Jack on what Petro needs to work on

Walker Steps Down
Posted on October 26 | permalink

announced that he will be leaving the Seattle SuperSonics organization

Over the past eight years I have been fortunate to get to know Wally as a person. From the first moment I arrived in Seattle, it has been obvious that emotions about Wally run only at the hottest of temperatures.

Wally Walker is a very good man. He lights up like the rest of us when he talks about his children and family. He is devoted to those around him. His loyalty is unmeasured.

Whether you realize it or not, that loyalty has been extended to you the Sonics fans. There has never been a moment when Wally didn’t passionately work to give the fans of the Sonics the most he could.

Not every personnel move he made worked as he wished, but I promise every move was made with a desire to make the Sonics the best and to give Seattle the most.

I am sure making the decision to leave the franchise has been incredibly difficult for Wally. He had visions and dreams that he wanted to bring to you and he hasn’t seen all of them fulfilled.

Wally is deeply committed to keeping these franchises in Seattle. Since the announcement of the sale that passion has only increased. He has continued to work tirelessly to make sure that Clay Bennett and his ownership group are meeting the correct people and heading down the road to keep the Sonics in Seattle.

When the day comes when Clay Bennett and his group have solidified the Sonics on solid ground in Seattle, Wally will have been quietly influential in getting to that point.

From a basketball standpoint, I know you all have your opinions. I know that everyone can find the move that Wally made that didn’t work out. Yours might be the McIlvaine deal or the Baker contract. By the way, you can do the same with Jerry West and every other general manager.

Before you make your final judgment, I would like to give you two thoughts. First, don’t underestimate the importance of the moves he made in his first two years as general manager to get the Sonics to the Finals. The trade for the Hawk was a flat-out steal.

My second point is the Sonics had a fabulous run in the mid-90s playing at the top level of the NBA. During that time they battled with the Rockets, Jazz, Bulls, Magic, Knicks, Pacers and the Spurs atop the NBA.

Look at that list. The Spurs are the only franchise that has been able to rebound to the elite and they did with the luck of a lottery ball and Tim Duncan. The Rockets got a number one pick in Yao Ming, but still have never gotten as far in the playoffs as the Sonics did two years ago. The Jazz is still trying to build again after the end of Stockton and Malone. The Bulls, the Magic, the Knicks and the Pacers are all in different plights, but none of them have superseded the success of the Sonics in the same time period.

Wally would be the first to admit the franchise never reached the levels he desired during his tenure. However, the question must be asked if it was really possible.

The Sonics of the 90s were milked to their final ounce of potential. When a franchise does that, they are left with limited assets and building back to the heights is a difficult plight. That is the condition by which the majority of Wally's stewardship took place.

What is most important is today a man who is completely devoted to this franchise and its existence in the Pacific Northwest has stepped aside.

I have a funny feeling that somehow, behind the scenes, Wally will make his greatest contribution to Seattle Basketball by being an subtly integral part of the franchise securing its footing in its rightful home in the Pacific Northwest.

In Spokane: Swift, Last Night and the Warriors
Posted on October 26 | permalink

A few news items are percolating. Robert Swift will have an MRI today around 4 p.m. Also, the Sonics waived Milt Palacio and Denham Brown.

Brown will likely end up in the D-League. Sitting next to some of the D-League coaches, they thought he could be an asset. The D-League is doing a great job developing talent. A good example is tonight the Warriors have Anthony Roberson, who played for Arkansas D-League team last year and now is tearing up the preseason.

The Palacio v. Wilks debate was the classic speed v. size. The other element is that Mike knows the offense and knows the guys. Mike is one of the most well-liked players on the team. He has great class. Talking with him the other day about what he would do after basketball, he said he will work with kids. He holds himself as though he is a Executive VP of a Fortune 500 company so I was little surprised he wasn’t going into business, but there is no better place to put our energies than into kids.

I really hope the Swift injury is not long term. He is making such progress and gaining confidence by the day. To lose an extended period of time and then add the mental aspect of coming off an injury could slow his development.

Robert is a really nice kid and it is fun to watch him grow into himself both on and off the floor. If this is long term, I think he is at a point mentally where he can handle it.

In regards to last night’s game, we are seeing the growth of the defense. The Sonics did a fantastic job in the second and third quarters to shut down the Kings.

The Sonics coaching staff has talked about getting three stops in a row on the defense end seven times a night. They got six in a row to open the third quarter and had two different stretches of three in a row in the third quarter.

Gelabale and Wilkins are both defending well off the bench and Collison is so astute in his ability to anticipate. Couple that with Earl Watson and his on-ball defense and it is possible the Sonics could play a defensive lineup.

Again, the Sonics played Rashard at the four down the stretch. What I really like about this lineup is it brings Wilkins in on the perimeter defensively and if you close the game with Earl and Damien, you have two very good defenders on the floor with a good anchor in Nick.

The reality is both D and Nick need to maintain their offensive games to make this work.

The Warriors, tonight's opponent, are interesting because of how seriously they are taking the preseason. Even without Jason Richardson, they have run off 6 straight wins and are scoring 116 points a game.

The bottom line is Don Nelson wins. Everywhere he has been he wins. Eventually, his style seems to fall short of winning big enough. However, he always wins.

The KTTH pregame show starts at 6:30 p.m. We will have the latest on Swift and the rest of the developments.

Ray on Clay and Hill on Practice
Posted on October 24 | permalink

Click here to hear Hill. He made some interesting points about what the young French players are going through adjusting to the United States. They have hired a chef for Sene and Gelabale.

If Hill has learned anything this year, it is how versatile his team is going to be.

I also took a moment and asked Ray Allen what Clay Bennett was like when he met him this summer. If you recall Ray and Clay played in a golf scramble together. Here are Ray's thoughts .

Shooting Stars
Posted on October 24 | permalink

Being around the impeccable one, Ray Allen, has awed me this training camp. Since I have the access, I thought I should go to the arena early to watch Ray go through his pre-game routine.

I arrived at 4:20 for a 7:00 game. He was just wrapping up.

Three hours before every game, Ray gets to the arena and goes through an exquisite shooting routine. His goal is take every shot he will take in that game. Impressively, he alters it night to night based on the opponent.

Every game, no matter what, he goes through this routine. I asked about back-to-backs and he said, "I don’t want my body to think it is a back-to-back, so I do the same thing every time."

Ray started this routine in his third year in the league. He says that he derived it from his golf game. He would go to the range each day and work on his driving and pitching, but when he got into a round he would confronted with all sorts of different shots.

So Ray started to try to practice every shot he might confront in golf. Using the same philosophy he translated this into his basketball game.

