year, look how it turned out.
Besides, if you have a chance to pick Mutombo at 10 or a Dez Mason (Brewer, Carney) it should be no brainer who you take.
Just have faith in Pendergraft and Sikma
June 29th, 2006 at 11:39 am
One thing to remembe about the concern for us becoming the Blazers or Cavs in a J. O’Neal or Diop scenario where the player doesn’t get any meaningful playing time with us and develops by praticing against our proven vets who are getting all the game minutes.
Swift and Petro will be starting/rotating getting almost all of the game minutes at Center. Just like during the second half last season they will be developing by playing every night. Thus we will know much sooner whether or not they are worth retaining or signing long term, where as, in the J. Oneal and Diop cases the teams never really gave them any meaningful game minutes thus they still didn’t know what they had as they neared the end of their rookie contracts.
Petro’s flexibility to play both the 4 and 5, combined with Collison nearing the end of his rookie deal also gives us flexibility depending on which direction we want to go there. Especially if we end up signing Wilcox long term and he ends up developing into a force at the #4 position this year, then it might behoove both the Sonics and Collison to part ways if he wants to look for a starting gig. We’ll already have a solid backup at the 4 at that point with Petro…….
Basically it gives us flexibility in the post.
…..and our backcourt is pretty crowded now, as well…..
PG - Ridnour/ Watson
SG - Allen/Gelebale/Brown
In the end, we’ll just have to try and keep a somewhat level head about ourselves and wait to see how it all works out.
June 29th, 2006 at 11:40 am
“We’ve got two PF’S on the team, one a RFA this year, one a potential RFA next year. We’ve got a starting SF that can opt out of his contract at the end of this year. We’ve got a 30+ year old shooting guard with no real backup. We’ve got two point guards, one of whom has already made noise about possibly looking elsewhere and whom is a RFA next season. Lastly we have two 20 year old centers neither of whom can go anywhere for at minimum the next three seasons. What position would you draft cover for? ”
Could you fill one or more of those holes by trading one of the centers? Sund has said he fields calls from teams constantly asking about Swift and Petro’s availability.
I couldn’t care less about RFA … the team is totally in the driver’s seat in that situation. the Sonics played their last RFA scenarios perfectly and managed to upgrade the PF and PG positions with a couple of pretty good players.
June 29th, 2006 at 12:35 pm
“—— If for some reason there were no trades available (seems pretty unlikely) I would have actually done what Phoenix did and sell my pick…I wouldn’t risk the development of my two young centers by drafting a thrid.”
Myk, this is what your not getting, the team believes that they can get greater then 3 million dollars of basketball talent later through this gamble, then taking the deal that was offered yesterday.
It’s a gamble, they honestly believe that they can stockpile this asset and make more then 3 million, and it won’t be in cash, it will be in player.
Like it or not, that’s the scenerio. Rationalize it like this.
Saer Sene > Out of Shape Gimpy Vitaly Potapenko
June 29th, 2006 at 12:41 pm
“— Hey man you stole my thunder…this is exactly my point. Jermaine O’Neal sure did pan out. Too bad it was for another team. The Sonics now have one and a half years to figure out what they are going to do with Swift (and all three of them). By adding another young guy you are going to make it even harder to figure out which guy you need to keep. Wouldn’t it seem easier to judge who will be pan out by seeing two guys 24 m/pg then three guys at 18 m/pg??”
You guy’s comparison to the J. Oneal situation in Portland shows just how much you are reaching in order to try and find anything to support your case.
J. O’Neal was stuck behind veteran starters and received only garbage minutes if that.
SWIFT AND PETRO WILL BE GETTING THE STARTER MINUTES the next two seasons. By the end of the 2007/2008 season we’ll know if Swift or Petro is going to boom or bust. That was the problem in Portland. The Blazers only gave O’Neal garbage minutes the whole four years he was there……….Seattle is doing it right, because they will be getting to see Swift and Petro playing 20+ minutes every night in NBA games for the next two seasons before they have to decide to re-sign, trade, dump either of them.
J. O’Neal never got starter minutes in Portland and that was the reason they never saw what he had developed into while practicing against those veteran starters every day.
