Reggie Evans - Waiting and seeing..

[Kings113]

Seattle Times - When he first walked through their doors three years ago, the Sonics had no idea what they had in Reggie Evans, an undrafted rookie free agent out of Iowa. They struggled with quantifying the value of the rugged power forward who was all elbows, floor burns and determination.

He earned a spot on their roster, won a starting job and led Seattle in rebounding two of the past three seasons. Despite his production on the boards, Evans has always felt unappreciated on a team where three-point shooting is a red-hot commodity.

The perceived sleight became exacerbated this summer when he was next to last among the team's nine free agents to receive a contract offer.

"I'm looking at this like, they are going to take care of the people who they feel is important," Evans said several weeks ago. "Everybody else, well, we got to take what's left. Does that make me feel good? No. But that's how it's always been with me and this team."

So when the Sonics report to the Furtado Center this morning for physicals and testing, Evans, a restricted free agent, will stay home.

Technically, he is not a holdout because he does not have a contract with the Sonics.

"This is a situation where we've taken the posture that Reggie is a free agent and he can sign with any team in the league," general manager Rick Sund said. "We would consider bringing him back, but so far, what he's seen from us hasn't been to his liking."

http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/37438/20051003/evans_to_play_wait_and_see_with_the_sonics/

Interesting. If he doesn't come back, Radmanovic will be starting at PF (Was obvious during the mulit-year deal talk, that's over, and is still talked about a lot). That doesn't sound fitting at all. Well, aside from Reggie's boarding, that's why they need to re-sign this guy. Fortson isn't an option to start, if he does, he'll be fouling out/picking up 3 fouls quick. Collision, who knows? But I personally think that'd be the best for the team, regardless of experience.

Reggie should come to Sac. (Yes, I know it's slim-none).

 

[Kings113]

The follow-up, as I thought (one-year):

Press Release - Seattle SuperSonics General Manager Rick Sund announced today that Reggie Evans has signed a one-year qualifying offer to remain with the Sonics.

“We’re thrilled to have one of the top rebounders in the NBA back in a Sonics uniform this season,” said Sund. “Reggie is a tenacious rebounder and he has always found a way to have an impact on the court. He’s like a bulldog around the boards.”

Last season, Evans’ third in the NBA, he averaged 4.9 points and a career-high 9.3 rebounds in 79 games. Evans, who was not drafted by an NBA team, signed with Seattle as a free agent on Sept. 30, 2002.

In a related move, the Sonics requested waivers on swingman Omar Thomas (Texas El-Paso).

http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/37462/20051004/sonics_re_sign_reggie_evans/

Some other stuff from earlier today on Sonics:

950, KJR is reporting that Reggie Evans will be reporting to camp. Evans has decided to sign the one year tender agreement and become an unrestricted free agent next season. The Sonics had offered Evans a 2 year 5 million dollar deal.
Evans will compete for the starting power forward job with Vlady Radmanovic and Nick Collison. Bob Weiss said yesterday that he likes Evans with Potapenko more then liked Evans with James. Also, he said he would like for Collison to come off the bench.

The Sonics had media day this evening. Camp starts tomorrow. Here is a collection of the discussion points at Media Day.

As we reported Friday night on 950, KJR Reggie Evans is holding out until he comes to a contract agreement with the Sonics. According to sources, the Sonics offered a 2 year 5 million dollar contract. Evans’ agent is notorious for tough negotiations. The Sonics are not surprised by this development. Head Coach Bob Weiss said he knows what Evans can do, but they will put heavy focus on defense in the opening of camp and the 4 spot will be won by defense. Defensive rotations have not always been a strong point for Evans.
The 4 position will be the most interesting battle in camp. Weiss says he would like to bring Collison off the bench. He really likes the combination of Fortson and Collison on the floor together. However, Weiss did say that Collison will finish games for the Sonics. He also noted that Collison was far and away the best defensive forward on the team last season. According to Weiss, Collison is shooting the ball great.
Weiss also said in some ways he likes the combo of Reggie and Vitaly better then the combo of Reggie and Jerome James last season, because Reggie and James were two non-shooters.
He also mentioned the idea of starting Vlady Radmanovic as the 4 and playing the way Phoenix did last season.

Bob Weiss main point was that last year’s team was within one shot of pushing the World Champs to Game 7 and they did with a terrible defensive team statistically.
In an attempt to change that he will put heavy focus on transition defense and being a more focused defensive unit.
This will be done primarily in two ways. He says every play in the NBA is built around the 1st, 2nd and 3rd option. His design is to guard those 3 with 5. He talked about a concept of contain, help and help the helper.
They have hired Brendon Malone, a long time NBA assistant to join the staff. Malone has worked with both Hubie Brown and Chuck Daly in his career.
Bob Hill, another new assistant, has also with Brown and Larry Brown. They both bring heavy defensive knowledge.
The defense will be much simpler with just 2 ways to play the mid pick and roll and 1 on way to play the side. The hope is that will improve execution.

Practices will be much more 5 on 5. Weiss will take an idea from Jeff Van Gundy. Before each practice the team will hold a “forum” and then go out and practice which should help the flow and conditioning.