Therefore, his goal is Ray wants to take every type of shot he will take in the game. He believes that this means he avoids fatigue. In the late part of the game he has the muscle memory of the shot he is embarking upon, therefore he is not bothered by fatigue.

In total he can shot anywhere from 150 to 200 shots in this routine, depending on how many he makes. He has a certain amount he must make from every spot.

When I was watching him today, after he shot he sprinted back to half court and then ran back into the shooting zone to receive the ball. He has two ball boys. One grabs the rebound, while the other is placed on the floor where Ray wants him so that he receives the ball from a realistic angle.

It is an impressive routine.

As I finished talking to Ray about his routine, I could hear a ball bouncing on the practice floor that border the Sonics locker room. Inside was Steve Nash with one of his coaches.

Nash’s routine has some similarities. He starts at the rim and then works out to the 3-point line. He moves from one part of the floor to the next based on feel rather than a certain number of shots.

Similar to Ray, Nash focuses on shots he will take in the game. He takes runners off the right foot and the runners off the left foot. He practices shots off the wrong foot in order to break the timing of shot blockers.

Watching both of them tonight, which was a privilege, they both are always able to maintain balance. Almost every time they shoot their body is in perfect square position when they release the ball, no matter how it started.

I love being a part of the NBA each night because of the brilliance I get to see first hand. It is clear this brilliance is derived from some very diligent work.

Great Fun in the Desert
Posted on October 24 | permalink

A few things jumped out at me tonight.

The primary thing we learned is the Sonics are really versatile. Bob Hill wasn’t planning on it, but when he went small with Wilkins as a power forward he may have discovered something. Remember this is what the Sonics did at times when they played the Spurs in the Western Conference Semifinals.

The closing lineup tonight had Lewis at the power forward and Collison at the center. This is the second straight night that the Sonics have closed the game with that combination.

The backcourt had Allen, Ridnour and Watson all playing together and it put great pressure on the Suns. Afterwards, I chatted with Earl about playing in a three-guard lineup.

The preseason is going to form for Bob Hill. In games 1-4, he wanted to see what he could about the players. In games 5-8 he wanted to work on line-ups and combinations. He learned again today, as he told me after the game.

Gelabale played well in the second quarter, giving Ray a break. However, the second quarter lineup was without Ray and Rashard and it really struggled. In the regular season we will rarely ever see that.

When the Sonics had Ray or Rashard on the floor tonight they outplayed the Suns.

Swift and Collison both played well again. Petro and Wilcox have yet to find a rhythm.

SUPERSONICS.COM Pregame Show
Posted on October 23 | permalink

Suns forward Shawn Marion

Tune in Wednesday when the pregame show debuts for real on KTTH at 6:30 p.m. before the 7:00 tip with Sacramento.

Phoenix on Ice
Posted on October 22 | permalink

The Hockey game was starting right as the Sonics ended practice and the guys were totally into it. Rashard and Ray snuck down the players entrance to get close to the ice and then were chatting with all the minor league hockey players.

Once the game started, the Phoenix Roadrunners v. Utah Grizzlies, all the guys went up to the glass to watch the action. Damien Wilkins let out a big “ohhhh” when a guy got checked into the boards.

Wilkins was all fired up about the penalty box and wanted to see someone get sent into the box.

Mike Wilks got the biggest laugh when he grabbed one of the baby Big Wheels they use for one ice promotions and started riding it. He took his legs over the top of the handlebars and onto the peddles. Mickael Gelabable was pushing Mike when he couldn’t get the peddles. Chris Wilcox got a big laugh with, “Hey look Mike it is your size.”

No one commented that it was pink with green wheels that had pom-poms attached to the spokes.

Practice went as follows. For film the Sonics just watched the first quarter of the game. My expectation would have been that this was a tough session. However, what they discovered was that the offensive execution was very good and the shot looks were good. The only thing off was the shot itself. The Sonics missed 5 shots inside the dots in the first quarter.

That is encouraging, expect for one thing. YOU HAVE TO MAKE SHOTS. I would be shocked if this is a problem for the Sonics this season.

Bob Hill took some time today to chat with Chris Wilcox and see what could be done to get him out of his pre-season funk. Hill was keeping a close eye on Chris in practice today.

It is hard to evaluate a lot in the pre-season. The rotations aren’t the same. The practices are really hard so the players legs are worn out.

This is obvious when you look at the Sonics 3 point shooting so far in camp.

Ray is just 6 of 23 from behind the line. Lewis is 2 of 12 and Earl is shooting at 25% from three. These guys were all over 38% during the season last year.

Practice included some work on their primary offensive sets and then Gordie took the team through two of their full court traps. There was no contact.

Wrap Up From LA
Posted on October 21 | permalink

The good news is he responded. Robert Swift was great to open the third quarter. For the first five minutes of the quarter he was a force. He had 6 points and 2 blocked shots. The Sonics went to Swift on four straight possessions and he won the battle each possession.

The flip side of this is that for the first time this preseason I got very concerned about this team. For parts of the first half the Sonics didn’t play well. Some of it was that they didn’t make their shots. As always with any fan this was an overreaction.

By the time the night was over the Sonics had linked their best defensive effort of the preseason. The Sonics won’t have many shooting nights like this. Therefore, if they can defend the way they did the wins will follow.

The Sonics closed the game with Watson, Allen, Wilkins, Lewis and Collison. As I have blogged in the past, I really like this line-up . Collison played Elton Brand very well. I talked with Nick after the game about that match-up and playing the five. You’ll be surprised at what he said made playing the center position tough for him tonight.

Coach Hill felt he learned a lot in this game, which is what the preseason is for. He talked about what he learned in our post-game conversation.

Let’s finish back on Swift. What happened tonight is the reality of a 20-year-old player. He wasn’t as focused as he needed to be due to the travel, etc. When he got prodded he showed all the skills that make everyone get excited about his talent and game. When he mentally reaches the point where he can maintain the focus, his game will come along. My guess is that when this happens has more to do with his off-the-court development than his on-the-court development.

Don't Overreact
Posted on October 21 | permalink

The Sonics and the Blazers play on opening night at KeyArena and that is the game that counts. Therefore, the Sonics decided not double-team or give any of their looks defensively that they are planning on using this season. Each man was left on a island for himself defensively last night. That is not going to work very often in the NBA and it didn’t last night.

Allowing 60%-plus shooting percentage is not good. Allowing 60% in the preseason without scouting and without defensive systems is vastly different than doing it in the regular season.

It is a similar story offensively where Seattle stayed very basic.

