Strange item in Percy Allen's notebook column in the Seattle Times this morning: Sonic point guards Luke Ridnour and Earl Watson have beef. [Coach Bob] Hill also acknowledged for the first time that he has had to manage tension between Ridnour and Watson.It's understood that Watson and Ridnour would compete for minutes at lead guard -- neither is really that much better than the other. Nether can shoot worth a damn, Ridnour is the better distributor, and Watson is vastly superior on defense. (But the Sonics aren't exactly defensive-minded, so that leg up means little.)
Does the drama, which Allen indicates seems more smoke than all-out fire, revolve solely around starts and minutes? Or are there other problems in the Seattle locker room?
Whatever the case, the Sonics front office needs to deal with it now. Both guys are locked up at $5-6 million per year until 2010. I think one of them's going to get traded this summer, and I'd bet it's Watson. The Lakers sure could use him.




