Hov's Kings - Retired

[hova-]

Demarcus Cousins still hasn't arrived like anticipated in Emerald City

Dull presence, hopeful future
Sonicsfan88 for Sonics.com
Posted on December 16th 2010 1:33PM

The hopes were big. Hopes about bringing back the glory days of a franchise that moved from the capital of California to the capital of King County in Washington.

Reasons for that hope? Young talent. Much talent on a young roster. Tyreke Evans and Demarcus Cousins, to drop the names.

So far, the Sonics haven't delivered. Not like everybody would like them. After winning three of our first four games in December, we now just dropped three in a row, once again.

The opponents were pretty strong, I must admit, but loosing by 28 against the Heat (thx for dropping 40 on us, LeBron) and by 39 against the Rockets looked a bit too clear for me. Loosing by 4 @ New Orleans can happen though, especially when Peja Stojakovic retrieves his shooting touch, scoring 22 points (not to forget 16 dimes by CP3).


Reasons for inconsistency

There is definitely more than only one reason for being that inconsistent. But I guess one thing just stands out: youth.

Tyreke Evans is having an All-Star season so far, but there are games when he just can't shoot the ball very well. After dropping a solid 22 against the Heat (10-19 from the field), he posted just 12 points on 3-14 shooting against the Rockets. And just to let everybody know he still got it, Evans scored 34 points, grabbed 8 boards and dished out 4 dimes against the Hornets.

Omri Casspi is still working on his reputation and seemed to find some consistency this season, still he could not score more than 18 points in any of these three games.

We got pretty much outscored in the post against the Rockets as Yao and Scola combined for 40 points and 15 rebounds whilst our game-high man was Carl Landry with 14 points. Oh, and by the way, Landry's 27. Pretty old for a game-high Sonics man.


More playing time for Demarcus!

What about big rookie hope Demarcus Cousins. Many Sonics (and a few Kings fans) were already dreaming of a pick and roll power duo with the protagonists Tyreke Evans and Demarcus Cousins.

Well, so far Cousins stats look pretty disappointing. He's posting 8.4 points, 6.5 rebounds a block and 1.4 turnovers per game, shooting .479% from the field and .641% from the charity stripe.
One thing we should keep an eye on is his playing time though. Only 21 minutes per game.

Per 36 minutes, the Kentucky alumni holds averages of 14.3 points, 11.0 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. Cousins is also very effective in drawing fouls downlow as averages six freethrow attempts per 36 minutes, not a bad stat for a rookie.

So what keeps Coach Hova from playing Demarcus Cousins more?

The biggest reason, oh Sonics fans, is ..... Sam Dalembert. The Haitian center is playing for a new contract this season and does not accept a role off the bench as he already stated before the season.
But that is not the only reason. He is also very useful for Coach Hova and seems to be the better fit for a defensive orientated Sonics system this season.

Dalembert is averaging a career-low 6.2 points per 36 minutes, but keeps the defensive ship on course. Per 36 minutes Dalembert adds 10.6 rebounds and 2.0 blocks as well as 1.2 steals.

Another beauty in Dalemberts game is his ability to knock down the 16-foot jumper which is very useful when drawing double-teams on Tyreke Evans or Carl Landry.

Also, with Landry and Thompson the Sonics already have guys who can score inside, which leaves Hova spoilt for choice who to send on the court.

Demarcus might have to wait until Dalembert's contract expires and also needs to improve defensively. Coach Hova knows what he has in the youngster, but still feels like his game is too much flawed. He will start next season for sure, especially when the Sonics try to sign another big name and will maybe not have enough money to resign both, Landry and Dalembert.

Until then, let's just hope Cousins will impress us with plays like this or this.

The next Sonics game will be against our beloved traitors in OKC. Watch out Sonics fans! Take care.



Dirk goes wild against Milwaukee, drops 51! ...
Rush positive for THC again, sent down to D-league ...
Rondo hurts shoulder, will miss two weeks ...
Bobcats loose 7 in a row ...
With Hughes out, Jazz drop to 7-20 ...


Check Sonics stats and League Standings here ...

[Lamrock]

Free DeMarcus! I dig these recaps. Great way to present the season and all of its storylines.

[Valor]

Why not start DeMarcus Cousins at the 4 alongside Sammy? His lack of D can be compensated by having Dalembert there

[Lamrock]

Because Landry is the shit!