I thought three players played very well. Luke Ridnour’s third quarter pick-and-roll offense was as good as I have seen from him. I had blogged earlier yesterday about his extra work with Gordie Chiesa and it seems to be paying off. Ridnour had a nice game plan when he went into the pick-and-roll.

Robert Swift held his own in his time on the floor. He is looking more and more comfortable each time out on the floor. His learning curve upward could be pretty sharp if he can be consistent enough to earn 25 to 30 minutes a night. I will continue to remind you he played 1,000 minutes and less than 50 games last season.

Mickaël Gelabale showed really nice flashes as well.

Johan Petro’s play still is a bit disconcerting. He is not having any impact on games and he is struggling with a lot of the concepts. He had a great practice earlier in the week and I thought it might spark him, but that didn’t take place.

Damien and Earl were not as solid as they usually are.

Talk to you tonight at 7:30 from the Staples Center. Remember to email me any questions at asklocke@sonics-storm.com.

Roy Fantastic at the Key
Posted on October 21 | permalink

Nate McMillan is really working Brandon hard and he is responding. Not only is he playing 38 minutes a night in the preseason, a great majority of those minutes is with the ball in his hand. That is a lot to ask of a rookie.

However, if there was ever a kid who can handle it, it is Brandon. He is one of the best put-together young adults I have been associated with. The way he has dealt with every issue that has crossed his path with class and maturity while never making excuses bodes well for his future.

On the broadcast last night we had Wayne Floyd, Brandon’s coach at Garfield High School and now assistant principal at Cleveland High School. It was great to see how proud everyone associated with Brandon is with his success. Francis talked with Lorenzo Romar, who was at the game with his entire coaching staff. There are proud parents all around the Seattle region for Brandon.

Francis got a chance to talk with Brandon before the game.

I was really impressed with Brandon’s ability to bounce back. He started a little rough. He got out of control and on occasions looked like the athleticism could be causing him problems.

But then in the third quarter, Brandon used a vintage hesitation, use his strength move in the lane for the bucket and the foul and he got rolling from there. He was the best player on the floor for most of the third quarter.

Elsewhere on the Hometown Heroes front it has been some tough days in Charlotte for the local products. Adam Morrison has struggled in his last two games shooting 5-for-27.

It was worse news for Will Conroy, who was released by the Bobcats. Conroy sealed his fate by committing two turnovers in the final seven minutes of a game on Thursday. The good news on that is it leaves local product Kevin Burleson on the roster and still battling for the third point guard spot.

Extra Work at Shootaround
Posted on October 20 | permalink

Mouhamed Sene came out and went through a long session with Det. They worked on his 13- to 15-foot jump shot and his hands. Det was rifling passes to Sene at all different angles to make him work on his catching. He did very well. Also, his jump shot form is very good - probably because he started playing so late in life that he didn’t learn bad habits as a kid.

Earl Watson took extra work with Coach Ralph Lewis.

The workout I really focused on was Luke Ridnour’s session with Gordie Chiesa. They worked very hard on how Luke should come off the pick-and-roll and the different manners for him to get his shot off. They worked on runners, pull-ups, going off the pick and going away from the pick. Luke has said that Gordie coaches the point guard position better than any coach he has ever had.

A Revealing Rashard
Posted on October 19 | permalink

Nine years ago, what were you doing? How much has happened in your life in the last nine years? Rashard Lewis was starting his career in the NBA with the Seattle SuperSonics. Today, a vastly different young man stands before you then the kid who arrived straight from high school.

This really touched a cord with me as I was prepared for one of the games last week. Rashard is Seattle’s own. We have watched him grow up. We have watched him become an All-Star. We have watched him go from a frightened teenager into a young man about to embark on the peak of his career.

Rashard’s journey has a personal touch for me. I arrived in Seattle when Rashard did. Since then, I have meet the best woman on earth whom I married and we have had two wonderful children. Career-wise I went from being unsure if I could handle the major market to embarking on my first season in my dream job as Sonics radio announcer.

In many ways Rashard has become Seattle’s favorite son. This was obvious when Rashard took the floor on Tuesday night at Hazen High School and the gym went nuts. Looking back, the same thing happened when Rashard went to Cleveland High this summer. When Rashard and Ray went to Cleveland High School to donate money to replace the stolen equipment and uniforms it was Rashard, not Ray who got the largest applause.

Considering all this, I sat down with Rashard to go back over the last nine years and his journey to get to the man he is today.

For 10 remarkable minutes we talked about his experiences and his growth. It is the most mature and revealing I have ever heard Rashard. He shares that he was scared at the beginning. He sheepishly tells us about all the things he has done for his family. What does his twin sister mean to him? How does he view Seattle? He lets us in on a conversation he and Ray had about his time in Seattle. It is an insight on Rashard you may not have heard before.

KC on Ray Plus some Heritage
Posted on October 18 | permalink

Here are KC’s thoughts on Ray, including a little look inside Ray’s house, his golf game and his overall nature.

After practice today I went over to Kirkland with Head Coach Bob Hill, Squatch and Denee from the Sonics Dance Team to give Jim Power his season tickets. Who is Jim Power? Jim is a 40-year season ticket holder who has the Sonics priority number one amongst season ticket holders. It was a pretty cool way to deliver tickets to one of the Sonics most loyal fans.

The best part was after everyone else left, Jim and his friends shared stories with me about the original days with Sonics. Kevin Pelton has more on this event.

"Loyalty," Says Hill
Posted on October 18 | permalink

Do we think Ray gets his contract if the Sonics didn’t win 50+ games in his contract year?

His talk included a mention of Robert Swift and how he played better last night then he had ever see. “He was great,” Hill said. This reiterates what Kevin Pelton relayed to all of us in his “Almost Live” Blog from Hazen High School.

Hill continued talking about whatever Robert’s teammates did to create the environment for him to succeed is the key to what makes a great team.

It is obvious, but too often coaches are scared to venture down that road with players. Hill did it very well today.

I notice a tone difference with Hill this week. He was fairly gentle with the players as they tried to make their statement in the opening week. Now there is no mystery in what is acceptable and not.

He said to one player, “If you do that, you don’t play in the NBA.”

Gordie Chiesa, the Sonics defensive coordinator, is working the guys hard about the fundamentals of the close out on the shooter. Too often players allow for penetration because they are trying to block the shot rather than affect the shot and the offensive possession. This goes back to the point Gordie made on Monday about stalling the offense.

On a side note: I thought it was interesting how adamant Hill was about how great Swift was last night. If Robert gains some confidence he will improve with a high-arching curve.

Rick Sund's Travels
Posted on October 17 | permalink

There is a good chance that the final roster spots for this years Sonics team are in someone's camp other than the Sonics right now.

