Open Thread: Regular Season Game 32

by Jake Whitacre on Jan 5, 2008 9:57 PM EST in Game Threads

The essentials:
Sonics (9-23) at Wizards (16-15)
1 p.m.
Verizon Center
CSN

Last year:
February 5: Wizards 118, Sonics 108
March 21: Wizards 108, Sonics 106

Notable Sonics numbers this season:
27th in expected winning percentage (.285).
6th in pace factor (95.6 possessions per game).
27th in offensive efficiency/offensive rating (101.8)
22nd in defensive efficiency/defensive rating (108.7).

Key links (drop any others in the comments)
Sonics Central
SuperSonicSoul
Save Our Sonics
Sonics Central Blog Preview
Truth About It makes the case for Butler and Jamison to make the All-Star Game
Why The Blowtorch likes the Sonics
Gilbert blogs...
And he talks to the media

Starting lineups:
Sonics
PG: Earl Watson
SG: Kevin Durant
SF: Jeff Green
PF: Nick Collison
C: Kurt Thomas

Wizards
PG: Antonio Daniels
SG: DeShawn Stevenson
SF: Caron Butler
PF: Antawn Jamison
C: Brendan Haywood

Tonight's lines:
Sonics at Wizards: Wizards by 9.
Over/Under on Big 2 scoring: 43.9 points.

Most days, I'm lucky if I can spell extensive correctly but I'll try and give this a shot.

Revenge: A Washington team is taking on a team from Seattle, need I say more?

Rebuilding Mode: Just in case no one saw it coming beforehand, trading Ray Allen for Delonte West and Jeff Green the official announcement that the Sonics were in the process of starting over with young talent. The wins aren't exactly flying in yet, but the foundation is certainly there as evidenced by Kevin Durant winning Rookie of the Month for December and by Jeff Green recently replacing Damien Wilkins in the starting lineup. There's still a ways to go, but in a few years this is going to be a dangerous team. Think of them as a Western version of Atlanta (with slightly better point guard play) circa 2005.

Gilbert sighting: Gilbert Arenas showed up at practice yesterday and talked about his rehab progress. He still hasn't set a definite date for his return but Ivan Carter gets the feeling that he'll be back this season:

Translation from a guy who has covered Gil for three years: He's coming back as soon as he thinks the knee is sound. No way I see him sitting out all the way until next year. The guy misses it too much. And, if he does come back in good shape, this will suddenly become the most dangerous team in the East after Boston and Detroit (in my humble opinion) Caron Butler is playing the best ball of his life. Ditto for Antawn Jamison. We've seen enough of the "new" Brendan Haywood to project that he's not going to slide back into old ways. He's playing very well as is Daniels, Mason, and at times, Blatche.

Assuming that Gilbert takes until mid March to see game action, he'd have between 15 and 20 games to help with the playoff push, get his legs back, hone his shot and get ready for the playoffs.

Home Cookin': Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, and Delonte West are all D.C. natives, so today's game will serve as a homecoming of sorts for them. For Kevin, the game serves as a homecoming, an opportunity to watch a basketball team in the nation's capital that doesn't stink, and as a chance to throw a party. Also, let's not forget that Chris Wilcox played nearby with the Terps, so even though it's a long trip for Seattle they're familiar with the territory.

Speaking of Wilcox...: He dislocated his pinkie finger during their loss to the Suns on Thursday night and he might not be playing today. ESPN's fantasy report says that he's out for today's game but the preview on the Sonics' website says that he's a game-time decision.

So what's the key today?: The Wizards have to defend the perimeter because the Sonics have an array of three point shooters that can light it up if left open. As long as the Wizards can do that (and throw some dumbells at Kevin Durant) the Wizards should be fine.

As always, this is an open thread, so leave your guesses for why I used an Alton Lister photo here.

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Picks

Wizards
Over

Bullets Forever: Your place for the very latest in Wizards news and PhD-level analysis.

by Jake Whitacre on Jan 5, 2008 9:58 PM EST reply actions

In response to what Ivan said.

If Gilbert does get back around the end of march and fits seamlessly into the system (forming a backcourt along with A Daniels), and upon his return starts playing unselfish team-first ball fitting into the teams style of play (As it is right now without him) then we will be even better than we are now and will be a real dangerous team (Right up there as dangerous as Orlando and Cleveland, only less than Detroit and Boston.....) in this years playoffs.

by billy332 on Jan 6, 2008 9:08 PM EST up reply actions

Pix

Wiz/Over

What? They don't have TV in the D-League? Don't watch me, watch TV.

by Mac G on Jan 6, 2008 2:01 AM EST reply actions

picks

Sonics/Under

I think we win this one with a balanced scoring attack. But by more than 9? Wiz traditionally play sloppy ball during Sunday matinees. I can't take the over against that line.

by sierradave on Jan 6, 2008 12:43 PM EST reply actions

I'll take.....

