Throughout Damien Wilkins' first two seasons in the NBA, the needs of the Seattle SuperSonics have dictated how Wilkins has been used. This necessity has revealed Wilkins' ability to be an NBA regular, to play out of position at power forward and now to spend time playing point guard.
With the Sonics missing starting point guard Luke Ridnour because of nausea and backup Ronald "Flip" Murray hampered by two dislocated fingers on his shooting hand, Coach Bob Weiss turned to Wilkins as his backup point guard Wednesday in Minnesota and was pleasantly surprised when Wilkins scored a season-high 15 points and helped lead a second-half comeback by the Sonics.
"Wilkins came in and did a great job at backup point the last quarter of the game," said Weiss afterwards.
The performance earned Wilkins the nod as the starter for Thursday's nationally-televised tilt against the Denver Nuggets. Wilkins played 15 of his season-high 37 minutes at the point, finishing with 12 points, a career-high eight assists, a career-high-tying seven rebounds and three steals while playing outstanding defense as the Sonics came up with a 112-105 victory.
Via NBA.com
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News circulating that Ronald Murray could join the Denver Nuggets' lineup was surprising to the Sonics guard.
He sat atop the scorer's table at the Pepsi Center with a stunned look as he was told he could be traded for Nuggets guard Earl Watson, a former Sonic. The Sonics need a solid backup point guard, and the Nuggets could use Murray's scoring.
There are several problems with the rumor, however. The NBA's collective-bargaining agreement states the salaries of players being traded under this scenario must be within 25 percent of one another. Watson, who played for the Sonics in the 2001-02 season, will make $5 million this season, Murray $895,248. So more Sonics players would have to be lumped into the deal to make it work.
And Murray, who signed a one-year deal to test the free-agent market this summer, has the power to veto any trade.
"I don't know nothing about that," he said. "Denver is a nice organization. And I have a lot of respect for George Karl, him being my first coach in the NBA [with Milwaukee], but I don't know."
Murray said he wants to remain in Seattle.
Via Seattle Times
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In the wake of reports that the Seattle SuperSonics and Denver Nuggets are discussing a possible trade, Sonics All-Star guard Ray Allen said he thinks it may be time for general manager Rick Sund to alter the team’s chemistry a bit.
“You don’t always make a change just to be making a change,” Allen said. “But I think based on just us going up and down, the team is put in a situation where they have to consider an opportunity to shake things up and make it better. Or if it doesn’t make it better, at least try.”
The Sonics have discussed a trade with the Nuggets that would send Ronald Murray to Denver in exchange for Earl Watson. Other players on the Sonics’ roster would be involved to make the exchanged salaries balance.
Before the game Thursday, Murray warmed up on the court and was unavailable for comment.
Both Allen and co-captain Rashard Lewis acknowledged that Watson would be a better fit than Murray at reserve point guard. Allen cited the 14 assists the team had in its loss to Minnesota on Wednesday, a game Murray started in place of the injured Luke Ridnour.
“Bob (Weiss) has to make it a mandate to (Murray) that he has to start out (games) getting everybody involved,” Allen said. “That has to be made a mandate. If a (trade) is made, if something happens, they have to come in here, learn who we have and distribute the ball.”
Lewis said Watson may be a better fit as the backup point guard.
“I like Flip as a player and as a person,” Lewis said. “He is a great scorer. But I don’t know if the organization is looking for a scorer or a guy to run the point and play defense. It depends on what they are looking for. Earl is probably a better defender, more of a point guard.”
Via Tacoma News-Tribune
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Thunder Dec 2005 Archive
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AP | Dec 29, 2005
Seattle SuperSonics forward Danny Fortson was suspended for two games without pay Thursday for berating a referee and failing to promptly leave the court after an ejection.
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Seattle PI | Dec 29, 2005
Sonics officials indicated and coach Bob Weiss confirmed that point guard Rick Brunson will not be waived or bought out because of the team's lack of point guard depth.
