Hoops

NBA Basketball, it’s Faaaaaaaaantastic.

You know, despite everything the NBA has done to turn me off, I just can’t stay away. Basketball is such a great, exciting game and I really enjoy it. Tonight the Sonics were on National TV and I got to watch the game on our stolen cable. I have to say, I liked what they did last year and I like what they’re doing this year. I love the Sonics because they’re good for the same reasons I was good at Rav-Eckcommunity center. They have a good fundamental understanding of the way that basketball should be played and they hustle their asses off. They may not be the most talented team in the league but they do the little things very well. They also play really well together as a team. Luke Ridnour understands what his role is, he distributes the ball and manages the clock. Jesus Shuttlesworth knows his role on the team: He takes big shots, scores our points and is the go-to-guy when we need a bucket. Nick Collison, Danny Fortson, Reggie Evans….they know they’re never going to score 25 points per game or be the stars. They just grind out the rebounds and beat people’s heads in.

Ray Allen is underrated, IMO. It’s hard to say that a perennial all-star is underrated but you really don’t hear his name as often nationally as you hear other, less deserving names. I think he’s as good as anyone in the league and even though he’s older I’d take him before almost anyone. There are 10 names I could throw out who get more pub than Jesus and I wouldn’t trade him for. Is it because he doesn’t have tattoos all over his body, because he holds charity events instead of smoke-outs? Because he’s never had to buy his wife a $10 million dollar ring after cheating on her for the 485th time? I love Ray Ray and I still believe in him as a legit, top five, NBA superstar.

People say that were not going to be as good as last year because we lost Antonio Daniels. Now I love A.D., but I think he was a little too similar to Ray Allen and not enough of a point guard. I like having Mateen off the bench as a TRUE backup pointguard, someone who’s going to come in and distribute the ball like Luke and take the occasional ball to the rack like Luke. I love Mateen’s basketball IQ. He may never develop a great jumper but he knows what he needs to do to be effective and I like seeing him out on the floor. Nick Collison is another one of our guys with a great sense of what’s going on. A coach’s son, he makes great passes, comes up with big rebounds and can also shoot free throws.

That’s the other thing I love about this team: the free throws. Winning teams make free throws, period. The Sonics make free throws, period.

The one downer is how unbelievably good the Spurs are. I feel like no matter what happens we’re not going to beat those guys. I want to enjoy the regular season as much as I can but that thought is going to linger in my head all year. Also, I don’t know what I think about seeing Bob Weiss with the reins. Something about it just rubs me the wrong way. Oh well, go Supes! Everyone pray for Duncan’s legs to fall off.