Style offensively will be more focused on a fast break. Weiss felt last year’s focus on the secondary break often got players thinking of where they should go on the second part of the break rather then focusing on how to score in the initial break. Weiss wants the basketball skills to be free to show. On the break he wants penetration and then play basketball.

http://lockedonsports.blogspot.com/

 

[Kings113]

Cont'd:

And as onlookers peered in and tried to determine exactly what look Radmanovic was attempting to achieve – 12-year-old skater punk? – the fifth-year veteran insisted that he did not turn down the Sonics’ contract offer of $42 million over six years because of the money.

Why, exactly, he rejected that amount of guaranteed cash and accepted a one-year qualifying offer of $3.2 million, Radmanovic never really made clear.



“Basically, I made the decision to play it out this year and see how the market is next year,” he said. “I know it is going to be a tough situation, a lot of pressure on me, but I am willing to take it and just take care of my own destiny.



“Next year, there is going to be 30 teams and everybody is going to have fair market, so I just want to see what it is like to be (an unrestricted) free agent.”



It was pointed out to Radmanovic that he was taking a considerable gamble, considering he was sidelined at different times last season with an injured wrist, a fractured leg and a sprained ankle. Radmanovic disagreed.



“I don’t see it as a gamble,” he said. “I just hope I am going to stay healthy. I am going to try to be better than last year. I am ready. Mentally. Physically. So it is going to be an exciting season for everybody.”



One of the issues Radmanovic has had with the Sonics in recent years is that he yearns to be a starter. Former Sonics coach Nate McMillan brought him off the bench to replace center Jerome James and create mismatches.



But Radmanovic did not voice his desires or displeasures Monday, as he has in the past.



“It is all up to the coach,” Radmanovic said. “If I am coming off the bench, I guess I don’t have a choice. There is a training camp, and that is the place to get a starting position, and I am ready for it.”



The battle for the starting power forward position will be one of the most hotly contested in this training camp, with Radmanovic competing against Nick Collison and Reggie Evans.



The other four starters are virtually certain to be Luke Ridnour and Ray Allen starting in the backcourt, Rashard Lewis at small forward and Vitaly Potapenko at center. Potapenko missed media day to tend to some personal business in Florida, and is expected to be in camp either today or Wednesday.



Evans, however, has been unable to come to terms on a contract, missed media day and will miss at least part of training camp, barring a last-minute change.



The Sonics are thought to be offering Evans a two-year contract for $5.3 million, but Evans has been asking for almost double that, pointing out that he has been a starting power forward.



It seems unlikely at this stage that another team is going to offer Evans a contract, so it seems inevitable that he will report at some point.



New coach Bob Weiss said he really likes the starting combination of Evans and Potapenko -–rather than Evans and James, now with the Knicks – because Potapenko can shoot from 17 feet, which gives Evans more interior space.



Weiss said he would prefer that Collison not start.



“I would like that spot not to go to Nick Collison right now,” Weiss said. “Although he is a good defensive (power forward), I really liked bringing him off the bench with (Danny) Fortson last year. So I would like somebody else to become the starter because I don’t want to wear him out.”



Weiss said he will make a few changes in camp and over the course of the season. One change will be talking to players at the start of practice rather than lecturing them extensively in the middle of practice – a subtle criticism of McMillan.



For now, the team will have two-a-day practices, with 21/2 hours of running and contact in the morning and an hour of non-contact drills in the evening.



Two rule changes he will make will allow brief cell phone conversations on the bus – which McMillan forbid – and allow players to wear comfortable clothing on long flights.



“I can’t tell you how many flight attendants came up to me and told me we have the nicest team in the league to fly with,” Weiss said. “To me, how they treat people is more important than how they dress.”



Fast break



Although the team has not announced it, Weiss has hired long-time assistant Brendan Malone as a coach, although his title is consultant because he cannot sit on the bench.

http://www.thenewstribune.com/sports/sonics/story/5228326p-4749411c.html

Injuries held Radmanovic back last season. He missed 19 regular-season games because of a stress fracture in his right fibula and the final five playoff games with a sprained right ankle, suffered in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals against San Antonio.



New Sonics coach Bob Weiss said power forward is going to be the most competitive spot in training camp, with Allen, Rashard Lewis, point guard Luke Ridnour, and veteran center Vitaly Potapenko already marked as starters.



If free-agent forward Reggie Evans, the team's leading rebounder (9.3), doesn't agree on a contract, Radmanovic's top competition would be leading candidate Nick Collison.

Radmanovic, 25, would have to improve on his weakside defense and rebounding.



"I would like for that spot not to go to Nick Collison right now, although I think he's a very good defensive four," said Weiss of waiting a year before starting Collison full-time. "I really liked bringing him off the bench with [Danny] Fortson last year. I'd like somebody else to be able to become the starter because I don't want to wear him out at that position. Right now, he's going to be a guy who's on the floor when the game finishes."

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/sports/2002538034_vlade04.html

Radmanovic winning the PF spot would be a weird shocker. I figured it'd be all but locked up now with Evans back.

Well, Seattle has most of their depth back anyways. Two big blows aside.

 

[thesanityannex]

"I'm looking at this like, they are going to take care of the people who they feel is important," Evans said several weeks ago. "Everybody else, well, we got to take what's left. Does that make me feel good? No. But that's how it's always been with me and this team."


This new dress code could help him with his image, because his grammar doesn't.