NBA

Expansion better option than Kings

Let us all take a deep breath, Seattleites, and exhale slowly, please. Why would we want to adopt another city’s team, their history and lore, former players — shoot, even their asterisks along with the current roster and ongoing headaches? We are the Sonics. We qualify for a team, so says his imminence, Commissioner David Stern himself. We are a proud NBA metropolis, not a loathing, self-serving salvage city.

Let’s be patient, and give Mr. Hansen and Mr. Ballmer the opportunity to welcome an NBA franchise, perhaps an expansion team, on enviable terms.

– Tom Newell, North Bend

Hansen's intentions always clear

There should be no public (or private) apologies forthcoming to either Howard Schultz or Clay Bennett. Though Terry M. Dolan’s letter (“Public apology to Schultz, Bennett,” Jan. 27) correctly states that the end results are the same, the process by which it was achieved were quite a bit different.

I remember Schultz whining about wanting a new arena, and the next thing we knew, he’s selling the team to Bennett, that carpet bagger from Oklahoma City. Bennett said he wanted to make the team a success in Seattle. We all know how well that turned out.

Chris Hansen’s intentions were clear from the beginning. The people who were critical of both Bennett and Schultz were justified and those two deserved to be vilified for their actions.

– Kevin Hogan, Seattle

Kings will save by moving here

Fortunately for the Kings, Washington doesn’t have a state income tax for professional athletes. The Kings will save money by moving to Seattle. For their games in California, they will still pay California state income tax. Our tax dollars and new stadium will save their jobs from the death spiral of low investment, low talent, low attendance – oblivion. We get a second-rate team and help pay California taxes. A Washington state income tax should be applied to any jobs bought with our tax dollars.

– Dick Buckwitz, Issaquah

Stern won’t let NBA return

As long as David Stern is the commissioner of the NBA, Seattle will not have a team. He will go out of his way to not allow the sale of the Sacramento Kings to the Hansen/Ballmer group and, at the last minute, declare that the Kings rightfully belong in Sacramento. That’s a right that Seattle apparently wasn’t entitled to.

– Robert Oberlander, Issaquah

Huskies

Time to return to old offense

You have to admire coach Lorenzo Romar for making Washington men’s basketball relevant again. After watching several games this season, however, I admit to being confused by the new high-post offense. It appears that the players are also confused. There is a lot of standing around, a lot of ineffective screens, and it seldom seems to generate open shots. In fact, all too often the offense boils down to someone finally going one-on-one against his defender and trying to get off a shot before the shot clock runs out.

Thursday’s game against Arizona was a perfect example. About the only uncontested shots were free throws.

The defense is keeping the team in games, and the offense appears to be costing games. Perhaps it’s time to go back to the old offense.

– Raymond S. Wilson, Bellevue

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