Sonics are the team to beat this year.

[IceColdBrewski]

There's no doubt about it now. This is the best team in the conference right now. Just when we thought we would have the West all to ourselves, these guys are now proving that they're the cream of the crop. We'd all better hope that they come down to earth. If they keep playing at this level, I don't see any team beating them in a 7 game series.

The Spurs may go on to win this game. But the fact that they had us down by 20 on our home court is downright scary.

[Dalamar_the_Dark]

Come on get real its only the start of the season.

[ggoose25]

I think if their balls dont shrink (as others have said about fg%), they are the most dangerous team other than phoenix. "Jesus" is proving that tonight.

[sickdsm]

This is the best team in the conference right now

RIGHT NOW maybe. Let me know when that means anything. Like all sports it seems it only matters who gets hot at the right time.

[IceColdBrewski]

Come on get real its only the start of the season.

What are you getting at? That the Sonics are a fluke? That they're good enough to contend with the Spurs now but not at the end of the season? The Spurs will get better as the season goes on but so will the Sonics. Time to face the cold reality. This Sonics team has bitch slapped us twice and they aint goin anywhere. Not that I'm hitting the panic button or anything but this is a huge cause for concern.

[ducks]

no playoff experience for those idiots
last time I remember them in playoffs they got beat out in first round by nuggets

[sickdsm]

Actually you are hitting the panic button. Is ray allen going to take over an entire season let alone the playoffs to do what, help me out here guys if i'm forgetting a team, no one has done before? shoot your way into the NBA finals and get a ring from beyond the arc? With no real defensive toughness or inside legitamacy? Maybe, but to put anythought into this team as a title contender this early is ludicrious.

[ducks]

ice if chargers have no playoff experience and have no chance in a tough divsion
same thing applies for the sonics

[ducks]

spurs played one bad quarter and almost came back and beat the sonics

[SequSpur]

Spurs got asswhipped. PERIOD. 2 Seattle..... 0 San Antonio.

Seattle > San Antonio.

[myhc]

Spurs got asswhipped. PERIOD. 2 Seattle..... 0 San Antonio.

Seattle > San Antonio.

[IceColdBrewski]

ice if chargers have no playoff experience and have no chance in a tough divsion
same thing applies for the sonics

Apples and oranges. NFL is not NBA.

[IceColdBrewski]

Actually you are hitting the panic button. Is ray allen going to take over an entire season let alone the playoffs to do what, help me out here guys if i'm forgetting a team, no one has done before? shoot your way into the NBA finals and get a ring from beyond the arc? With no real defensive toughness or inside legitamacy?...

With no real defensive toughness or inside ligitmacy? Dude. Were you even watching when they held us to 12(?) points in the second quarter?

p.s. You don't need "inside legitamacy" as long as you're winning the rebounding battle.

[ducks]

we held them to

dude spurs won 21 straight home games

team played one bad quarter and almost came back and beat them

[SequSpur]

my hc,


Um... you have something to say?? Don't quote me and leave your post blank. I don't delete my takes. No need to worry.

:rolleyes

[IceColdBrewski]

...dude spurs won 21 straight home games...

All the more reason to declare them as the team to beat.

[boutons]

"team played one bad quarte"

Spurs "played' a horrendous first half

Spurs got some stop, but couldn't score in the crunch. Tim sucks with his statue of liberty imitation. Sean Elliott has said it every game, Tim, and Malik, hold the ball too fucking long, the other 4 Spurs do nothing, defense adjusts, we're fucked. over and over and over and over. Feels like the Lakers series again.

Spurs missed 8 FTs, lose by 6. The Legend Continues ...

How could the Spurs NOT be ready to play defense in the first half???

We got the Lakers monkey off our back, now we got the Sonics monkey on our backs.

[Drachen]

All I have to say is, remember dallas 2 years ago, they started 14-0 because of their incredibly hot shooting, then it fell off, and we ended up with the best record in the league, because their entire offense was based on the fact they were shooting well. They had no inside presence, their D wasnt great. I see that in a current team and it happens to be the sonics, there is no way they can sustain this shooting percentage the whole year.

[ggoose25]

yeah but that same Dallas team almost killed the Spurs in the WCF. If Pop hadnt had a divine revelation and inserted SKerr, Dallas could have easily advanced. I think the Sonics are for real, their shooting % will surely fluctuate throughout the season, but that doesnt mean that it won't be "on" in the playoffs. Right now the Spurs need to find a way to bust that zone D with some killer shooting... which means Barry needs to wake the fuck up and start producing.

[FromWayDowntown]

I think the Sonics are for real, their shooting % will surely fluctuate throughout the season, but that doesnt mean that it won't be "on" in the playoffs.

I agree, recalling all of the jump-shooting teams that have won championships in recent years.

:rolleyes

I think the Sonics are playing well, but they're far from invincible. They might be a 2004-05 equivalent of the 2002-03 Suns -- perhaps; though they really don't seem to have the same physical ability as that Phoenix team.

I thought the first 6 quarters the Spurs played against these guys this season were filled with complacency and a lack of focus. It has also hurt that Rasho has done little or nothing to cut-off penetration and box out on the defensive end. Seattle's first half offense last night was, essentially, a screen and roll effort and the Spurs aided it by passively going under screens and willingly switching into bad matchups. The Spurs corrected that at halftime, and Seattle's second half offense was not nearly as productive. Seattle maintained its lead by Fortson's march to the line and a couple of threes they hit in scramble situations, but they really struggled to run their offense and find points. When the Spurs took their intensity up a notch, they had no problem negating that offense and scoring points. Unfortunately, the mentally soft play from the Spurs in minutes 1-24 required an insanely-intense effort in minutes 25-48; they sustained to about minute 45, but ran out of gas.

I certainly think that Seattle will be around come playoff time, but I also think their lack of any real defensive ability and th

[spurster]

I don't think Seattle is the team to beat yet, but if they can keep this pace up, they will jump up into the elite after missing the playoffs last year.

[tlongII]

The Sonics are very good. I think Phoenix is better though. The Suns run the court better than any team in the NBA.

[T Park]

Agree with T Long, Phoenix is a better team.

Seattle didnt do anything last night other than make outside shots.

If you force a team to hit jump shots you pretty much are doing your job.

Now not in there face on those jump shots is another story.


A team can live and die by the three.

The Sonics will start sputtering pretty soon cause of it.

Mark my words.

[timvp]

This might be the worst thread title ever. The Sonics are still the same scrub team they've been for the last six years. The difference now is they are hitting outside shots and rebounding. But in the playoffs, the Spurs would destroy them. If they didn't sweep them, I'd be surprised.

[Solid D]

Sonics have finally taken on the personality and style of their Head Coach, including the play of their point guards.

[Manu20]

I still think the sonics are not going to keep this up. The Suns are more of a threat to the Spurs but you know that Nash will get tired at the end of the season.