Seattle’s best shine in NBA

By Jerry Brewer | Seattle Times • Published December 23, 2008

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Amid our bitter, disinterested walk through this Sonics-less NBA season, a blissful thing happened last week.

Brandon Roy scored 52 points.

Then, two days later, Jamal Crawford scored 50.

And all of a sudden, it became clear that Seattle’s professional basketball heart still beats strong.

For all the grief the NBA has given us in 2008, the success of homegrown talents provides Seattle with both an NBA identity and a reason to keep one eye on the sport’s nightly haps. Undoubtedly, the other eye is still squinting in disgust.

In fact, that’s the best-case scenario -- half anger, half interest in the locals -- and there’s an even larger faction that won’t be moved to watch again at all. Such is the result of being so thoroughly hosed by the wicked business practices of a sports league ignoring the everlasting benefits of staying invested in a community.

There’s nothing wrong with Seattle fans who’ve sworn off the NBA forever. But for those on the fence or seeking a source of inspiration, consider how well some of the area’s young stars are blossoming.

Beyond Roy (Garfield High School) and Crawford (Rainier Beach), Seattle-area players Aaron Brooks, Spencer Hawes and Rodney Stuckey have become major factors as second-year players and will soon turn into go-to guys.

Nate Robinson has emerged into a premier scoring threat with the New York Knicks, averaging 24.6 points his past five games. Marvin Williams has yet to grow into the superstar that many had expected, but he’s added a three-point shot to his repertoire and has played better than his numbers (13.5 points, 6.3 rebounds). And Jason Terry, the veteran of the bunch, is the best sixth man in the league, averaging 21.2 points for the Dallas Mavericks.

The only Seattle-area player not thriving currently is Martell Webster, but that’s because injuries have limited him to only one game this season. Nevertheless, the sharpshooter signed a four-year, $20 million contract before the season to solidify his NBA standing after leaping from high school to the pros three years ago.

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