A Conversation with Kevin January 7, 2002 With some time off before Thanksgiving, I decided to take a trip with my friends Murray the Mouth, Louie the Lip, and Tommy the Toe. We were all headed down to a Waste Management convention in Arizona when we decided to stop off and talk to our former fearless leader, SonicsKevin. We were fasinated to find out his opinions on the Sonics' start and his new job with the team. What follows is the conversation between Heavy and Kevin. Heavy D: Before we get into how you're doing & what your job with the Sonics entails, how about some background for those of us that don't know all the details? Going WAY back, tell us briefly how you developed such an all-consuming passion for the Sonics. And what led up to you becoming involved in the various websites you've written for before starting Keep GP & Sonics Central? Did it just seem like the natural thing to do to feed your Sonics Jones; or have you always had a grander vision? SonicsKevin: Well, I'd say I really started following the Sonics during the 1989-90 season. I was seven that year, so I was just starting to understand things, and the sport I naturally gravitated to was basketball. I also related really well with the Sonics having two rookies that year (Shawn Kemp and Dana Barros), and they instantaneously became lifelong favorites of mine. The next year, I listened to/watched at least part of every game, and I can still recall having my dad call into the postgame show after the finale (at Golden State, if I recall correctly) to ask about the offensive goaltending rule. Things just kind of spiraled out of control from there. Actually, during high school I did get away from the Sonics to a certain extent. I was so busy academically my senior year that I didn't even attend half the games. Getting a lot more time by going to college and quitting my job spurred me to follow the team more closely, as did the hiring of Nate McMillan. Then I got the position at BskBALL (now Hoopsworld.com). That gig really came out of nowhere. I had read BskBALL for a while, but never thought about writing for them. One day, I saw the Sonics column hadn't been updated in several months, and complained about it. In the course of that e-mail conversation, I threw my hat into the ring to become the replacement. After I started, I found that I loved it. Getting my feelings about the team off my chest was great. There's never been any grand vision, though. It was a case of trying different things because I thought I could do them and they deserved being done. I didn't start SonicsCentral with the idea of it being a vehicle to get into the journalism business; I just thought fans deserved a good Sonics website and I could give it to them. It was only later I discovered, "Hey, I'm doing many of the things a beat writer does . . . and I really like it." HD: What exactly do you do for the Sonics? Can you describe your typical day? And what do you miss most about your voluntary separation from the websites you started? I mean, it must be a bit different being an employee again & having to follow someone else's agenda rather than being your own boss & heading out in any direction you so choose. SK: I typically get into the office about quarter to nine and, after consulting with my boss, get to work on an imminent game preview and "game faces". These activities usually take a couple of hours between composing and posting using the NBA's system. On a weekly basis, I write the "Week in Review" (usually on Thursdays) and work on history profiles (usually have time to do those on Fridays). Then there are other tasks like creating new polls, updating the "history flashbacks" that are in the upper right-hand corner of the site, and updating the frontpage of the site itself. I'd say the main thing I miss is having the opportunity to provide commentary. It was nice to be able to have my opinions out there in the permanent form of columns, and I've got some suggestions I'd like to deliver to Nate. ;) As far as working for a boss, I much prefer it to being a 'boss', as I was for News@Hoopsworld. At this point of my life, I don't mind just doing what I'm told. Not having as much responsibility is actually kinda nice. But I must say that my editor at SonicsCentral.com was very understanding. HD: Yes,the editor here covered a multitude of our sins. What do you think your main contribution to the Sonics site will be? Are you pretty much just working on other people's ideas, or do you have the freedom to explore your own? SK: I've been encouraged to bring my ideas, as you can already see from the new "Week in Review" and history profiles. I'd like to hope my main contribution can be convincing the type of diehard fans that frequent SonicsCentral that Supersonics.com is a worthwile place to spend some time every day (or thereabouts). HD: You said you had some suggestions for Nate; would you care to get into those here? SK: Two things on defense. First, I think the Sonics have become too double-team happy. On Thursday, they were repeatedly double-teaming Rasheed Wallace. No disrepsect to Sheed or his weed, but that's just silly. When they played straight up, Portland could do little. When they doubled, Dale Davis got about five dunks. Second, I think the policy of strictly switching any pick is a killer to this team. Guys like Payton and Mason have to be allowed to fight through screens so you don't end up with mismatches like Tracy McGrady defended by Brent Barry or, worse yet, Peja Drobnjak. I'd also like to see Nate settle on a more regular rotation. Pick either Reggie Evans or Calvin Booth to be your backup big and let the winner play 15-20 minutes a night instead of having both play 5-10. The current system isn't allowing those guys (or Ansu Sesay or Kenny Anderson) to get into the flow of the game. And people wonder why they're not scoring! HD: That leads perfectly into my next question. If you were Nate, who would be your starting five,& why? SK: I'll go you one better. First my starting five, then my rotation. I think that the group that works the best together is the one that has started most of the time: Payton, Barry, Lewis, Radmanovic, and Drobnjak. Personally, I think scoring off the bench is overrated. Naturally, Mason is the first guy off the bench at about the six-minute mark, give or take. I can see bringing him in for any of those guys, depending on matchups/how people are playing (naturally, it wouldn't be Payton). Then I'd bring in Anderson for Barry with a couple of minutes left in the first/third. Barry would replace