[Valor]

Because Landry is the shit!

I like Cousins more than Landry

[hova-]

I don't see Cousins as a PF. He has not jumper and needs to be near the rim to do damage. Further he is not mobile enough. Landry's quicker and a better defender.
Still, Cousins is a rebounding beast and a good inside scorer. I hope I can bring him to the next level.

Glad you're liking the layout. I don't want to recap every game since it takes more time and is just the same over and over again. My goal is to go through the season with many articles about different things, keeping an eye on the overall record.

[hova-]

███ Durant, Westbrook too tough for Seattle
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP)

In what turned out to be a tough, rival game, the OKC Thunder were able to pull away with the W against the Seattle Supersonics 99-105.
Heavily anticipated, especially by the Sonics fans, who still think of the Thunder as betrayers, the game turned out to be a hard fought game until the end.

The Sonics simply could not control the league's leading scorer Kevin Durant who scored 42 points but only hit 3-12 shots from downtown. Russell Westbrook, who played 46 minutes because of the injury of Eric Maynor had 23 points and 19 assists.

For the Sonics Tyreke Evans scored 33 and added 6 dimes, Omri Casspi had all of his 20 points in the second half and Beno Udrih scored 13.

███ Iverson's debut spoiled by Lewis' dagger
PHILADELPHIA-ORLANDO (AP)

After finalizing the paper for Allen Iverson's one-year contract (approximately worth the mid-level exception), the Sixers headed to Orlando to meet the Magic at Amway Center.

Iverson played 23 minutes in his debut and scored 10 points, 8 of them coming from the line. Still the Magic kept the upper-hand as they won the game 98-100, thanks to a game-winning shot by Rashard Lewis with 23 seconds left in the game. The Sixers had the last shot, but Evan Turner missed from the three point line.

"I did not want to leave the States, you know. Philly's where my home is and I am glad that the Sixers gave me the chance to play with them. I think we can make it far and even win it all. Give the ball into my hands and I will deliver, I've shown often enough", Allen Iverson said in the postgame press conference.

███ Mavericks hottest team in the NBA right now
DALLAS (AP)

The Dallas Mavericks have won nine games in a row now and there is no reason for them to slow down if you ask veteran point guard Jason Kidd.

"Everything is clicking right now, this team is a unit that we have not had before since my arrival here in Dallas", the future Hall of Famer told NBA.com.

Dirk Nowitzki has been on fire during that nine game stretch. The german PF is averaging 31.1 points and 9.7 boards over that stretch, scoring 51 and 42 on back-to-back games vs Milwaukee and Portland.

With 19 wins and 7 losses the Mavs sit 2nd behind the Thunder (23-5) in the Western Conference, two wins better than the World Champ Los Angeles Lakers.

███ Jazz All-Star Williams will return before Christmas
UTAH (AP)

Utah Jazz playmaker and one-time All-Star Deron Williams is said to be returning before Christmas.

The 6-3 PG out of Illinois has missed the last 25 games with a broken vortex, which required surgery. The Jazz only won 5 out of these 25 and sit at the second last spot in the Western Conference with 7-21.

"I'm in the gym for almost a week now and it's looking good. I think I will be back on the court in 4 or 5 days", Williams told NBA.com yesterday. "The season is still young, we can turn things around and get to the Playoffs if we stay injury free", he added.

Williams was averaging 17.7 points and 6.0 dimes before hurting his back.

███ Contenders deepen rosters
SAN ANTONIO - BOSTON (AP)

The San Antonio Spurs and Boston Celtics are still looking for the right mixture as both added players to their roster yesterday.

The Spurs signed Boston College Alumni Sean Williams to strenghten their frontcourt. Williams has a one-year contract worth the NBA's minimum.

The Celtics try to add some depth to their small forward spot as they only have Paul Pierce and Marquis Daniels listed as SF.
They signed ex-Piston and Net, Jarvis Hayes to a one-year contract worth the veteran's minimum.

"We are always looking for players who can help us right away, Jarvis' defense and three point shooting is exactly what we were looking for", Danny Ainge told media.

[Fresh8]

If Iverson had to be back in this, I guess I'm happy it's with Philly.

[kibaxx7]

I guess the Spurs signed Williams because of an injury? Duncan, Blair, Splitter, McDyess, Bonner...

