This week’s column is up. Full archives here. We thank you for your support.

For now, at least, I’m too lazy to post here the pictures that I just posted at the Weekly. So you can check them out there.

I’ll have some pics from the Sonics rally later tonight, and I know Reid was taking video, so when his work schedule allows it, we’ll likely be treated to another of his gems. For now, though, let’s congratulate him for being among the subjects of the Sports Photos of the Week at the Arizona Republic.

Thanks to Matt N. for the tip.

Update:
Camp Jones, who made the Sonics Take Manhattan video with Reid, is pictured here waving a Sonics flag.

As many of you already know, Jason Reid has been assiduously documenting the Sonics relocation saga (perhaps to the tune of a future feature length documentary). Well, his most recent movie, a seven-minute Manhattan-shot splendor made with fellow Haymaker & Sally stalwart Camp Jones, has taken the web by storm. See it below, along a televised shout-out from KOMO-4 anchor Dan Lewis:

Finally, I should add that the Save Our Sonics rally he’s promoting in the videos is slated to feature former Sonics Gary Payton and Xavier McDaniel. To paraphrase Wayne Brady on the Chapelle show, is the X-Man gonna have to choke a Sonics owner?

My most recent Weekly web column is up, and the title pretty much tells explains it. As the result of a site redesign over there, the archive of my columns has been moved here.

Yesterday brought the release of the Orlando draft camp measurements, showing how tall, long, fat, strong, fast, and springy all the top prospects are. (A sortable database of measurements for every year can be found here.) DraftExpress’ Jonathan Givony provides a nice analysis of this year’s results and a run-down of the history of draft measurements. And at Sports Northwest Magazine, Seth Kolloen uses the measurements to make some good points about race and scouting.

As others have noted before, the measurements can be deceiving: for example, 2007 slam dunk king Andre Iguodala’s vertical jump was only one inch better than J.J. Redick’s and more than six inches worse than Brandon Roy’s. Which leads me to wonder, what’s with this new trend of the top verticals being held by guys who never dunk the ball? In 2006, Brandon Roy’s vertical was measured at 40.5 inches and Jordan Farmar’s at 42 inches. This year, O.J. Mayo hit 40 inches. While they’re certainly athletic, these guys never seem like high-flyers in games. But according to their verticals, they should all be within inches of head-butting the rim at the peak of their jumps.

Photo of Joe Alexander from DraftExpress. Can you picture Brandon Roy doing this?

No radio interviews for you!

Back in February, I wrote a piece comparing the Sonics’ situation to the movie Major League. Well, the information being revealed by the upcoming trial continues to make the comparison more apt. Today, we learn that, in response to the team’s motion to exclude testimony by KJR radio host Mitch Levy and author and Stranger columnist Sherman Alexie, the city’s lawyers have filed a motion disclosing that the team allowed Kevin Durant to appear on KJR only once all last season. Sure doesn’t sound like a team trying to market a wildly talented, good-looking rookie star who confesses to a crush on Beyonce and can do a dead-on impression of his coach’s raspy voice.

DraftExpress posted the Orlando draft camp measurements today. See how the player you want to see drafted ranks in such metrics as no-step vertical jump, 185 lb bench press, and body fat percentage!

Of note: Jerryd Bayless measured well in everything but wingspan, O.J. Mayo tied for the highest maximum vertical jump, and the slimmed down Kevin Love is still nearly 13% body fat but has a better maximum vertical jump than noted athletes Davon Jefferson and Joey Dorsey. It’s endless fun for draft dorks, so dig in!

Thanks to Nick for the heads-up.

Check out my most recent web column, on the Sonics owners, e-mails, and my friend Craig.

Full archive of them can be found here.

DraftExpress’s Jonathan Givony and ESPN’s Chad Ford are reporting that the Sonics are leaning heavily towards drafting University of Arizona guard Jarred Bayless with their fourth pick. Says Ford, “of the first four picks in the draft, this one looks like the closest to a lock.”

And a fun fact from Givony: The Sonics had the league’s fourth fastest-paced offense last year. Of course, that may be more the result of Durant jacking up early jumpers than of a true push-the-pace philosophy, but it’s encouraging to learn that, however haphazard or muddled the team’s fast break offense was, Carlesimo has learned to loosen the reins a little.