Midway through the Seattle SuperSonics 2003-04 preseason schedule, SUPERSONICS.COM listed the ten biggest questions facing the Sonics this season. With the calendar having been turned to 2004 and more than a third of the schedule completed, it?s time to take an early look at the answers to these questions. Where does Rashard Lewis go from here? This is a question that is still in the process of being answered, but the 25 games Sonics All-Star Ray Allen sat out provided a great deal of insight into Lewis? future. He certainly has become the ?consistent twenty-point scorer? discussed in that article; he?s almost averaging twenty a night and has hit the mark twelve times this season. However, Lewis has struggled under the pressure of physical defense, especially with other teams focusing on him. The weight of being the go-to guy for the Sonics also proved a heavy one for Lewis, and it is evident that he is more comfortable playing a sidekick role alongside Allen. It doesn?t look like Lewis will make his first All-Star appearance this season, but at age 24 he continues to develop. Can Brent Barry hold down the point for 80 games? Barry was another player who missed playing alongside Allen, in Barry?s case because the presence of a second player who could initiate the offense helped take the pressure off of him. The backcourt of Barry and Ronald ?Flip? Murray proved turnover-prone, a big reason why Murray was replaced by Antonio Daniels in the starting lineup. Surprisingly, despite playing the point much of the time, Barry has seen his assist average (4.9 apg) drop not only from last season (5.1) but also from two seasons ago (5.3), when he played shooting guard exclusively. It appears that Barry can play the point, but needs help from his backcourt-mate. Injuries, as expected, have also been a concern with Barry. He missed three games earlier this month because of a strained left hip flexor, and was hampered before sitting down. Ten Questions
Read this a few days ago, thanks for posting bud. My main concern, as always, is Rashard Lewis. Time and again I see the talent there, but the inconsistency drives me nuts. He should be an All-Star, he has the game to be an All-Star but he doesn't bring his game every night. My other concern is Vladimir Radmanovic. Forever embroiled in trade talks, last night against Cleveland showed exactly what he is capable of if he doesn't just rely on his perimeter shooting. A valuable trade bait, but also a valuable player when he's really focused.