[hova-]

Sit, I'm also glad that it was Philly that signed him. Everything would just not fit. 5M $ per year is way too high though. I guess he needed the money

Thierry •, I think the sent Blair to the D-league recently. McDyess was injured before in this D, but I dunno if he's still inactive. I may look that up.

[Valor]

If Iverson had to be back in this, I guess I'm happy it's with Philly.

Yes man, my thoughts exactly. The Answer in any other uniform other than Philly's is just not right

[john26]

Tyreke may need to share the ball more.

[kibaxx7]

DeJuan to the D-League?

[hova-]

Haven't found the time to update this recently. Also played a lot of Pro Evolution Soccer. I hope I can post some updates today or tomorrow

[hova-]

Even with LeBron and the Heat visiting, the rebuilt Key Arena was far away from being sold out.

End of Calendar year leaves Sonics still stumbling
By Carl Column, NBA.com
Posted on December 30th 2010 11:14

The new "old" franchise went into this season quite optimistically, but the latest results as well as a rewind of the bygone calendar year 2010 do not really confirm this optimism spread by officials and fans as well.

The Seattle Sonics rank 2nd to last in the Western Conference (only the Wizards are worse in the East) with only 9 wins and already 20 losses this campaign, pacing for a 24 win season, which would be even one win less than last season.

Reasons could be named with the injury of potential franchise player Tyreke Evans (the Sonics only won 2 out of 12 games without Reke), the very young core of the team (7 players und 25 years old) and the fact that they've welcomed a new coach into town.

But how can you explain a home-record of 5-13? The Sonics have already disappointed their supporters big time and there were only 14.000 (avg) people visiting Key Arena in the last eight home games.

The team also lost 6 out of 13 games with Tyreke Evans, which still pretty weak compared to the games without him. December started off pretty well with three wins out of the first four games, but then the Sonics struggled mightily loosing seven in a row before winning another two games (against Memphis and the Clippers, Seattle is now 4-1 against both teams combined).

Definitely another problem is the fact that the Sonics just cannot win against the upper-class of the NBA. Okay, they had a surprising success over the Lakers, but all in all, Seattle is 2-15 against teams over .500%. You cannot compete for the Playoffs when you can't beat Playoff teams. Simple as that.



A glance at the stats

So after going 3-10 in November, the Sonics were able to improve and win 5 out of 13 (5-8) in December. Still, the stats don't hide the Sonics' weaknesses.

Number one - offense: The Sonics are 28th in scoring (92.4) with only the Bobcats and Pistons scoring less points per game. Consider the fact that Tyreke Evans is currently scoring just over 24 points per game and Omri Casspi adds about 18 ppg and you will notice that the other 12 players combine for only ~ 50 points per game. The offense is still not clicking well enough and the Sonics simply lack of a third consistent scoring option.

Number two - Three point shooting: Right now the Sonics only shoot .324 from downtown, good enough for 24th in the league. Just to revisit the thought from above. Omri Casspi and Francisco Garcia both shoot over .400% from three point territory. Apart from these two, only Beno Udrih breaks the .300% mark (.32%). More guys who could shoot the three would also help to solve problem number one.

Number three - Freethrows (oh that hurts): The Sonics only hit .723% of their free throw attempts, a distinctive feature of young teams. You gotta make those easy points to survive in the tough West.

Number four - Draw more fouls: The Sonics are last in the league in going to the line. Okay, they might be bad at hitting those anyway, but it's always good to get yourself to the line and your opponent into foul trouble.

Further, the Sonics' defense is the 7th worst in the league after being pretty okay in the first month of the season. Coach Hova will have to work on this, too, defending his own "defense first" philosophy.



Evans and the Sonics need to step up their games now.


Trying to get back to the top

So the goal was to get the Sonics back to the top, that was also the reason for the jersey choice (96-97 NBA Finals jerseys) and what the Maloof brothers had in mind when they moved the franchise from Sac-town to Emerald City.

"We aren't really satisfied with the course of the season so far, but still trust in Chris Hova to bring the team out of this slump. Our main goal was to improve from last year (25-57) and we can still reach that goal", George Maloof said recently.

But behind the scenes, the atmosphere is already described as hostile and fierce, especially the relationship between the two owners and Coach and GM in personal union, Chris Hova.

