3 and 6 and Playing Pick Up Sticks

First let me say this weeks column is going to be short, sweet, and to the point (I have way too much on my plate to write a long diatribe).

Ok, so the Sonics are 3-6, not exactly what we all had in mind after the Sonics knocked off San Antonio and Orlando, but then again when do we ever get what we expect with the Sonics?

The Sonics have been an enigma since the day they were brought into the league. They win when you expect them to lose, and they lose when you expect them to win. I could probably write a dissertation on the numerous Sonics reversals, but I won’t and will simply remind you of our championship over the Bullets in ‘79 (who we lost to in the finals in ‘78), and Denver in ’94.

Regardless of the past the Sonics have been surprising in numerous ways this year, but none of it has added up to wins. Vin Baker seems to have exited his three-year slump and depression, symbolized by his shocking 18 points, 8 rebounds this year, and the fact that he is having a huge birthday party at the docks on the 23 (No I’m not going I just have great sources). GP has become a team player that thinks pass first, and shoot only when needed, and Rashard has become the budding all-star that many thought he would never actually be.

The sad thing is the key guys that everyone said needed to step up for us to win, have, but somehow that hasn’t translated into a nice winning streak. The only excuse for the losses that makes any sense are the heavy injuries to guys like Shammond, Drobnjak, and Calvin Booth, and the old adage that the team has simply… “not gelled” (especially on defense).

So despite the abysmal record, I don’t think its time to sound the alarms or abandon ship. The Sonics have to learn and grow as a team and that’s what they are doing. We have potentially talented big-men learning the game (Jerome James), we’re developing some solid ball handlers(Shammond Williams, Earl Watson), and we have two guys that have unlimited potential and a lot of great NBA career years ahead of them (hopefully in Seattle) in Rashard Lewis and Desmond Mason. So yes the record sucks, but don’t circle the wagons or pull out the trade rumors, lets settle down and give this young team a chance to figure it out.

Goat of the Week: Troy Murphy. Any rookie that is obnoxious enough to talk trash to GP obviously does not know his place. Murphy isn’t just a goat, he is an A$$.

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