Ray the Remarkable
Posted on October 17 | permalink

Kevin Pelton’s piece on Ray Allen here on SUPERSONICS.COM.

First, how amazing it has been to watch Ray day in and day out of practice. This is the first year that I have had access to each and every minute of practice. The man never takes a play or drill off. His energy level is constant from the first drill to the last drill.

The minute they keep score he MUST and I mean MUST win everything he does. In some of the late practice 5-on-5 drills his team has fallen behind and he puts on a display equal to what he did last March in Memphis and San Antonio.

Bob Hill uses a phrase when someone does something during a scrimmage that is unproductive: “Hey, this doesn’t go on your resume.” Yet for Ray everything is on his mental checklist of who he got and if anyone has ever got him.

Most amazingly, his jumper is never off. The running joke from the “Crow’s Nest” has been every time he shoots, someone says , “I bet that is going in.” On day three of camp he missed a shot and someone said, “That is the first time I have seen that.” It was an exaggeration, I think, but when we all started to talk about it we weren’t sure when he had missed before.

The day after he hurt his finger he participated in every drill that didn’t include the use of his hand. Translation, he performed every conditioning drill and every drill that players dread. .For Ray this was intentional to send a message to his teammates.

Ray's best attribute may be how conscious he is of everyone else on the floor and all of his teammates' needs.

It can be as simple as what happened in the exhibition game in Portland. Mouhamed Sene, who was playing his first game, made a nice defensive play on Jamaal Magloire and in transition Ray bypassed a 3 to try to get Sene his first NBA field goal. Sene traveled, but that wasn’t the point. He rewarded the big for running. He was trying to help the rookie get his first points and send the message that you will be rewarded. Before the game the next night I asked Ray about the play. Before the game the next night I asked Ray about the play

Just yesterday he feed Petro in the post on the first play of the scrimmage. They had just come out of a film session which I am sure was brutal for Petro. In turn, Petro had his best practice of camp. Was it because Ray got him going?

This has been a signature of Ray’s career throughout his time in Seattle. He’s ultra-aware of what his teammates need. Watch this year - whenever a player is in a shooting slump or matched up on a former teammate, Ray will go out of his way to get that player a good look early in the game.

I can think of more than one occasion where he passed up an early look to find Ridnour who had been struggling or to wait for Lewis so he got an early scoring touch.

What is so brilliant about Ray is that when the game is on the line all of his awareness goes to winning the game and there are few better at clutching up for the win than Ray Allen.

Live from Practice -- Monday
Posted on October 16 | permalink

Gordie Chiesa, Sonics defensive coordinator, is always good for a unique saying or simply comment that explains things perfectly.

Today when working on defense he said, “One of the keys to be a great defense team is to buy time.” What he means is if you can delay the action of the shooter then you can give your teammates enough time to get back into position to help you and regain their defensive position.

Very basic, but very true.

These practices are going to be big for Petro. H has really struggled following the concepts of the coaching staff in the initial three pre-season games. His athleticism is remarkable. He runs terrifically. He has a nice touch on his jumper. Right now none of that is gelling.

Today he is having a great practice. He finished a great fast break and he has shot it well. Most importantly, he has been in the right spot offensively and defensively.

Some things are learned and other are having a knack. Sene has a knack to block shots

Damien Wilkins practiced with his shirt on backwards. It didn’t seem to affect him at all, but the little 12 was on the back and the big 12 was on the front.

Kareem Rush practiced today. His jumper is pure and his release is quick. He could add a much needed scorer off the bench.

Ray is out of practice working on the bike.

Luke the Starter at the Point
Posted on October 16 | permalink

Bob Hill opened training camp by opening the competition at the point guard position. From very early in camp, as was noted in the practice breakdowns Francis and I did on SUPERSONICS.com, it was evident that Luke fits much better than Earl as the starter.

This is what makes the Luke and Earl combo very strong. Luke does a terrific job of getting everyone involved in the game and making sure the team is executing the offensive game plan in the opening quarter.

Earl, on the other hand, brings an energy and pizzazz to the game. This is terrific in the first wave of substitutions and strong late in games when fatigue is an issue. However, when Earl is starting this often breaks the team from its initial rhythm and the touches aren’t always distributed like they need to be.

Luke has been playing much better on the defensive end. Some of the defensive systems that Gordie Chiesa brought with him will be beneficial to Luke. Two years ago, Luke had a good defensive year. His weakness is when he gets caught up on picks. Laterally he is actually a very good defender.

Earl has always been a stalwart at the defensive end. As good as he is one-on-one sometimes he needs to stay in the defensive system.

Each of the two players has an area of their game that needs focus if they are going to dominate the position. Luke needs to improve his shooting percentage and the injury to his shooting hand thumb is not going to help. Earl needs to control the turnovers while still maintaining the aggressiveness that is the signature of his game.

The Luke/Earl combo at the point leaves the Sonics in very good health at the point guard position.

Status Check After Three Games
Posted on October 15 | permalink

It is amazing that even in the preseason I find myself getting caught up into the individual game more so than is appropriate. This really happens inside of the 82 game schedule.

As we finish the third preseason game I was trying to evaluate where the team is and how the camp is going. To do that I thought I would look back at the things I wrote down when the pre-season started.

When camp started I thought four things had to take place for this season.

Blazers rookie and Seattle native Brandon Roy

Also, a regular pregame feature this year will be "One Thing With Gordon Chiesa," where the Sonics new assistant coach highlights one thing for you to listen for throughout the game. Here's tonight's "One Thing."

Off to Portland for Night 1
Posted on October 11 | permalink

I mention this because YOU ARE INVOLVED.

During the broadcast, you will be able to go to SUPERSONICS.COM and when you click on Sonics Access any question or message will reach me courtside at the Rose Garden. This will work each and every night of the season. I am looking forward to the interaction.

There will be another big announcement on SUPERSONICS.COM in regards to the broadcast so be sure to check in.

Also on the broadcast, Bob Hill gave me a breakdown of each of the players and how they have preformed at camp. Plus, Francis Williams and Alan Horton of the Sonics broadcast team sat down with Sonics players for player profiles. Finally, Bob Blackburn will give us a Golden Memory of the 40 years of Sonics basketball.

It should be a fun night. It all starts at 7:00 p.m. on KTTH and here at SUPERSONICS.COM

As I got ready for the game I found an old article about the journey that Seattle’s own, Martell Webster, has had to endure to reach the NBA. The brief version is that his mother left the house when he was five never to return. She was later placed on the Green River list of missing persons and her case is still open today. Here is the link to the entire article that was printed in the PI.