Payton early in the second/fourth, with Payton returning for Anderson a little before halfway through those periods. Booth would come in at the start of the second for one of the bigs (can't say I've worked through this part too completely) and play at least 6-7 minutes of the second/fourth quarters. Then I'd go with the starting lineup again at the end, depending on how they're playing. Maybe more offense/defense substitution down the stretch with Booth/Drobnjak. HD: I think you just volunteered to edit this. Speaking of Booth, do you see him developing into the type of player Wally envisioned (and paid for),or do you see him as a bust? And what's your favorite nickname for him? SK: As I'm sure you know despite your efforts to play dumb, I am one of the few Booth backers in Seattle. It's getting harder and harder to defend him this year, but I do think it's an issue of (a)not having played much in the last year and (b)inconsistent McMillan rotations. He could clearly play with Dallas; did he just forget how? I don't think so. I don't know for sure that he'll ever be worth the money, but I think he can give you a solid 20-25 minute effort at the center. Block some shots, knock down some jumpers, grab some boards. "Phone" Booth, by the way. HD: Would you have played Anderson more the second half against Dallas? What happened to him anyway? Nate seems to lose guys in the rotation. SK: Tough to answer, since I was watching the game only during Apple Cup commercials. As much as I've disliked the way Anderson's played so far, I think he brings as much to the table as Sesay, so I would give him more minutes. Hopefully if he knew he was getting 15-20 a night, he wouldn't feel the need to shoot every time he has the ball. HD: I'm gonna hit you with several questions at once now so: (1)Do you think the turnaround in the fourth quarter against Dallas was more owing to us getting tired from the short rotation, or Dallas simply getting hot? (2)Do you think we'd be smart to adapt the zone a little more as Dallas has done, & relate this to the last question. (3)Now that we've lost three in a row, do you think that we took our high national power ranking a little too seriously, or have we just been playing tough teams? (4)Who do you think would help this team more,Fred Brown or Jack Sikma? (5)What do you think of John Thompson's explanation of why there seems to be a dearth of big men these days in the prototypical/quintessential style of Bill Russell et all? (6)Have you heard anything from our buddy RT lately? (7)Finally,tell us about the mixed emotions you must have about drawing some Sonics fans away to your new website. In one sense it must be gratifying to have that drawing power, but in another, it must be a bit distressing seeing one of your children founder from lack of attention. SK: 1. At the risk of sounding like a cliche machine, water rises to its own level. You're not going to hold the Mavericks down forever; it just took them a little longer to get going. But again, I didn't watch the game, so it's tough for me to say too much. 2. I'm of the opinion that the zone isn't really viable at the NBA level as a full-time or even base defense. As a change of pace, however, and matched against certain opponents, I do believe it can be effective. It's obvious that this team doesn't have the most effective interior defense, and if a basic 2-3 zone can get the center in the paint much of the time, I think it could work. It might enhance Booth's productivity, which would definitely be a good thing. 3. I think the teams we have played have been tough matchups. Obviously Dallas is hotter than Halle Berry in the new Bond flick. Orlando's a tough matchup for the Sonics because they have two guys who can really create offense from the perimeter. Portland has given the Sonics fits in the Key the last two years. So I don't really read a ton into the losing streak, especially now that it's been snapped. We weren't as good as the 8-2 record; we're surely not as bad as the 0-3 follow-up. As a side note, I thought going into this eight-game (starting with Sacramento) stretch that the Sonics might only go 3-5. So losing some games hasn't surprised me. It was just strange timing, because they won the first two before losing two in a row at home. Lose the Clippers game and beat Portland and everything looks much different. 4. Jack Sikma, without question. These guys know how to shoot, so I question how much Brown could teach them. Sikma obviously has already done some fine work with Lewis, and I'd love to see him have an even larger role in the future. 5. Article, for those of you who have no idea what Heavy's talking about (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/sports/134582697_allen24.html). I agree with Thompson. Guys just don't seem as interested in hanging out in the paint anymore. But Percy Allen neglects to mention that, in addition to Shaq, there's also Tim Duncan. He's struggling early, but you'd be a fool to think he isn't going to be a top-five scorer by season's end. I don't think things are quite as dire as some would have you believe. Guys like Jamaal Magloire, Eddy Curry, and Yao Ming are on the rise. I think this is just a transition period because so many great centers (Patrick Ewing, David Robinson, Hakeem Olajuwon, Alonzo Mourning) have been befallen at once. It's cyclical, and the center position will come back. Also, I think a lot of so-called "post players" never played as much in the post as everyone thought. There are very few guys in this league who just play with their back to the basket. Ewing and Robinson, even Mourning, they all shot plenty of jumpers from the high post. 6. I assume you mean Tillery? I read him fairly often over the summer when the Grizzlies were thinking about signing Jerome James and then did sign Earl Watson, but has he contacted me? No. 7. Honestly, I can't imagine that I'm stealing any of SonicsCentral's audience. If you're die-hard enough to go to SC in the first place, odds are you're reading multiple basketball sites a day. I'd just like to add Supersonics.com to that group, not replace SonicsCentral. And I think that's the case. The legendary and infamous David Kronfield has been a SonicsCentral.com columnist since day one. David can be reached at heavyd@sonicscentral.com. All opinions expressed in this column are solely the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of other columnists or the SonicsCentral.com staff. Got an opinion on this column? Discuss it in the SonicsCentral message boards. The Curmudgeon's Corner Archive