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The News Tribune | Dec 29, 2005
The SuperSonics and Denver Nuggets are discussing a trade that would send Ronald “Flip” Murray to Denver and bring former Sonics guard Earl "Eazy-Wheezy" Watson to Seattle, sources said Wednesday.
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AP | Dec 29, 2005
Seattle guard Luke Ridnour missed the SuperSonics' game at Minnesota on Wednesday night because of a chest contusion.
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Seattle Times | Dec 27, 2005
Sonics guard Ronald "Flip" Murray has dislocations of two fingers on his right hand and will be evaluated on a day-to-day basis before three Seattle games this week.
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AP | Dec 19, 2005
Seattle SuperSonics forward Rashard Lewis pleaded innocent Monday to a drunken driving charge.
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News Tribune | Dec 19, 2005
Vladimir Radmanovic’s agent, David Bauman, said the forward will neither seek a trade nor allow the Sonics to trade him because it would not be to Radmanovic’s financial advantage
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ESPN | Dec 17, 2005
If Isiah Thomas can't land Ron Artest, with the Pacers intent on sending the wayward swingman to the West, look for him to pursue Seattle's Rashard Lewis.
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Tacoma News-Tribune | Dec 15, 2005
SuperSonics CEO Wally Walker said for the first time Wednesday that if the team does not get some response from the city of Seattle and the state by the end of the 2006 legislative session, it will begin accepting inquiries from other cities about the possibility of the Sonics moving.
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ESPN | Dec 15, 2005
When Danny Fortson walks on the court, he's almost immediately saddled with two fouls.
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Tacoma News Tribune | Dec 13, 2005
Vladimir Radmanovic, Ronald Murray and Reggie Evans are likely to be tossed around in trade rumors on Thursday when players who signed contracts over the summer can be traded.
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Seattle Post-Intelligencer | Dec 13, 2005
His latest ejection and suspension burns deeply and hurts more than in the past.
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Press Release | Dec 10, 2005
Seattle SuperSonics forward Danny Fortson has been suspended one game for verbally abusing a game official and failure to leave the court in a timely manner following an ejection and knocking over a water cooler while leaving the court, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Senior Vice President Basketball Operations.
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Seattle Times | Dec 10, 2005
Rashard Lewis scored 26 points and Reggie Evans grabbed a season-high 18 rebounds to lead the Seattle Sonics past the Utah Jazz 106-90 Friday night.
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ESPN | Dec 7, 2005
NBA players will not be allowed to take their drug tests during games, the league said Wednesday, after a Seattle player missed part of the third quarter Tuesday night while taking his.
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Seattle PI | Dec 7, 2005
There was good reason why Robert Swift began the second half in the Sonics' lineup and it wasn't because of his play in the first half.
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Tacoma News-Tribune | Dec 6, 2005
“I’d like to meet the cop who arrested him. I know he is doing his job, but I still think he is a (jerk)." -- Knicks center Jerome James on the arrest of former teammate Rashard Lewis
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Seattle Times | Dec 5, 2005
Seattle Supersonics star forward Rashard Lewis was charged today with drunken driving, according to the King County Prosecutor.
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Seattle Times | Dec 5, 2005
Sarunas Jasikevicius? Or Damien Wilkins?
The Sonics pondered that question last summer and ultimately decided upon Wilkins.
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Seattle Times | Dec 5, 2005
Seattle pursued Sarunas Jasikevicius last summer and hoped he would fill the void left vacant by Antonio Daniels, Jasikevicius' agent, Doug Neustadt, said.
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AP | Dec 4, 2005
The Indiana Pacers were without starters Jamaal Tinsley and Austin Croshere when the team closed out a five-game road trip Sunday night against the Seattle SuperSonics.
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The News Tribune | Dec 4, 2005
With December 15 quickly approaching, Seattle News Tribune writer asks the question is it time that the Sonics deal guard Ronald 'Flip' Murray.