It will also be great to see Brandon Roy. As you would anticipate, he has impressed everyone in Portland. He will make his NBA debut at KeyArena on opening night. That is part of the Hometown Heroes ticket package.

From a Sonics standpoint, this has been a great camp. Bob Hill has run the camp with clock work precision. As Anne Donovan said the other day, it is one thing to plan a camp, it is a totally different thing to stick to the plan. Rick Sund called it the best camp he has ever seen.

Hill pointed out yesterday that a lot of players can play at 10:00 a.m. but not as many can handle it at 7:00 p.m. We will see how the guys react.

Talk to you at 7:00 p.m.

Go SONICS!!!

Day 8 Live Blog
Posted on October 10 | permalink

Nick is playing very well with the reserves. He had a gorgeous step through move a moment ago.

The coaches, namely Jack, are really riding the bigs and watching their every move. They have a microscope of their actions. Sometimes it is easy to forget that neither of them have had a 21st birthday. That is why the coaches need to be on them every second.

12:00 p.m. Earl Watson just lost a tooth and had to leave practice.

Great moment just a second ago. Hill stopped a play to remind Desmon Farmer to just play basketball. Sometimes the guys get so caught into the plays and where they are supposed to be that they forget to just play.

To exemplify this point, Hill said to Farmer, “Hey, if you were playing on the playground in Flint, Michigan and next basket won, you would have just thrown the lob to the rim for a dunk and called winners. Do the same thing here. Throw it to the rim for a dunk.”

11:33am. Chris Wilcox is really special right now. Talking with Gordie Chiesa after practice yesterday and he oohed and ahed about Wilcox and his potential. Chris has shown an improved post game in training camp. His athleticism is top 5 in the NBA for a post player.

His ability to jump quickly and explode without a coil is really unprecedented in the NBA. Last year, his post move consisted of only a jump hook. We have seen some turnaround jumper and better back to the basket game in camp.

Editor's note: After practice, Locke chatted one-on-one with Wilcox.

11:10 a.m. Sorry late start today, due to meetings getting our first radio broadcast on the air. Francis Williams, my sidekick on Sonics Radio this season, has been at practice.

He tells me the pep in the step is back in practice today. A lot of guys understand what is at stake.

Danny Fortson is back on the floor.

Francis says that Danny and Luke have been very strong. Jack Sikma is really riding Robert and Johan every trip down the floor. Jack is harping on grabbing rebounds with two hands, particularly when talking to Johan.

Ray and Rashard are making a statement.

Lastly, Francis points out that competition at the point guard continues to be really strong amongst all four point guards. All of them have proved that they are NBA-caliber point guards.

Day 7 Live Blog
Posted on October 9 | permalink

What is interesting is that Hill really just observes this. He has Jack Sikma coaching one team and Gordie Chiesa coaching the other. In Hill’s previous stops he was criticized for not using his assistant and being a one-man show. That is very clearly not the case for him with this staff.

Practice is wrapping up. I think it is clear that the team needs to play someone else. The practice was still lively, but some of the early bounce is being worn down by the monotony of Groundhog Day nature of training camp.

12:45 p.m. Chris Wilcox just got ejected. On two occasions he threw the ball against the wall behind the basket in frustration. This year that is a tech and automatic ejection. Plus, he would be fined. After a lengthy one-sided debate where Wilcox tried to do the talking and Hill just laughed and told him to sit, it was over.

Desmon Farmer is the story of practice today. In the second scrimmage, a 12-minute quarter, he has 12 points. His jumper is pure and his drive to the hoop has been strong.

Gelabale hit a nice 3 from the corner. It was one of the first times I have seen him stretch his range.

Rashard Lewis has been strong as well.

12:31 p.m. It is clear right now that these guys need an opponent other than themselves. Too often guys are playing the plays rather than the game. Everyone has gone head-to-head against each other for seven straight days.

They have been scrimmaging for the past half-hour. Earl Watson had a really nice stretch, with a few assists and a nice bucket. Luke overcame a tough stretch to throw a great dime and hit a nice 18-foot jumper off a pick-and-roll.

Wilcox's back to the basket game seems to have improved.

Desmon Farmer is really playing well. He is deadly with the shot and really strong when driving to the basket. I thought early in camp that he was too dependent going left and that he would be exposed, but he keeps making plays and battling. He is impressive going to the hoop and is working hard defensively.

Denham Brown, who has been very quiet, had a nice back-to-back stretch where he scored four points. His shot is usually off the dribble which may be hard for him to get at the NBA level.

12:00 p.m. Hill is a little testy right now. It sounds as though a big time blow up could be coming. He is driving these guys hard today. I have been very impressed at how Hill rides his players. This is a very private setting so he could do anything he would like and a lot of coaches go at a player and never relent. Simply, they humiliate them. Hill, on the other hand, has been able to get on and off his guys in a hurry. It has never been personal, but it has been assertive. The message is getting across without losing players. What happens a lot is teammates hate they way their teammate is being treated and they turn on the coach. Hill has been very good at this type of interaction.

11:45 a.m. I was reading this weekend about other camps in the NBA and it was interesting how one coach was talking about up the tempo in camp by only playing 20 or 22 on the shot clock. Bob Hill is practicing at 16 seconds in most cases. Now that is upping the tempo.

No Fortson and no Swift thus far today. Again, Noel Felix was waived today. Roster is at 18.

Gelabale had a stretch just a moment ago that had people looking wide eyed here in the crow's nest. He grabbed a rebound in traffic with one hand and then he finished the possession with an impressive drive to the hoop.

11:30 a.m. This is obvious to everyone, but Ray Allen is awesome. It is unreal watching him day in and day out. Every day he is on his game and on with his energy.

Every now and again the NBA can regress back to high school. The “black” team didn’t put out the energy on a defensive set that Coach Hill wanted and he cleared the floor and the black team was on the line to run. It made me recall the high school days of suicides.

The crow's nest is full today with college coaches and D-League coaches, including the Sonics D-League team, the Idaho Stampede. They have their draft Nov 2nd and start camp on the 10th. It is interesting how watching from an NBA viewpoint you don’t like things and from the D-League point of view they get very excited for those same players.

Sene, who has been on and off in practice during camp, is on his game today. Wilkins drove baseline and Sene came to help and blocked the shot and then two possessions later Petro drove by Sene and Sene still got the shot from behind.

Chris Wilcox just had a nifty turnaround jumper on Nick in the post.

It is obvious in every drill how defined Coach Hill is with his systems and his philosophies. Over the past seven days I have heard the same things about where bigs run and what plays they run off makes and misses numerous times.