June 29th, 2006 at 12:47 pm
Frozen:
— The flaw in your J O’Neal argument is that the Sonics are now going to have to make a decision on Swift based on whether they think Sene is ready and there is no way they will know that in two years if he only plays 4 m/pg
June 29th, 2006 at 12:48 pm
In addition, the Sonics will have another two full seasons after they have to make a decision on Swift and Petro, before they have to make a decision on Sene’s future…….
Thus they should, at the minimum have two full season’s of him playing considerable minutes at the NBA level before they have to make a decision on his future, post rookie contract.
It could happen sooner, if Petro or Swfit bust……..or it could happen later if both Swift or Petro develop nicely.
The bottom line is the team has flexibility, and apparently the team felt Sene’s upside was more valuable than that difference between Brewer and Gelabale coming off the bench.
June 29th, 2006 at 12:50 pm
Frozen:
The decision isn’t on Sene and his contract it is the decion on Swift and his contract. Also as stated before, if we are worried about not being able to sign Swift/Petro to deals isn’t is just as bad to have Swift/Petro/Sene
June 29th, 2006 at 12:51 pm
MYK-
Ok, I’m convinced. All 3 bigs are going to suck now. And its all because we draft Sene.
Wait, didn’t you just say we spent the last 3 years on Jason Collins’ and Jeff Fosters’?
If you look that poorly on our current bigs, why would you even want to try and develop them.
Seems the issue here is that you had already predetermined that you dont like the sonics FO and will knock the decision no matter what.
Since im sure you had Sene in for THREE workouts, while the Sonics only had him in for two.
June 29th, 2006 at 12:53 pm
“— The flaw in your J O’Neal argument is that the Sonics are now going to have to make a decision on Swift based on whether they think Sene is ready and there is no way they will know that in two years if he only plays 4 m/pg ”
No they won’t….they’ll be able to make a decision on Swift based on 2.5 years of starter minutes in NBA games…….that’s something the Blazer’s never got to do with O’Neal before they traded him.
June 29th, 2006 at 12:57 pm
“Frozen:
The decision isn’t on Sene and his contract it is the decion on Swift and his contract. Also as stated before, if we are worried about not being able to sign Swift/Petro to deals isn’t is just as bad to have Swift/Petro/Sene ”
Myk………I’ll say it again….yes, the decision in two years will be on Swift and his contract…….and that decision will be based on how he’s developed while playing 20+ minutes a game for the next two seasons.
Are you telling me you don’t think that we’ll be able to tell if Swift is going to cut it in the NBA after watching him play 20+ minutes a night for another two seasons? I disgree and think we’ll have a great idea by that point on what both Swift and Petro will be developing into……
…and once again, reflecting just how completely different this is from the Portland situation, where J. O’Neal was sitting on the bench not getting playing minutes for his entire 4 years.
June 29th, 2006 at 1:00 pm
“For the record, Denham Brown won’t make the roster. Niether will Mr Isreali. This I can tell you. ”
Just for the record, who do you think is going to be on the roster in Brown’s place? Here’s pretty much what I’m expecting at this point….
PG - Ridnour/Watson
SG - Allen/Gelebale/Brown
SF - Lewis/Wilkins
PF - Wilcox/Collison/Fortson
C - Swift/Petro/Sene
As far as I can tell, that’s 13 players right there.
June 29th, 2006 at 1:04 pm
“if we are worried about not being able to sign Swift/Petro to deals isn’t is just as bad to have Swift/Petro/Sene ”
The only thing that would cause it to be a worry, and I haven’t said anywhere that I’m worried about being able to re-sign them when their rookie contracts run out……..is if they all turn out to be starting quality centers. Then that’s a good problem to have, as you just decide which one you think fits best and trade one or two of the others…….for other pieces that your roster needs.
June 29th, 2006 at 1:37 pm
Frozen: Gelabale isn’t a SG. He might play there occasionally, just as Damien has, but he doesn’t have the ballhandling skills to play there, and it doesn’t sound to me like he has the range on his shot, either. You can’t pencil him in as Ray’s backup.
Myk: No, the decision on Swift isn’t going to have jack squat to do with Sene — the only person besides Swift who’s going to be relevant to that point is Petro. If both Swift and Petro look like good starters in the middle, one of them will be dealt *regardless of what Sene’s doing*, because at that point, it won’t really *matter* what he’s doing. If Swift’s a good starter and Petro isn’t (or vice versa), then no one will be dealt — unless Sene somehow comes on in leaps and bounds, in which case the choice will be between the good one of Swift/Petro and Sene. But your argument, such as it is, assumes that the only way they deal Swift is if they have a three-headed logjam, and that just ain’t so.
