HeraldNet: Sonics will get star in draft



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Dangling Participles

May 21, 2008

Sonics will get star in draft

Posted at 8:26 am by John Sleeper

For the first time in a long time, I'm going to write about the Sonics without mentioning you-know-who and that Midwest city. It feels really, really good.

With the fourth pick in the NBA draft next month, the Supes can get a wonderful player. They need a point guard and a center, but probably will settle for a scorer to support Kevin Durant.

Kansas State forward Michael Beasley and Memphis guard Derrick Rose will be gone. That leaves USC guard O.J. Mayo, Stanford center Brook Lopez, Indiana guard Eric Gordon, Arizona guard Jerryd Bayless, Italian prospect Danilo Gallinari and UCLA forward Kevin Love among those in the second tier.

It would be difficult to pass on Mayo or Bayless. Both are dynamic, athletic players who should have long, great NBA careers. I really like Lopez, who always was a great defensive player and shot blocker, but who added a creditable offensive game this past season. Indeed, there were times he was almost unstoppable. I get the feeling he's still discovering himself and how good he can be. I also love his competitiveness.

Will they trade the pick? Maybe. They still need playoff-caliber starters. Whether they can come up with them through trading down is debatable.

Me, I like Lopez. The Sonics have to cut their losses and admit they blew it in drafting Robert Swift, Mouhamed Sene and Johan Petro. Swift is coming off two surgeries on his right knee and is a restricted free agent, Sene likely will miss the 2008-09 season after undergoing microfracture surgery on his right knee and Petro appears years from being a starter.

Lopez's offensive potential is pretty tasty and his long, lean body makes for a scary defensive presence. This team has been masquerading long enough in the middle. This dude's the real deal.

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