ROSTER MOVE
The Sonics have waived Noel Felix. Felix has overseas opportunities that he will pursue. Felix is a really nice player and was having a decent training camp. However, the overseas opportunities are best for him since portions of his game don't translate as well to the rigors of the NBA. He is not quite big enough to play the power forward position and he isn't strong enough on the dribble or on the shot to play small forward.

Coaching Retreat At Essence of Organization
Posted on October 9 | permalink

Talking with Anne Donovan at the Green Lake Court Dedication on Saturday, I asked her what her thoughts were on training camp (she has sat in on each day). She said that the pre-organization was remarkable. However, what impressed her the most was his ability to stay on plan each and every practice. From a coaching standpoint in her mind, it is one thing to pre-plan, but to have the discipline to maintain the structure is the hard part.

The organization of training camp started weeks before when Bob Hill and his coaching staff went on a coaching retreat. They went south to Blue River, Oregon and the US Basketball Academy. Ironically, they stayed at the Bob Hill Lodge.

The Lodge was a six-bedroom complex with a common room. Therefore, there was huge time for interaction. A conference room was attached off the main living area where many basketball conversations took place. They ate all meals as a group at the Academy.

The schedule for each day was to meet from 8 to noon and then again at night from 7 to 11 p.m. It was coaching two-a-days. It was at these meetings that Hill’s Training Camp Manual was built. (I will give you more on that tomorrow).

From Hill’s standpoint the best part of the retreat was that the Academy had a basketball court a short walk from their lodge. Therefore, as they debated philosophies and teaching techniques they were able to walk onto a court and play out the discussion.

During the week, Hill brought in long-time NBA coach Rick Adelman to share his ideas about the game. It was during this time that they laid the foundation about everything that has taken place in training camp.

Hill referred to the retreat as the best he has ever had. It has led to what everyone around the game has called the most organized and efficient training camp people have seen.

Green Lake Court Dedication
Posted on October 7 | permalink

Instead, I went to Green Lake to see the Sonics & Storm rededicate another court to our community and to honor Lenny Wilkens and Anne Donovan. It was pretty awesome to see Lenny, who will work with KC on FSN this year, and Anne together. It is remarkable that those are the only two coaches in Seattle professional sports to win a championship.

It was obvious when you heard Lenny and Anne talk that any coach who has won a championship admires any other coach that has been able to achieve those heights. The challenge and difficulty in accomplishing such a feat is evident when hearing a coach talk about the run to the crown.

This was the third court dedication I have attended. I went to the Shawn Kemp and Tom Chambers dedications as well. They are wonderful events. It is a great example of how far the tentacles of professional sports spread. The youth of Seattle and the entire Pacific Northwest are better off by having the Sonics and the Storm. Not only on the obvious level with 25 new basketball courts being placed around the Sound, but with the subtle messages and the level of hope they are able to extend to the kids of our community.

There are four more court dedications on the agenda and some fantastic names involved, including Gus Williams. I hope you are able to attend one of the events.

I will be back at The Furtado Center Monday with reports.

Live From Training Camp - Day 4, Friday
Posted on October 6 | permalink

As a part of that mission, after three days of grueling practice the players arrived to the Furtado Center last night for the night session and instead were taken by bus to ACME Bowl in Tukwila.

It was a night off the basketball court and on the bowling lanes for the Sonics. For those players that had shoe sizes over 18, they had to use their tennis shoes. No word on who won yet, but my guess is on Ray Allen because he has to be good at everything. Rumor is Ray Gun has his own bowling shoes and bowling ball.

What doesn’t the guy do?

11:00 a.m. Cool experience of today. Every day seems to be loaded with eye opening experiences in my new role. Today, I am sitting next to Hall of Famer, Lenny Wilkens. Lenny will be on FSN this year with KC. How cool to talk hoops with the winningest coach in NBA history. I’ll pick his brain later today in the blog.

11:30 a.m. Kareem Rush is practicing today. Danny Fortson has yet to take the floor.

Robert Swift opened practice today with a ton of energy. Fatigue has been one of the biggest issues for Robert. When he looses that burst he drops off significantly. This is a learned skill and a maturity issue. The ability to tag team Robert with Johan Petro will allow the coaching staff to let him sit when he gets fatigued. This is a big help.

Lenny Wilkins just made a great point about Johan Petro. He is a player that plays well with strong players around him. If he is left to his own means then he struggles a bit. This is why his time on the French National Team was limited but he fits well with the Sonics.

At the current time, the Sonics are working on pick-and-roll defense at one station with Assistant Coach Gordie Chiesa on the other side Jack Sikma is working on a help defense drill. On the far side, Detlef is leading a one-on-one isolation defensive drill.

11:40 a.m. Let’s take a question from asklocke@sonics-storm.com:

From Martha - I'm really concerned that our young centers don't have enough experience yet to win. I realize they are the future, but I still think we are a better team playing Collison at center, or going small with Lewis at the four, and Wilcox at the five. Do you know how Bob Hill plans to divide the minutes at center?

So much of the focus is on the young bigs, but I think the focus really should be on the development of Chris and Nick. If Chris and Nick can piece together 60 minutes of solid basketball a night then the burden on the under 21-year-old bigs will be much less.

The league as a whole is going small so I think Nick playing the five is a possibility as games unfold. However, Johan can run with anyone in the league and that is a nice luxury with a 7-footer.

The issue that may drive a lot of this is how well Damien Wilkins plays. If Damien can force himself onto the floor then you could couple him with Earl and have a dynamic defensive combo with Ray and Rashard and play whoever you want at the five.

Good question. Keep them coming at asklocke@sonics-storm.com.

11:45am. These guys learned that the mad professor Gordie Chiesa can be a tough one as well. He just jumped a group that was not working with some really snap.

12:00pm. The latest drill has been 4-on-4 “Cutthroat.” The teams go 4-on-4 in the half court. There are four teams and if a team gets three stops in a row they are done. The three stops in a row has been a theme from the first moment of camp.

Damien Wilkins can’t miss. In this drill he has buried 5 18 to 20 foot jumpers. He is shooting with amazing confidence. He was a standout at the end of practice yesterday as well. He may be forcing himself into more minutes.

Desmon Farmer has a really good outside shot. If the lefty has room he will make you pay from behind the arc.

The defensive concepts of how to play the pick-and-roll are beginning to take shape.

12:15 Time for another question from asklocke@sonics-storm.com.

From John - Petro was weak on the boards last year, mainly because he tended to try and use his length instead of finding a man and boxing out. Are you seeing him use better technique in camp so far?

This is a progression all young tall players go through. The first part is that they used to be able to just reach up and grab the ball since they are taller than everyone. Now it is different.

