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POST-INTELLIGENCER
Locked on Sports: But ... Sonics need a big man
By DAVID LOCKE
SPECIAL TO THE POST-INTELLIGENCER
The calendar says we are within two weeks of the NBA trade deadline, and Sonics fans are singing the same anthem: "Get us a big man."
In the NFL, the quest is for a pass-rushing defensive end. In baseball, it is a No. 1 starter. And in the NBA, it is the big man. Each is equally elusive.
As the Sonics front office makes calls around the league, they are finding few big men available. Those who are available all have one significant problem: They are available.
The big guys that teams are willing to move come with a serious "BUT" statement.
The players we dream of -- Kevin Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki or Jermaine O'Neal -- are not obtainable. Even Kwame Brown, the former No. 1 overall pick of the Washington Wizards, once the bust of the league, has been withdrawn from trade talks.
According to league sources, the available players include Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Eddy Curry, Tyson Chandler, Rasheed Wallace, Michael Olowokandi and Scot Pollard.
The thought of Abdur-Rahim brings visions of grandeur. Ray Allen, Rashard Lewis and Abdur-Rahim, can you imagine?
Abdur-Rahim's numbers are terrific -- career averages of 20.9 points and 8.6 rebounds. He is a legitimate low-post player. He does a great job getting to the free-throw line. He is remarkably consistent night to night. Just 27 years old, he is playing his eighth season.
BUT, he is the biggest anomaly in the NBA. Year in and year out he puts up wonderful numbers and year in and year out his teams crank up 50 losses. If he were that good, his teams would have at least broken .500 once. He is notoriously soft and turnover-prone. His defense makes you wish for Lewis.
Abdur-Rahim has two years left on a maximum contract; he is not a max player. The kicker? His agents are the Goodwin brothers, the same people the Sonics brawled with over Gary Payton. Do the Sonics want to deal with that again?
Eddy Curry's combination of size and skills makes one drool. He stands 7 feet tall and is just 21. The former No. 4 draft pick has great touch around the basket and has flashed the ability to be a low-post threat. His size is his top asset.
Last season, he led the league in shooting percentage. In the second half of last season, he shot 62 percent and averaged 17 points and 6 rebounds. His past two games, Curry has scored 27 and 25 points against the Blazers and Sonics.
BUT, he is openly referred to as a "mutt" inside NBA circles. He was nearly 70 pounds overweight when he was a high school senior. If he can't take care of himself, why should you invest your future in him? His rebounding is inadequate for a center. In January, he averaged 4.8 rebounds a game. His commitment, desire and effort to get any better are seriously in doubt. Is that what you want out of a franchise piece?
Curry's teammate is Tyson Chandler. Nate McMillan said Chandler has "the ability to do Kevin Garnett-type things with his body." It is a fair comparison at 7-1 and 235 pounds. Chandler loves to rebound and defend ... a rare combination in a 21-year-old. The No. 2 pick of the 2001 NBA draft is averaging 12 points and 10 rebounds. In the first two weeks this season, he had one night of 22 points and another of 22 rebounds.
BUT, he has played just 12 of 49 games due to a sore back. Are you willing to rest your franchise on a 21-year-old with back problems?
Wallace has Tim Duncan-like skills. His body is brilliant. His offensive versatility is dynamic. He is capable of scoring 30 points without a great deal of effort.
BUT, he is Rasheed Wallace. Enough said.
The last two names being bandied about exemplify how difficult it is to get big men.
In the off-season, the Minnesota Timberwolves were convinced they had filled their gap in the middle with Olowokandi. The Indiana Pacers believed the same when they replaced Brad Miller with Pollard.
However, before reaching the All-Star break, both the Timberwolves and Pacers are accepting calls from around the league regarding both players.
Olowokandi, the first overall pick of the 1998 NBA draft, has played just 15 games this season due to injuries. Even when healthy, he managed just 21 minutes a night, with averages of six points and four rebounds. That certainly is not the answer.
Pollard can't contribute in Indiana. Thirteen times this season Pollard hasn't left the bench. Indiana was convinced Pollard would pick up the slack of Miller's departure, and be a better rebounder and a tougher presence inside. He hasn't come close.
Which gamble are you willing to take with your franchise? That is what it comes down to. If a big man is "available," there is a reason, and you have to gamble on that reason.
The scary fact is, any of the first four players would be an upgrade for the Sonics.
