NBA JAM: SEATTLE SUPERSONICS

In our continuing rundown on the NBA season, Neate looks at the Northwest Division, specifically the Seattle Supersonics.

Last season: 35-47, 12th in Western Conference
Coach: Bob Hill
New faces: Toronto native Denham Brown, Mouhamed Saer Sene
Funny-looking white guy: Luke Ridnour (how about "least tan player in the NBA?")
Blogs: Supersonicsoul, Save Our Sonics and Storm

Put us down as dead-set against the Sonics' almost all-but-inevitable relocation to Oklahoma City. We're not against all franchise relocations, but this one really stinks. It's bunch of rich guys in Red State trying to steal a Blue State team, for one. Secondly, the Sonics and their sister WNBA team, the Storm, are well-supported and have put down Douglas fir-like roots in the Pacific Northwest. Long story short, this isn't the Vancouver Grizzlies.

Seattle's like a lot of Canadian cities. Being a sports operator there isn't a gold mine, since bad weather keeps a lot of people cooped up indoors in the winter months, plus the local and (in this case) state governments don't bend over backwards (or just bend over) to accomodate a sports team. There's roads to be paved, homeless people to take care of and schools and hospitals to operate.

Still, the opportunity cost of losing a sports franchise is huge. It's not as if it will be the same if Seattle, whose Sonics won the city's only major pro sports championship in 1979, will be a likely candidate for future expansion if the robber barons from OK, OK get their way. If new owner Clay Bennett and his buddies want a team in Oklahoma City, they should either take a team that clearly isn't getting support, like the Atlanta Hawks, or call up Gary Bettman and ask a for a NHL expansion team.

Anyway, getting off the soapbox and talking about basketball: Charley Rosen points out that the Sonics are a bit unsure what kind of team they want to be -- a half-court team with Luke Ridnour running the point, or an up-tempo team with Earl Watson at the controls. They have a pair of 20-point scorers in Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis. Third-year swingman Damien Wilkins would probably average in double digits if there was more playing time available at the 2 and 3 spots.

The real curiousity for Seattle is the centre position. Firstly, who's going to play most of the minutes there, now that Robert Swift is out for the season with a knee injury? Secondly, is the 7-foot Sene, a rookie shot-blocking sensation from Senegal, ready to play significant minutes?

Bottom line: Seattle would be the best bet to give the Northwest a second playoff representative if it wasn't for the distraction over whether or not they're long for Washington state.

Also in Northwest: Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Portland Trail Blazers, Utah Jazz

Back with more later: Send your thoughts to neatesager@yahoo.ca.