The second part of it is learning to rebound with one hand. It is called the snatch. Under the basket someone is always holding and grabbing or you have to use your other arm to fend someone off. It forces you to go up and grab the ball with one hand and corral it into your body or bring the other hand forward.

This is a really hard skill to learn. Both Robert and Johan are working with Sikma on drills for this skill.

12:40pm. Chris Wilcox just had a great post move to the middle on a jump hook over Robert Swift. Damien Wilkins continues to be really strong with his jumper today.

Ray Allen just reminded everyone he is the best player on the floor. He drove left baseline and went reverse with English, which made KC let out a “Oh, Lenny Wilkens, he goes vintage.” On the next possession he was in the post with a turnaround J and buried it.

Here is what Lenny has to say: “They are having a good camp, they are working hard and coaches like that it helps them make good decisions. Damien is shooting the ball extremely well. Guys are really trying to play defense and work at it.”

I just asked Lenny who the best shooter he has ever seen is and he said, “Fred Brown and Ray is right there with him.”

Jack Sikma was coaching one of the teams on a scrimmage and if you wonder how he got his number in the rafters it would be partially due to competitiveness. When one of the officials missed a violation on a free throw with five seconds left and his team down two, all of that competitiveness came to the forefront.

Another very good practice.

Live From Training Camp - Day 3
Posted on October 5 | permalink

In my new job, as Sonics play by play announcer, I am getting a lot of once in a lifetime experiences. Today was another. At 9:00 a.m. this morning I met with the original voice of the Sonics, Bob Blackburn. Bob took me through his favorite memories from his time with the Sonics. What an incredible experience.

He took me back to the championship. He took me to Nate McMillan’s 25 assists. He reminded me of a Sonics 55-point lead at halftime against the Celtics.

The 40-year history of this organization is filled with so many great moments. It was a real pleasure to hear them from the man who saw them first hand and today has his microphone hanging from the rafters of KeyArena.

Bob and I will be hosting two father-son duos for lunch and an exclusive look at practice.

10:22 a.m. - Yesterday jumped out to me as an early separation day. The team scrimmaged last in the 3 ½ hour practice. At that point, the veterans and solid NBA players all were able to keep their game at the upper level. The younger players all began to struggle. Most of the young guys trying to make the team have a weakness and those got exposed in the scrimmage.

Let’s take a question from the fans. You can always email us at asklocke@sonics-storm.com. From Peter - Is there going to be a spot for Denham Brown? I liked what I saw of him at UConn.

Peter, I liked him a lot at UConn as well and I really liked the draft pick for the second round. However, in the opening days of camp he has been very quiet. This is not scientific, but I have had to check to see where he is numerous times rather than having him jump out at me. I would like it if players that are trying to make the roster jump out at me. He may be doing subtle things the coaches see that I don’t, but overall he needs to accelerate his game if he is going to make a statement in camp.

11:00am Practice has been all conditioning and skeleton drills in the open floor to get players used to the movements on the floor. No 4-on-4 or 5-on-5 thus far. Danny Fortson is not running in the full-court drills thus far.

So, here is another question from asklocke@sonics-storm.com. From Joshua - Is it more beneficial for the training camp invitees to play through their injuries for that last roster spot or play it safe? Who seems to be the front runner for that last roster spot? Who does it seem to you put in the most work this offseason?

Josh, really good questions. The injury issue is tough. If you aren’t on the floor you can’t make a statement. Also, if you are injured it sends a bad message about your reliability. However, if you are injured you are injured.

I don’t think there is a frontrunner. Bob Hill believes in having three point guards on your roster. Milt Palacio had a very good practice yesterday. Also, there are numerous teams in the NBA with more than 15 players under contract and they will have to release someone. The Sonics are watching that closely. For example, Devin Brown got released by the Warriors yesterday.

Robert Swift changed his body. His body fat is down near 10% and he gained another 10 to 15 pounds. Damien Wilkins looks great physically and his jumper seems much smoother. That was the question about D when they re-signed him, whether or not he had another jump in his game from the one he took since college. Ray and Rashard look great.

11:20 a.m. In the latest sequence of play, Mickaël Gelabale really stepped forward. He plays with great control and understanding. Offensively, his jumper from 18 feet is really solid and his vision when driving is remarkably strong.

Defensively, he is very strong. Kevin Calabro is sitting to my left and here is what he says about Gelabale: “I am struck by his quickness and ability to get in cracks. He has a textbook jump shoot and he is really quick on his lift on the jump shot. The other thing is you never hear practice stop because he is in the wrong spot or anything.”

He is really, really thin. I mean paper thin. So when he gets in more contact the issue will be how he holds up and what he is able to sustain.

11:30 a.m. Bob Blackburn and I are waiting for our guests to join us to see practice and have lunch. Before they join us let me share Bob’s thoughts on practice.

Bob says, “First of all we have back what we finished with last year and we were playing very good basketball at the end of last season. As we are looking at the add-ons, this is going to be a tremendously deep team.

“I feel a good chemistry. I really like the way Bob Hill is running practice. There is no funny business going on here. These guys are going to be in good shape and well prepared. I really like what is going on.”

12:00 p.m. Day 3 has been intense. Bob Hill and his staff are riding his players like a jockey to their horse down the stretch. Jack Sikma at one point yelled at his bigs, “If you don’t rebound you don’t play.”

Hill has been harder and more forceful today than he was in either of the first two days.

Day 3 is traditionally the day when the bodies are the most sore and the mind wander. That is not going to be tolerated toady.

Our contest winners have arrived for lunch with Blackburn and Locke. Derrick and Danny Ko are here. Derrick is in his Fortson jersey and Danny, who is 7 years old, is in a Ray Allen jersey. Chris and Brodey Ristine are also here. Brodey, who is 10 years old, is in his Luke Ridnour jersey.

Brodey says they are going to do well this year and Danny says it is awesome. Maybe that is because Dad pulled him out of school for this.

12:15 p.m. Everything in camp so far has been done on a 16-second shot clock rather than a 24-second shot clock.

Nick Collison is having a very good day with his jumper.

Jack Sikma has been working both positively and with some “encouragement” Robert Swift this practice.

12:30 p.m. Bob Hill just ran a drill that I could never explain called Hockey. It was 4-on-4 full court and sincerely intense.

The end result was no different than in real games at the Key. With .8 seconds left Ray Allen hit the game winner.

1:00 p.m.Another three-hour-plus practice for Bob Hill’s crew. The thing that jumps out to everyone is that there is no wasted time in these practices. Bob Blackburn just said if they work this hard they will be good. He is right.