The Sonics are also said to be the number one trade initiator and contact point with the deadline approximating. Sources claim that the Maloof brothers have issued an ultimatum for Coach Hova which also includes making deals instead of trying to get on with the currently loosing roster.



What's up for Seattle?

The new year will have a pretty tough start for the Sonics as they will face the Nuggets twice in the first week, which will be rounded up by two home games vs Phoenix and Atlanta.

After, the Sonics will head on the road for a six game trip which will also include teams from the bottom, namely Toronto, Washington and Detroit. Wins could also be possible against the Warriors and Bobcats.

Out of 16 games, the Sonics will only play 6 at home, which should not be a disadvantage considering the home record so far. Only 8 of their upcoming opponents are below .500%.

"If we want to get back we cannot say let's win 5 or 8 games. We have to win at least 12 out of these 16", George Maloof said. The pressure is getting higher on Chris Hova. The still young Coach with german roots will have to find the right mixture on defense and another scorer to support his big two. Hard days for him to come ...





Rookie Paul George out with broken jaw ...
Monta Ellis will miss 4 weeks ...
Clippers fire Del Negro after 7-26 start ...
James, Durant again players of the month ...



Check Sonics stats and League Standings here ...

[Valor]

Hope things will improve with the coming of the new year

[kibaxx7]

Hope you improve Hov. Saw that last Evans pic and thought it was real!

[Fresh8]

Yeah, that Evans pic is dope!

[hova-]

Monthly Recap: November/December Part I


Team Standings


Kevin Durant and his Thunder are still on top of the league as 2010 is over.

Who would have thought that the Oklahoma City Thunder still manage to be on the top spot in the league, even with the "Thrice" "having Hollywood down here" and the Lakers heavily going for the Zen master's third threepeat.

So far there has been nothing that can stop the Thunder, neither injuries (Green, Krstic) nor other problems (the fact that Nenad Krstic decided against an early contract extension). The Heat have been able to catch up though, and thus both teams currently are tied at 26-8 for the league's best record. Let's see what's on in the other divisions.

Atlantic Division: The Boston Celtics have finally found their game and lead the Atlantic Division three and a half games before the surprising Nets, who are fourth in the East right now. And all that after being the worst team in the league last season! Well, the East is just pretty weak and the Atlantic Division owns just two of the weakest teams with the Raptors and the heavily struggling Sixers. The Knicks, well ... after a solid start things seem to be more difficult, but right now Coach D'Antoni and his squad are still in Playoff contention holding the 8th spot.

Central Division: The Central Division is home of the third best team in the East. With Carlos Boozer turning out to be one of the best offseason acquisitions, the Bulls were able to fight their way from a 8-9 record back in November to a 21-11 at the end of December. The Bucks have been playing very solid lately and right now rank fifth in the East. The Pacers try to stay in contention after dropping some games with Danny Granger out because of injury. He has returned two weeks ago, but Indiana is still loosing. Rookie Paul George who had a stellar start into the season will miss at least 6 weeks with back problems. The Cavs and Pistons are still rebuilding and what else can you say ... the standings show it.

Southeast Division: Miami Nice. The Heat were able to win eight out of the last 10 and are a stellar 15-4 against teams over .500. But that also means four losses against teams of the basement of the league. Cocky? Maybe. But when you are 100% (21-0) when you shoot better than your opponent, it can be tough to concentrate on defense all the time.
The Magic and Hawks have not found their rhythm yet, but the weak East helps them to stay in the Playoff race so far. Charlotte and especially the Wizards just can't get things going. Even John Wall, who is having a very good rookie season seems not to be able to help this DC team. Another trip to the Lottery?

Northwest Division: The Thunder are the league's best team, at least they were before the Heat started to end their here & there losses. For Portland and Denver the season's been an up&down so far. Melo is not really satisfied with the situation, whilst the Blazers' fans are afraid of stagnation. Stagnation is a word you could also use for the Wolves, as they once again are bottom feaders in the West. The Jazz have found back to winning ways with the comeback of Deron Williams. After missing almost 25 games, the All-Star point guard led his team to four wins in a row recently.

Pacific Division: The Lakers are good. Not excellent, but good. Third in the West after some starting problems seems just okay for a team whose biggest problem is to have all on board when the Playoffs begin. Whilst the Warriors and Suns would be Playoff teams in the East, they will have a tough time to manage to get there in the West if they keep their pace. The Sonics have not really found their niche in the league and are the fourth worst team. They still won't be last in the Pacific Division ... there's still another team from L.A. ...

