Welcome to the Sonics, [insert name here]!
Today’s NBA draft (ESPN, 4:00 Pacific) will re-shape the future of the Sonics (on-court, at least) [times]. With the number 2 pick, they’re assured of either Kevin Durant or Greg Oden - two players who will have an immediate and positive impact on whichever team drafts them. Furthermore, the Internet is alive with rumors (hard to believe, I know) that the Sonics are looking to trade Ray Allen to the Celtics for the #5 pick (and Theo Ratliff’s contract) and/or Luke Ridnour to the Hawks for the #11 pick.
If you’re a Sonics fan and you read this blog (welcome to the both of you, by the way) it seems certain that the team you root for today will not be the same team you root for tomorrow. And this is a good thing. The question remains, though, will the player personnel changes be enough to capture the attention and support of the fans in time to keep the team from moving to another state? And, if they stay, how do you feel about playing a little Spanish 21 before the game? [times] And if nobody hears the trucks heading to Oklahoma City in the middle of the night, does that mean the Sonics didn’t really move? Or were they never here in the first place?
The Sonics new 30 year old GM is trying to make complete overhauls within the organization. He’s going young and Luke R. and Ray A. are soon to be gone, if not today traded for early draft picks, then within a few days of the free agent market opening July 1st. His thinking of defense first and team ball will undoubtedly affect his decision on a new coach. But not before he sees what talent he can garner in the next few weeks (maybe hours if he can pull of some reasonable trades).
The obvious pick for the Sonics would be Kevin Durant. He has all the tools you need to light up the score board, and if trained right has the speed, hops, and natural talent and instinct to become a premier defender in this league. With the big men they already possess, passing on Oden (if Portland takes the reigning AP College Player of the Year) seems stupid, but with the defensive capabilities of guys like Brewer, Horford, Noah and Conley Jr, a move like this can bring championships to ball clubs relatively quickly (i.e. Old Man Shaq and Dwayne Wade). Due to his size Oden has a much shorter career span than any other player expected to go in the Top10 (excluding that dude from China), and with salaries skyrocketing, the investment angle of these drafts now carry far more weight than the day of KG and Kobe.
The direction of the Sonics is now in the hands of a young guy who was molded and directed by the best in the business, the Spurs organization. We’ll see in a matter of hours if this new generation of basketball players and front office folks can keep up (or trend set) with the ever-changing face of the NBA. Pass on Oden!!