June 29th, 2006 at 1:45 pm
Wait - the blazers drafted 10 guards!! - i guess i missed that news. The Sonics are much wiser in drafting another 7 footer project who won’t be able to play NBA ball. Well at least your not a team that got TWO top five prospects in Roy and Aldridge. At least the Blazers brass have started on the right track and using the draft to better the team.
Sonics = green = Jealous
June 29th, 2006 at 1:58 pm
“— What is your point? All I tried to do is prove that there has not been a dominant big man drafted outside of the top 6 or 7 in the last 15 years. Therefore, maybe it isn’t that good of an idea to draft guys at 10-12-21 when their chances for success are so small. ”
But your point has been refuted: Sam Dalembert, Jamaal Magliore, Brendan Haywood, Gadzuric, Pachulia, Krstic, are all much better than serviceable players and all have been drafted in the #10-21 range. And I didn’t even bring up undrafted free agent Ben Wallace to blow your argument to shreds …
You could waffle and tie your argument to the word “dominant”, however you choose to define it, but it’s patently obvious that to get the Tim Duncans and Shaqs you have to have the #1 overall pick. I think everyone here realizes that it IS possible to get quality big man talent, ie a starting quality center who would rank in the upper third of starting NBA centers statistically by picking in the lower lottery or even lower.
June 29th, 2006 at 2:02 pm
Frozen-
I don’t think O’Neal and Diop are bad comparisons. Every player has a different situation, but that doesn’t mean we can’t ever do any comparisons! Plus, people keep pointing out how Sene will improve during practices, even if he doesn’t get into games. Wasn’t that true with O’Neal? Shouldn’t the Blazers have “known” how good O’Neal was because of his vast improvement in practices? How about Diop? Those were great Cleveland teams he was playing for…sure makes sense that he got no time on the court and Cleveland had no idea that he was actually a player (though they should have known from practices, right?!?).
If you go back and re-read my post, I don’t really mind the pick. However, that doesn’t mean that Myk’s point isn’t valid. We have three young centers that all came in R-A-W. We have to hope a) that 2-3 of them develop and are good players, and b) that the FO will actually KNOW which of the 2-3 are developing and will continue to develop and will be valuable to the team. This is not an impossible task, but there are good examples where teams messed this up with only 1 raw center.
I buy into a lot of the arguments for the pick. I hope this guy turns out great, that we trade Swift for a lot of other talent, that Petro is a great backup C/PF. I don’t have any person I would suggest the Sonics have taken instead of Sene. That doesn’t mean that we should blindly applaud the front office and ASSUME that they will absolutely know what each of these guys will ultimately be within a year or two.
June 29th, 2006 at 2:10 pm
What have any of those players done to effect a teams chances of winning and going deep into the playoffs? Isn’t the theory of drafting one of these guys that you will get lucky and he will a dominant player to help lead you to a title? There is absolutely no need for three Brendan Haywoods on your team. Brendan Haywood didn’t provide his team anymore than JJ/Collison/Potapenko provided the Sonics and they were able to find these guys and pay them cheaply…
June 29th, 2006 at 2:12 pm
Do you think the fans in Washington and Millwaukee are going “gee I sure wish we had two more Haywoods and Gadzurics on our team that will push us over the top.” No, in fact in Milwaukee they are going “why did we waste our money on this guy, he is paid way too much and we could replace him with a much cheaper alternative”
June 29th, 2006 at 2:15 pm
“What have any of those players done to effect a teams chances of winning and going deep into the playoffs? ”
Ben Wallace, Magliore to name two, I can name more but have to go now …
You are the guy who said there has not been a dominant big man drafted outside of the top 6 or 7 in the last 15 years … we can disagree on the definition of dominant but respectfully you are just flat out wrong there.
June 29th, 2006 at 2:17 pm
“Brendan Haywood didn’t provide his team anymore than JJ/Collison/Potapenko provided the Sonics and they were able to find these guys and pay them cheaply…”
Not to burst your bubble but Haywood signed for less than Jerome James makes ALONE. The last year all three of those guys were in Sonics uniforms we paid them 15 MILLION dollars. I’d hardly call that cheap compared to Haywoods 5 million….