The last half hour has been 5-on-5 scrimmages. Rashard Lewis knotted the game at 11-11 with .3 seconds left with a big 3 in the first game. Damien Wilkins really played great in a head to head matchup with Ray Allen in the second scrimmage.

Ray Allen’s team was down six with 14 seconds left in the second scrimmage so he promptly buried back to back 3s to tie it with 6.9 seconds left. Ray’s competitiveness was really obvious in this scrimmage. He was furious that his team was losing and really bothered when Sene missed a layup. It doesn’t matter what it is, Ray needs to win.

Danny Fortson, Chris Wilcox (hamstring) and Kareem Rush all sat out of the scrimmages.

Live From Training Camp - Day 2
Posted on October 4 | permalink

For most young players this takes a year or a year and half. That is why year three is so often the breakout season. Also, think back to Damien Wilkins' rookie year. All of his best games came when Rashard was hurt. When he knew he had extended time he didn’t press or think he just went to playing. However, when he was coming off the bench everything is magnified and he wasn’t as fluid.

This is what the progression of youth is all about. It is also why being a long-time fan or ticket holder is such a great experience. You get to see the Rashard Lewis or the Damien Wilkins evolution. This season we will watch Robert and Johan.

11:00 a.m. The opening hour was a review of the things they did yesterday about defensive transition and then some conditioning. They built on the defensive wall concept that Gordie Chiesa has brought from Utah. This included work on the pick-and-roll defense.

Attendance includes Paul Silas, Bob Weiss, Kevin Calabro, Francis Williams and Wally Walker.

The Sonics have employed former referee Mike Mathis to go through different situations and what the officials are watching. Today they worked on post defensive hands.

During the competitive shooting drill the winners were Ray Allen, Desmon Farmer and Mike Wilks.

11:20 a.m. The Sups just did a drill where 10 players went around the free-throw circle as though they were on a carousel. Then the coach throws the ball off the glass and they break into a 5-on-5 game.

The most interesting moment was when Rashard got isolated on Gelabale. Rashard caught at 17 feet and was able to power down to about seven feet and shot a little jump hook. It missed. It showed the power of Rashard on Gelabale, but give credit to the rookie for holding position between his man and the basket rather than gambling.

The team is doing isolation drills and Earl and Luke are matched up one on one. The number 1 storyline of training camp continues.

12:00 p.m. We are in the midst of a 20-minute segment of 4-on-4 and the emphasis has been on defense. The teaching point has been on the defending of the pick-and-roll. They have been demanding that the bigs play big on the pick-and-roll defense.

They are now playing the same game of three stops that they did yesterday.

Luke Ridnour has had a very good practice and Gelabale looks far better today.

Truly, the player that has looked terrific is Danny Fortson.

Ray just hit an absurd jumper with Lewis draped all over him.

Kenny Adeleke has a really good nose for the ball on the rebounds. But when he gets the ball offensively he doesn't have much of a package.

12:30 p.m. We just saw Sene in a capsule. On a well-spaced floor, Nick got the ball going to the rim and out of nowhere Sene blocked the shot. On the other end, Sene got it in the post and shot the worst turnaround jumper airball out of the post.

Earl’s speed on the floor is great, but for him to be a starter he needs to control his turnovers.

Nick Collison is playing well. His ability to see the floor, seal his man and play the game with a great deal of understanding separates him from lots of players on the floor.

Bob Hill has stopped practice four or five times in the last two days to remind his bigs to run to the rim. It is at the cornerstone of his offensive philosophy. I will talk with Francis about that after practice in our audio breakdown.

Gelabale is surprisingly comfortable with his back to the basket.

Live From Training Camp - Day 1
Posted on October 3 | permalink

Chiesa is full of great sayings. A moment ago he was talking about taking a gamble on going for the steal on a pass and he said, “That is a bad idea. It works once every leap year.”

Chiesa spent 16 seasons with the Utah Jazz as an assistant under Jerry Sloan. You will hear more about his defensive theories.

Lenny Wilkens, who will be on FSN this year, and Paul Silas, who spoke the team last night, are watching practice as well.

11:12 a.m. Bob Hill is not kidding around with conditioning. The team just went through four-man and five-man weaves where the players went up and down the floor six times each. He is driving the big men to run for the dunk.

Mickaël Gelabale’s speed is remarkable. He just explodes on the break.

Mouhamed Sene's length jumps out to everyone watching the practice.

11:49 a.m. Interesting drill where the offense has four guys and the defense has three, but once the shot goes up the defense gains a man and goes four-on-four full court.

Next drill was called “Cuthroat.” You had to get stops to stay on the floor and if you were a loser you ran and ran and ran. The match-ups were four-on-four. The goal was to get three straight stops, which will be a season long theme.

Luke Ridnour is playing his butt off defensively. The battle for starting point is obvious in the effort level of Watson and Ridnour.

The team of Ridnour. Allen, Wilcox and Swift were the first to get three stops in a row.

12:12 p.m. I just got the following question from a fan via asklocke@sonics-storm.com:

"Did Fortson participate on equal, limited basis or just listening/watching? Did anyone have success in post backing, bumping, muscling Sene? Gelabale take many NBA 3 pt shots? How did it look?"

Fortson has practiced the entire practice to this point. He is big and his ability to move guys in the post is still obvious. Sene was guarding Fortson on a play and Fortson bodied him out of position, but Sene is so long that despite Fortson moving Sene out of position Sene was able to still block the shot. Gelabale’s game has been mostly mid-range nothing from outside the arc.

12:30 p.m. Danny is not going up and down in the latest drill nor in the five-on-five scrimmage.

12:45 p.m. One of the players didn’t do what they were supposed to and Bob Hill stopped practice and asked “Are you tired? That is what today is about - can you keep your focus?”

The teams are playing five-on-five controlled scrimmages.

Nick Collison has been impressive in all the little things he does on the floor. He has made two or three passes that were terrific and then he took a great charge. If he can start hitting a 15-foot jumper with consistency and be able to face up on a defender and be a threat he will get a lot of minutes.

Ray Allen got hot and hit four straight 3s. It is a great sight to see when he gets the radar on.

Hill is closing practice with a drill where the score is tied at 99 and there are three seconds left on the clock.

Win Lunch With Blackburn and Locke
Posted on September 30 | permalink

I want to celebrate these generations as well. I'm the third radio play-by-play announcer in Sonics history, following in the footsteps of Bob Blackburn, who called Sonics games from the franchise's inaugural 1967-68 season through 1991-92. Bob and I would like to take a father and son (or father and daughter or mother and son; gender doesn't matter) to lunch at The Furtado Center next Thursday, where you'll get an exclusive look at one of the Sonics first