Sonics Media Day: I need your help
September 25th, 2007 by DamonAs some of you already know, the Seattle Weekly’s Buzzer Beater is generously giving me a press pass for the upcoming Sonics season’s home games. I’ll be attending Monday’s media day for my first assignment. As my sportswriting thus far has consisted of pop-culture musings and pseudo scouting, quasi-investigative journalism, silly lists, suggestions for nicknames and uniform styles that players are unlikely to appreciate, and secondhand accounts of player partying, I’m not feeling terribly prepared for the duties of a beat writer. What does one ask a player or coach at such an event? Keep in mind that there will be many writers and little time. Very difficult not to fall into the trap of cliche, nor to ask a question that is itself or is likely to elicit a response that is unprintable. Of course, I can probably get away with not asking a question at all.
So, my readers (the few, the proud), I ask your help. What should I ask the Sonics? Is there anything you’d like to hear from any of them? Please post suggestions in the comments below.
Robert “Shocka” Swift says “tell me something good.”
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September 26th, 2007 at 8:45 am
Although I don’t think that the Sonics will win a ton of games this season, the roster arguably is almost 100% stocked
with a combination of quality role players (former All-Star Szczerbiak, Thomas, Wilcox, Ridnour, and West) and young
prospects (most notably Durant, Green, and–to a lesser extent–Swift) all of whom deserve time. Given this, I wonder
if the Sonics might consider trying a platoon rotation system, albeit one that keeps Durant on the floor. If I had to
design a platoon system, I would work on creating 2 units that played different styles of ball. For example, one could
start Wilcox, Collison, Durant, Wilkins, and Ridnour as a fast unit and then have Swift, Thomas, Green, Szczerbiak, and
West be a change of pace (i.e., more half-court oriented) second unit.
September 26th, 2007 at 9:14 am
Seth, that’s pretty ingenious, playing offense like lines in hockey. Has anyone ever tried it?
September 26th, 2007 at 11:04 am
Pet names: Reshard Lewis. I like to call him RaCharmin due to his ever lasting softness.
question: Every home game I goto seems like the fans are on Zanex. I understand that the past few years have been painful but where is our fan support? If I have my city pegged correctly we are too busy critizing everyone/everything and thinking we are too cool for school to stand up and shout at the top of our lungs, “Let’s GO SONICS!!”
September 26th, 2007 at 11:14 am
A quick inquiry to our Robert Swift- just how Asian are you?
September 26th, 2007 at 11:51 am
I like that idea, Seth. I dunno how difficult it would be to coach and plan for two different styles; I’d hope you could just keep the same system in place and let the players’ propensity to run or not run take over. I’d want to give Jeff Green some time with the running platoon, though–that dude was shackled at Georgetown and needs an opportunity to show what he can do.
On a bit of a tangent: The platooning idea made me think of Nolan Richardson’s “40 minutes of hell” and the Loyola Marymount teams of the late 80s/early 90s–and their modern love child at Grinnell College in Iowa (the team presses, doesn’t contest layups, and tries to shoot 100 shots and 50 3’s a game). Has anyone seen them play? I really want to watch one of their games.
September 26th, 2007 at 11:58 am
Btw, Camp, RaCharmin’ is one of the finest NBA nicknames I’ve encountered. Well done.
September 26th, 2007 at 1:04 pm
I seem to recall that, under Hubie Brown, the 2003-04 Memphis Grizzlies used a modified 10-player platoon system to keep up the intensity ala Richardson’s championship Arkansas team (and, on this day, let us bid happy trails to Corliss Williamson who just announced his retirement). Also, a quick Google search revealed that Bob Cousy’s Holy Cross team used that substitution strategy for the same purpose. But that is not quite the same as having two units that play different styles and I couldn’t find any examples of that. The best analogy that I can think of is the offense/defense substitutions one sees during the endgame of close matches.
September 26th, 2007 at 5:11 pm
Good call on the Hubie Brown squad. No more Corliss?! It seems like just yesterday I was watching him at the Kingdome, as Toby Bailey (where have you gone?) & co. ran roughshed over the vaunted Richardson press. One of my favorite things about Williamson is the way he changed his game–dropping the bulk and going from low-post operator to more of a slasher. I’m always amazed at how pro players redefine their games (e.g. Ron Harper, Michael Finley, and Brent Barry turning themselves into 3-point shooters).
September 26th, 2007 at 10:00 pm
Why don’t you just questions relating to “pop-culture musings and pseudo scouting, quasi-investigative journalism, silly lists, suggestions for nicknames and uniform styles that players are unlikely to appreciate, and secondhand accounts of player partying”? It’s gotten you this far. Dance with the one who brought you, I say.