June 29th, 2006 at 2:18 pm
“No, in fact in Milwaukee they are going “why did we waste our money on this guy, he is paid way too much and we could replace him with a much cheaper alternative” ”
You mean a much cheaper alternative…like a 7′ rookie on a rookie contract for the next 5 years?
June 29th, 2006 at 2:23 pm
The only way the Sonics strategy works is if they end up hitting the jackpot and getting a guy who would be considered a star or major contributor on the team. Clearly the Sonics are hoping one of these guys turn out to be worth alot more than any of the guys you just stated. If that is all you expect that is too bad.
If we want to be a team that continutally develops big men for the rest of the league then so be it.
June 29th, 2006 at 2:25 pm
Scott:
— Yup we got this nice young rookie on his rookie contract that won’t get any minutes for 3 years. Money well spent!
— The theory the Sonicshave is not wrong they should just stagger it so that there is a year or two between their young players.
June 29th, 2006 at 2:39 pm
“— The theory the Sonicshave is not wrong they should just stagger it so that there is a year or two between their young players. ”
I think that’s probably a good point and in an ideal world that’s probably what you would want to do.
I imagine the team probably felt that given their inside knowlegde of Sene’s recent improvement (Sikma coached him a year or two ago apparently) they just saw a prospect that they felt had a better chance to have a future impact than taking a swing man like Brewer and Carney, whom they must have rated close to Gelebale.
June 29th, 2006 at 2:41 pm
Gelabale can play SG
Gelabale = Brewer with a shoot
June 29th, 2006 at 4:22 pm
Careful Shawn. We have all seen Brewer play. Can we say the same for Gelabale? If going by reports then yes they do sound similar. And I’m hoping that the duo of Gelabale and Brown can collectively provide spark and defense to Seattle in a way that the coach didn’t have faith in Wilkens to do. So in this regard I’m not dissapointed they didn’t take Brewer or Carney.
But of course if Brewer, Carney, or Sefalosha all turn out to be terrific players then the second guessing will come out in spades.
June 29th, 2006 at 4:26 pm
“But of course if Brewer, Carney, or Sefalosha all turn out to be terrific players then the second guessing will come out in spades. ”
But the rebuttal will still be that those guys wouldn’t have gotten the same opportunities here behind Lewis and Allen, barring injury. How does Michael Redd become Michael Redd when Ray Allen plays ahead of him?
June 29th, 2006 at 4:34 pm
If Shawn is who I think he is, he’s probably the only person here who’s seen Gelebale play.
June 29th, 2006 at 5:02 pm
Just more info for everyone to read……..but I found this interesting. It is the write-up over at DraftExpress after the Nike Hoop Summit Camp game.
Sounds like Sene was matched up against Spencer Hawes.
http://www.draftexpress.com/viewarticle.php?a=1260
June 29th, 2006 at 6:36 pm
Look- we drafted Sene for two reasons
1) there just wasnt flat out anything left at this point…let me quickly run down the list…Redick (dont need another 3pt shooter), Armstrong and Simmons (Not as much potential), Brewer Carney and Selfolsha (Gelebale should match this talent somewhat), and before you know it, where in the high teens and low 20’s where the players (with the xception to Marcus Williams who wouldnt fit here) are just not as good. Sene was a good pick because it was a homerun swing when nothing else would truly fit.
2) not only does it give us flexability, but it gives us a better chance at playing the odds here. we now have 3 centers in which –face it–between swift, petro, and sene…at least one will really pan out.
also whats with the knocking of damien wilkins…
-this guy does the little things that arent in box scores…the hustle plays, charges etc….any one remember VS Portland when he frusterated (Stodamire ithink , but not sure), into a TO and then picked it up and jammed it home for the lead in a tight 4th QT game?
-I mean when called on, he came in and became a quality sub in starter averagin 13.6ppg, 5rpg, 50%FG in a little over 30 min…
I think all you Saer Sene haters just need to chill out
June 29th, 2006 at 7:00 pm
just found this out…
-In the two games in his belgian league where he was able to notch over 17 minutes (anything less isnt really a good indicator) he was able to notch double doubles with 10pts 11reb and 10pts 14reb. Then as we all know, in the Nike Hoops Summit Camp, he went off for 15pts 9blocks 6rebounds in 27min. It goes to show that with decent minutes and with only the raw skills he has now, he played okay. I would have said he played better then okay except this was vs the belgium league and in the hoops summit.
