Rick Sund
Rick Sund
Rick Sundis an NBA executive who is the former GM of the Atlanta Hawks, replacing Billy Knight in 2008...
good guy heals hopefully last quarter starting tough year
We were so good last year being injury-free. Nick's starting to play pretty good, a really good first quarter (on Sunday). He's a tough guy and hopefully it heals and he will be back.
again depth five four last strengths year
One of the strengths of the Sonics, last year and again this year, is depth at the four and five spots.
ability bulk center concerns depth guy last length match nick position robert running strength talent teams toughness unless youth
One of our concerns has been, and probably always will be - unless you have a (Tim) Duncan or a Shaq (O'Neal) - having enough depth at the center position with enough flexibility so you can match up with all the different teams, because teams give you different looks, ... That was a strength last year, and it will be another strength for us this year. We have the strength with Vitaly, versatility and talent with a guy like Nick Collison, a low-post game. You have some length now and running ability in Mikki and some youth in Petro and Robert and some toughness and bulk in Danny.
excellent last pleasant season summer utah
He had an excellent summer for us in Utah and last season was a pleasant surprise. We'd like to give him another opportunity.
best both change felt interest last might talked trying weeks word
We've epitomized the word 'inconsistent' for professional basketball. We talked a lot in the last two weeks trying to (figure out) 'How can we get more consistent?' ... We talked, and we both kind of felt that a change might be in the best interest of the club.
fighting fights-and-fighting league meaningful playoff playoffs race step
We're in a playoff race, and not only in the race but fighting for home-court advantage, and he had to step up and get meaningful minutes. When he did that, he responded. Nothing is more meaningful than the playoffs in the NBA. That's why the league went after him.
belief knew selling
We knew we were the first. It was a selling point. We also wanted him to feel the belief we had in him.
chris excited guys looking types
We like a lot of things that Chris can do. And we are excited to have him. He's only 23 years old and he can run. Those are the types of guys we are looking for.
discuss happy liked number
We did discuss a number of proposals, and in the end, they liked the qualifying offer. We're very happy to have him back.
decided fit good happy player return shoot three
We're happy Vladimir has decided to return to the Sonics. He's a multi-positional player who can shoot the three and he's a good fit with our team.
absolutely asset both players proven ray thrilled top tremendous welcome
We're absolutely thrilled to welcome Ray back to our team. He's a proven All-Star and one of the top players in the NBA. He's been a tremendous asset for the Sonics, both on and off the court.
absolutely players proven top
We're absolutely thrilled. He's a proven all-star and one of the top players in the NBA.
next plan playoffs
My only plan is next season. I think we're playoff-caliber, and our expectations are we should make the playoffs next year.
above athletic fresh looking player plus run start
We were looking for an athletic player that can play above the rim. His athleticism is a big plus for us, and he can run and can finish. He's looking for a place to be where he can get a fresh start as well.