Southwest Division: The Mavericks have fought their way up to the 2nd spot in the East, thanks to Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd, the 2nd best scorer and passer in the league respectively. The Rockets and Spurs are also playing very well and have a sure spot in the Playoff race. Only the Grizzlies have yet to show that their Playoff ambitions are not only a fluke. All in all, a strong Southwest Division once again.






Individual Statistics


LeBron's numbers might have taken a hit, but he has something special to offer in this list - success.

LeBron James is "only" fourth in scoring. He is grabbing less rebounds than last year, but dishing out a few more assists. When the league experts talk about the PER rating, they talk about Kevin Durant, who has a PER of 32, whilst King James "only" has 31. It seems like his movement to Miami has earned LeBron fewer attention from the media, the experts, the stats junkies. But the King doesn't complain. There's something better than being the individual stats sheet stuffer: winning. The Heat are really clicking, even with the loss of Udonis Haslem (torn patella), and the Miami Thrice is about to take over the league. Who cares about stats?

Dwight Howard would love to say the same. He is grabbing less boards and swatting less shots than last year. His only problem: the Magic aren't winning. Only slightly above .500, "Superman's" declining stats take him into the focus of the media. "Why are the Magic so bad?" "Dwight isn't delivering, look at his stats!!".

A guy who is heavy competition for Howard seems to be Andrew Bogut. After his akward injury last year, Bogut is playing an All-Star season leading the league in blocks and being fourth in rebounding. Add his 16 points per game and the fact that the Bucks hold a better record than the Magic and you could argue Bogut > Howard.
Let's just hope we will see both in L.A. at the All-Star weekend.

[Justine.]

Oh excellent recap! Looks like Thunder is tearin' it up. Keep this up bro

[Fresh8]

I can't see the pictures in your update because my internet is fucked. Nice review of the month though. Hopefully, Bogut will be an All-Star this year.

Yes, Bogut >>> Howard.

[hova-]

Justine., thx man. Yes, the Thunder and especially KD are just on fire.

Sit, Bogut will be an All-Star IRL I guess and he will be in my D for sure. His numbers are superb. Glad you like it.

[Martti.]

Noah is putting up better number then Bogut all across the board, except for blocks, I fear he might get the coaches vote.

Excellent recap, Miami's doing fine without Haslem, that's good. IRL, they'd be screwed.

[hova-]

Monthly Recap: November/December Part II


Race 2 The MVP


Is anybody more valuable than Kevin Durant?
What defines MVP?
By Russ Welluable, NBA.com
Posted on December 2010 9:11


Welcome to the first Race to the MVP of the year. This time I will start with a short explanation of what I consider to be most important in the R2MVP.

First of all: You gotta be an All-Star calibre player. Stats don't show it all, but what is better to define an All-Star than stats? Whilst defense definitely is honored in the R2MVP, you also need to be an offensive threat. Sure, defense wins championships, whilst offense "only" wins games. But by being a threat on the offensive end of the court, you also create holes on the opponent's defense, making it easier for your team mates to score and tougher for your opponent to defend. And if your opponents can't defend well, they won't win championships.

Next up, team record. I really cannot let you in there, if your team has no chances of making the Playoffs. The better your team plays, the more successful you are. It's a pity, since sometimes one player does really stand out and the front office simply can't get the right supporting cast around him (see Chris Bosh last year, see Dwyane Wade last year), but no success, no MVP.

Speaking of Wade and Bosh: Another big thing is your supporting cast. It's fine to have success and play a statistically great season. But if you have two All-Star side-kicks, I doubt that you are the most valuable player for your team and thus of the league. So sry, Miami Thrice, at least for me, none of you guys should earn the MVP this season.

All in all, the R2MVP is there to show you which players are playing extremely well on pretty good teams. I doubt the journalists who vote for MVP will see it the same way I do (I don't have a vote!), so in the end, things may just turn out completely different. Enjoy the read.












Close, but no cigar: Pau Gasol, Brandon Roy, Tim Duncan, Rajon Rondo, Monta Ellis, Derrick Rose

[The X]

I love the Race to MVP. It was a great feature from your old 'Cats Association. So glad you brought it over

Looks like you are starting to get some traction on this (even if I'm still having trouble dealing with Kings being in Seattle)