Locked on Sports: But ... Sonics need a big man
By DAVID LOCKE
SPECIAL TO THE POST-INTELLIGENCER
The calendar says we are within two weeks of the NBA trade deadline, and Sonics fans are singing the same anthem: "Get us a big man."
In the NFL, the quest is for a pass-rushing defensive end. In baseball, it is a No. 1 starter. And in the NBA, it is the big man. Each is equally elusive.
As the Sonics front office makes calls around the league, they are finding few big men available. Those who are available all have one significant problem: They are available.
The big guys that teams are willing to move come with a serious "BUT" statement.
The players we dream of -- Kevin Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki or Jermaine O'Neal -- are not obtainable. Even Kwame Brown, the former No. 1 overall pick of the Washington Wizards, once the bust of the league, has been withdrawn from trade talks.
According to league sources, the available players include Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Eddy Curry, Tyson Chandler, Rasheed Wallace, Michael Olowokandi and Scot Pollard.
The thought of Abdur-Rahim brings visions of grandeur. Ray Allen, Rashard Lewis and Abdur-Rahim, can you imagine?
Abdur-Rahim's numbers are terrific -- career averages of 20.9 points and 8.6 rebounds. He is a legitimate low-post player. He does a great job getting to the free-throw line. He is remarkably consistent night to night. Just 27 years old, he is playing his eighth season.
BUT, he is the biggest anomaly in the NBA. Year in and year out he puts up wonderful numbers and year in and year out his teams crank up 50 losses. If he were that good, his teams would have at least broken .500 once. He is notoriously soft and turnover-prone. His defense makes you wish for Lewis.
Abdur-Rahim has two years left on a maximum contract; he is not a max player. The kicker? His agents are the Goodwin brothers, the same people the Sonics brawled with over Gary Payton. Do the Sonics want to deal with that again?
Eddy Curry's combination of size and skills makes one drool. He stands 7 feet tall and is just 21. The former No. 4 draft pick has great touch around the basket and has flashed the ability to be a low-post threat. His size is his top asset.
Last season, he led the league in shooting percentage. In the second half of last season, he shot 62 percent and averaged 17 points and 6 rebounds. His past two games, Curry has scored 27 and 25 points against the Blazers and Sonics.
BUT, he is openly referred to as a "mutt" inside NBA circles. He was nearly 70 pounds overweight when he was a high school senior. If he can't take care of himself, why should you invest your future in him? His rebounding is inadequate for a center. In January, he averaged 4.8 rebounds a game. His commitment, desire and effort to get any better are seriously in doubt. Is that what you want out of a franchise piece?
Curry's teammate is Tyson Chandler. Nate McMillan said Chandler has "the ability to do Kevin Garnett-type things with his body." It is a fair comparison at 7-1 and 235 pounds. Chandler loves to rebound and defend ... a rare combination in a 21-year-old. The No. 2 pick of the 2001 NBA draft is averaging 12 points and 10 rebounds. In the first two weeks this season, he had one night of 22 points and another of 22 rebounds.
BUT, he has played just 12 of 49 games due to a sore back. Are you willing to rest your franchise on a 21-year-old with back problems?
Wallace has Tim Duncan-like skills. His body is brilliant. His offensive versatility is dynamic. He is capable of scoring 30 points without a great deal of effort.
BUT, he is Rasheed Wallace. Enough said.
The last two names being bandied about exemplify how difficult it is to get big men.
In the off-season, the Minnesota Timberwolves were convinced they had filled their gap in the middle with Olowokandi. The Indiana Pacers believed the same when they replaced Brad Miller with Pollard.
However, before reaching the All-Star break, both the Timberwolves and Pacers are accepting calls from around the league regarding both players.
Olowokandi, the first overall pick of the 1998 NBA draft, has played just 15 games this season due to injuries. Even when healthy, he managed just 21 minutes a night, with averages of six points and four rebounds. That certainly is not the answer.
Pollard can't contribute in Indiana. Thirteen times this season Pollard hasn't left the bench. Indiana was convinced Pollard would pick up the slack of Miller's departure, and be a better rebounder and a tougher presence inside. He hasn't come close.
Which gamble are you willing to take with your franchise? That is what it comes down to. If a big man is "available," there is a reason, and you have to gamble on that reason.
The scary fact is, any of the first four players would be an upgrade for the Sonics.
