Notebook | Rookie Green catches Carlesimo’s attention
ORLANDO, Fla. - For a six-minute stretch, Jeff Green couldn’t miss.
In addition to sinking his first five shots of the second quarter, he played lockdown defense on Rashard Lewis, forced turnovers, controlled the glass and was one of the few bright spots in the 103-76 defeat to Orlando.
It was the third straight good game for Green, but coach P.J. Carlesimo wants to use the versatile rookie as a reserve and has no immediate plans to put him in the starting lineup.
“He’s pushing for more minutes, which I think is more significant,” Carlesimo said. “I know players always want to start, but we got a little bit of a challenge with our wings and our fours [power forwards] in terms of figuring out what’s the best matchup for us and what’s the best way to have him go out and be successful. It’s nice to start, but it would be better for him to keep playing productive minutes.”
After a slow start, Green has averaged 16 points in the past three games, including 12 on Tuesday. Despite his improved play and ability to play three positions, he averages just over 21 minutes, sixth most on the team.
Ridnour out
In just his second start, Luke Ridnour limped off the court clutching his left thigh and didn’t return in the second half. Carlesimo wasn’t sure, but he didn’t expect his point guard to play today in Miami.
The Sonics coach also did not indicate if he’d return to Earl Watson, who started the first six games, or turn to Delonte West. Before the game, Carlesimo said he would need about a month to evaluate his point guards and determine a starter.
“I knew coming into the season the whole setup and how it was, so it was something that wasn’t shocking that coach decided to make a change,” Watson said. “It was kind of predictable how the process would go about and it still could take longer.”
Watson missed all three field-goal attempts, scored a point and had four assists.
Notes
• The Sonics will be shorthanded at center if Robert Swift (sore right knee) and Kurt Thomas (strained right hamstring) are unable to play. Swift missed his third game of the season Tuesday because of the injury, and Carlesimo was unsure if Thomas would be able to play in back-to-back games.
• Magic F/C Adonal Foyle, who played for Golden State when Latrell Sprewell choked Carlesimo, said the Sonics coach was unfairly criticized.
“I felt it was a bad rap for P.J.,” Foyle told reporters in Orlando. “Coaches tend to not always publicize all the bad things that happen. They don’t go to the media and say this, this and this happened. But there were a lot of incidents leading up to that. I think that everybody has their level of involvement in [the incident] and it should have been even across the board. Sprewell was wrong. Spree wanted out [of Golden State], but ultimately it was P.J. who got the brunt of [the blame] for that incident.”
• Rookie Kevin Durant will appear in the TNT studio Thursday during the network’s doubleheader.
SEATTLE
min
fgm-a
ftm-a
or-t
a
pf
pts
Wilkins
17:59
2-6
0-0
0-5
0
2
4
Wilcox
19:20
2-8
0-0
2-4
0
2
4
Collison
23:59
7-12
1-2
5-6
1
3
15
Ridnour
15:14
1-5
0-0
0-1
3
1
2
Durant
25:12
4-13
2-2
0-1
0
2
10
Szczerbiak
24:03
4-12
0-1
0-3
0
0
8
West
31:47
2-11
1-2
0-5
4
2
6
Green
27:36
5-11
2-3
2-7
1
2
12
Thomas
14:08
2-6
0-0
2-5
1
4
4
Watson
18:07
0-3
1-2
0-0
4
1
1
Petro
14:03
1-5
1-2
1-6
2
2
3
Gelabale
8:32
3-4
0-0
0-1
0
2
7
Totals
33-96
8-14
12-44
16
23
76
Percentages: FG .344, FT .571. Three-point goals: 2-10, .200 (Gelabale 1-1, West 1-3, Green 0-1, Szczerbiak 0-1, Watson 0-1, Durant 0-3). Team rebounds: 7. Team turnovers: 17 (5 PTS). Blocked shots: 5 (Durant 2, Green, Ridnour, Wilcox). Turnovers: 17 (Durant 4, Collison 2, Gelabale 2, Thomas 2, Watson 2, Green, Petro, Szczerbiak, West, Wilkins). Steals: 14 (Collison 3, Green 3, West 3, Durant 2, Gelabale, Ridnour, Wilcox). Technical fouls: Defensive three second, 6:52 second.
min
fgm-a
ftm-a
or-t
a
pf
pts
Turkoglu
28:44
7-15
2-3
0-4
2
4
17
Lewis
29:45
9-15
0-0
0-6
2
Howard
27:19
3-8
7-10
2-12
2
2
13
Nelson
28:38
4-6
0-0
1-6
6
2
8
Bogans
32:04
5-12
1-1
2-7
3
2
16
Foyle
15:17
3-5
0-0
1-7
0
1
6
Dooling
13:23
0-3
2-2
1-1
0
0
2
Ariza
26:45
3-8
5-6
3-11
2
1
11
Arroyo
19:22
0-3
0-0
0-1
5
0
0
Garrity
7:55
1-3
0-0
0-3
1
1
2
Augustine
5:24
1-1
0-0
0-0
0
0
2
Outlaw
5:24
2-3
0-0
0-0
0
1
4
Totals
38-82
17-22
10-58
24
16
103
Percentages: FG .463, FT .773. Three-point goals: 10-25, .400 (Bogans 5-9, Lewis 4-8, Turkoglu 1-3, Ariza 0-1, Dooling 0-2, Garrity 0-2). Team rebounds: 9. Team turnovers: 26 (26 PTS). Blocked shots: 4 (Howard 3, Foyle). Turnovers: 26 (Turkoglu 8, Howard 4, Nelson 4, Arroyo 3, Foyle 3, Bogans 2, Ariza, Outlaw). Steals: 6 (Nelson 2, Ariza, Bogans, Lewis, Turkoglu). Technical fouls: None.
Seattle
14
22
20
20 - 76
Orlando
28
21
36
18 - 103
Attendance: 16,101 (17,248). Time: 2:10. Officials: Monty McCutchen, Michael Smith, Sean Wright.