Resignation To Lose

Enjoy the Enjoyment had a post regarding the great play of Kevin Durant this month. Here is my comment:

My initial response to this is, who cares? I'm more interested in how the Blazers are doing and their future. Or New Orleans. Or Memphis. Because any future professional basketball in Seattle will concern one of those teams, either in a move or just proximity. Never in my life did I think I could follow the Trailblazers. It helps that they have Roy, a fellow UW alum and Oden, from my wife's school. But still, if I watch the NBA (which is actually a big IF seeing how David Stern is a douche bag), that’s the future. I'm almost to the point where I hope Durant fails because I don't want to see the Oklahoma City Team Formerly Known as the SuperSonics succeed.

Our hopes of keeping the Sonics in Seattle hinge upon a court case that, if ruled in the city's favor, means we have to hope that Bennett gets tired, someone offers him an amount he cannot refuse, and he sells. Or, the league works out some sort of deal regarding Seattle, Oklahoma City, and another franchise. But why would these happen. First, Stern is desperate for Bennett to get a team in Oklahoma.

Second, why would Bennett sell? All he has to do is sit back for two years, alienate the City of Seattle even more, play in lame duck team in an empty area, and still receive support from Stern. But, he has Durant, scoring 25 a game on 45% shooting with increasingly impressive defensive skills. There's Green, doing everything right: solid defense, no turnovers, scoring 13-16 a game, 8 rebounds. Then there are the two picks this year (how about this, take Brook Lopez early and then Robin with the Phoenix pick; or Love and Collison; or Rose and Hibbert, if he falls that far; the possibilities are making me cry), a future with good salary cap space, multiple second rounder’s this year plus three more picks coming soon, thus, plenty of room for additions via the draft, free agency, or trades. After two more years in Seattle, this is a Championship caliber team, just in time to move to Oklahoma City.

Good teams can do quite well in small markets, it is when they stink that they struggle. That's why Stern rigged the lottery last year and doesn't care about the media market comparisons. It is not like a crappy Grizzly team leaving Vancouver to be a crappy Memphis team where the novelty of an NBA franchise wears off.

So, I really cannot imagine a scenario where the Sonics realistically stay in Seattle. Another team may come, take on the Sonics name and records (like the Browns). But they are still not the Sonics. The Sonics are in Oklahoma City, winning. Seattle gets the renamed Grizzlies or Hornets or whoever else. I’m sure the sting wouldn’t be so bad if Durant and Green fail or leave as soon as they become free agents and Seattle’s “new” franchise is a team like the Hornets with a point guard and center in their prime. I guess another way to take the sting away is to accept that had Stern not rigged the draft, the Sonics would be playing Yi. So really, that Oklahoma team would not be the real Sonics. The one that went from Western Conference Power to Wally Walker doormats and is now only succeeding because the league cheated.