The over on 43.9.

And I got the Wiz winning, but they don't cover the 9.

I'll cry myself to sleep if Wally Szzerzsbiiaccck scores more than 20.

www.truthaboutit.net

by Kyle Weidie on Jan 6, 2008 1:03 PM EST reply actions

You might want to get the tissues ready

Bullets Forever: Your place for the very latest in Wizards news and PhD-level analysis.

by Jake Whitacre on Jan 6, 2008 2:25 PM EST up reply actions

The teams chemistry, I predict a blazer-like run

You can really tell that our boys genuinely enjoy playing with each other. The ball movement is great, they PASS to each other. They find the open man, They play the right way. You can tell that they really like each other, that might be the BIGGEST thing. Their chemistry is great and in turn they are very unselfish, their ball movement is AMAZING, they run a good tempo, they have shooters, score inside, rebound, play strong defense, pass well/find the open man, have very good depth, play hard every night and compete no matter what/no matter who the opponent is, they fight for the win, they are selfless as well, they lack ego (Which is a good thing) but have swagger (which is a very good thing)........ every single player on the team does their job very well and we have clearly defined and accepted roles....

You can tell our boys really like each other, thheyre having alot of fun out there competing and playing ball. We have great chemistry (Especially when Antonio Daniels is now back), a good PG in Daniels, a top notch 1st option in Caron Butler who makes his teammates better and has realyh improved his allaround game (this is Carons breakout year he is a true star player), a very good 2nd option in Jamison who is also a leader and is playing very good basketball..... we have a very good supporting cast, good youth/veteran mix, good young talent, GREAT depth, and Brendan Haywood is revitalized doing a very good job at center for us. We have one of the best coaches there is in Eddie Jordan, and good assistant coaches spearheaded by our new assistant who has done wonderful with our defense... a very good system with the princeton offense, plus we can really push it and run uptempo... AND we have some of the best fans for a homecourt advantage too.

We have everything you need to have to win in this league. That is why I was saying they could go on a blazer-like run RIGHT NOW..... I could really see it happening. The Wizards are having fun, and best of all our Wiz are very fun to watch and have great chemistry.

by billy332 on Jan 6, 2008 9:14 PM EST reply actions

Hey, I hope so too

But let's not get too carried away...they're still not great defensively, and they definitely don't have good depth (where has Blatche been in the last month?).

And though the people on this site are true dieharts, I'm not sold on our home-court advantage, based on the tiny sample size of the two games I was at last week.

Welcome to the site, though.

You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.

by Mike Prada on Jan 6, 2008 11:44 PM EST up reply actions

Home Court in NBA?

How many true home court advantages exist in the NBA? Portland, GS,??? At most NBA games, fans do not get to their seat until late in the first quarter and no one gets out of their seat at all.

What? They don't have TV in the D-League? Don't watch me, watch TV.

by Mac G on Jan 7, 2008 12:50 AM EST reply actions

It Mattered Last Season

The Wizards were 26-15 at home last season, compared to 15-26 on the road. Before Gilbert got hurt, they were 26-10 at home.

"It's OK for the Bullets to trade baskets, as long as they can score on their end." -- Words of wisdom from Phil Chenier

by cuppettcj on Jan 7, 2008 9:21 AM EST up reply actions

You think so?

I live in Boston now and have been to a few Celtics games (3, to be exact. Yes I was at the Wiz/Celts game in my Caron jersey on Nov 2nd.....) and their homecourt advantage is substantal. The games I went to for the Wiz last year (Last february) I thought our homecourt was very big.

Look at the Portland Trailblazers. Their win streak, 11 of the 13 games they played at home. And look at them now, they are rolling. Those fans had a huge part in it, and I could honestly see alot of parallels with our team and theirs from the coaching to the young star (Roy, Butler), to the unselfish play and chemistry, the ball movement, unselfish play and yes: depth..... the Blazers are still only 5-10 on the road as of right now.... plus we have alot of guys that would/do feed off the crowds energy and alot of young talent..... our homecourt advantage could be HUGE to our success.

by billy332 on Jan 7, 2008 7:33 PM EST reply actions

That's Portland and Boston's homecourt

They've got two of the craziest fanbases in the league. We, quite simply, do not.

Home court advantage matters because of the familiar surroundings and routine you go through there, compared to on the road, but it's not because of the atmosphere. This isn't college hoops.

You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.

by Mike Prada on Jan 7, 2008 7:52 PM EST up reply actions