Why All the Outrage?
Listed in: BasketballSonics fans everywhere seem to be freaking out about the trade of Ray Allen to the Celtics for Wall Szczerbiak, Delonte West, and Jeff Green. SuperSonicSoul says "the Sonics have somehow managed to turn what should have been one of the greatest days in team history into one of the worst." Sonics Central adds "they have absolutely killed my enthusiasm.
I say what? Why all this sentiment for a guy who spent four years in Seattle and made one playoff appearance? Ray's a great guy and a pretty good player, but he's owed a ton of money over the next three years and will turn 32 soon. The odds of him living up to the money are slim at best. Even if he does stay healthy (which he didn't last year, playing just 55 games) he's a one-dimensional player who, yes, is superior at that one dimension to Wally but also needs the ball in his hands a ton. Somehow, trying to pair that with Kevin Durant just doesn't work in my mind.
Look, as soon as it became clear that Durant was going to be a Sonic Allen's days were numbered. There's no way you build a team around a 32-year-old ball-hogging shooting guard and an 18-year-old who's the best offensive player to come out of the draft in a long time. I'm not high on Green, but he fits with the Sonics better than he would have with any of the other lottery teams: especially if they also resign Rashard Lewis, they won't need him to score as much as to rebound, pass, and defend, all things Green does very well. Plus, I really like Delonte West moving forward, and having him frees them up to deal Luke Ridnour and/or Earl Watson.
I know that Sonics fans (myself included) are anxious about the team leaving, and trading away the most recognizable (but not best) player may seem like a questionable move. And hey, it may all be a ploy by Clay Bennett to make moving the team easier. But it also makes basketball sense, and if the goal is to have the team stay here long term I'd rather do it by building around Durant and Green than keeping a 31-51 team intact out of some misplaced sense of loyalty.