But just food for thought…if Saer played just as good as Durant in the Nike Hoops Summit (Durant had 20 and 7 but most in garbage time) and better then Hawes…wouldnt you think that he would be projected (give or take a little) to something of Durant or Hawes…I mean Hawes is projected mid-late lottery for next year depending on his college numbers. That mid-late lottery is exactly where we grabbed Sene and we are treating him just like we would if Hawes or Durant came straight from High school….that is with time and patience to develop.
^But something tells me that if we would have picked Hawes this year even though we couldnt have that the reception would have been wayy better.
June 30th, 2006 at 8:44 am
I see in the paper today where the Sonics say Gelabale will be the backup to both Allen and Lewis, so I guess he does play shooting guard as well as small forward. My apologies Shawn.
I also read where quite a number of teams tried to get him away from the Sonics on draft day, so that says something as well.
After reading the reasoning from Pendergraft about not going with a Brewer or Carney because it would have duplicated positions I can agree that passing on them in favor of a different player makes sense.
June 30th, 2006 at 9:11 am
15pts 9 blocks and 6 rebs in 27 min are sick stats… think about it, every 3 min hes geting a block, and 6 rebs is a lot when youve blocked nine of the shots! the 15pts is just extra cause the guys offensive game hasn’t developed.
this game is a game between the best basketball players under 20 years old and he dominated… I’d say that might be worth a 10 pick in the worst draft we’ve seen in a while.
He’s got more then enough potential to be a great player, and since potential takes time to develop and no one else would help us out that was left in the draft. we took Sene.
I love the pick, for everyone that is worried that he might not get enough minutes… Please! how do you know that in two years will will have any of the posts we have now… players switch teams a lot in the nba!
Look at our post players in 2003-2004:
Vladimir
Potapenko
Jerome James
Booth
Reggie
We dont have a single one still!
2004-2005: we had 3 of our current post players Swift (who played 72 min total) Nick and Danny Fortson… and who knows if we will have danny next year!
We have no idea what our needs will be in the future, so if you are picking a prospect it doesnt matter what position he is…
One more thing… I think the polls on the sonics website are hillarious, a day before we picked the poll said that the sonics should draft a Center. then we draft a center and the polls said they hate our pick!!! Hilarious!
June 30th, 2006 at 11:36 am
Folks wanted a center, different from project, porous so far defense centers. They got project. It remains to be seen how good the D overall on Sene, how quick it improves. I dont think the reaction is unexpected or that irrationale- they dont think they got what they wanted- immediate sturdy tough skilled sharp center defense. Folks scoring on Swift and Petro werent jumping over them they were outmuscling them, or penetrators were scoring before they could react for a stop or a block, or they were dumping the ball off to their man after Swift or Petro responded. It is a very tough job especially when your overall perimeter defense is weak but folks might have wanted a top quality NCAA proven center.
June 30th, 2006 at 12:01 pm
In defense of Sonic management putting Shelden Williams aside, the next true centers from NCAA were not that super. Maybe they could step in right away and be better in year 1 or 2 but I assume the Sonics were more interested in year 3, 4 and beyond and I’ll buy that perspective and have moved on to watching the story unfold and see it is delivers the promised results. David P. says Sene can be “dominant in 18 months”. “Can” is a wiggle room word. For a #10 pick you’d want a little more than “can” to feel good this early but honestly below #5-7 it really does become hit and miss, just “can” work out well, isnt certain. He starts to have chance to prove it in November Welcome, best wishes with the tough new job.
July 8th, 2006 at 3:50 pm
I think this was a tremendous pick. Saer Sene is the most athletic guy I have seen play basketball in a long time. He is freakish like Nate Robinson, Vince Carter, Lebron James, Allen Iverson, Kevin Garnett, Spud Webb, Shaquille O’neal. If you were to stick him in a college basketball game right now, he would be the quick center running down the floor getting back before some of the guards. He would try to block almost every shot and get up by the top of the square every time. Unfortunately, he decided to go to the NBA now, but we just have to live with the fact that he is already here. If you saw the tape at draftexpress, you can see that he is NOT manute bol. Manute bol does not dunk ferociously iike this guy. He also seemed to be even more active than Dikembe Mutombo. Give him some time, I think he’ll be amazing soon.
May 14th, 2008 at 8:33 am
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