Time to look back on the season and recognize the good, the bad, and most certainly the ugly of the Sonics' 2003-2004 season. My picks for the awards are as follows... MVP Brent Barry If you look at the Sonics roster and stats throughout the season, you immediately pinpoint Ray Allen as the Most Valuable Player. I don't think this is the case this year however. the most important statistic is wins and when Brent Barry was on the court for the Sonics he produced and the team had a better chance to win. This point was magnified when Brent was sent to the injured list after breaking a finger. Anyone used to watching the Sonics could tell that they were missing something during those games he missed, they were missing a key element. They were missing Brent Barry. As soon as Bones re-entered the lineup the Sonics won seven straight. Most Improved Ronald "Flip" Murray Coming off a year where he averaged under a free throw a game, Flip Murray made a splash in Seattle. The former afterthought of the Gary Payton/Ray Allen deal immediately showed off his skills in preseason and continued his emergence into the regular season. Flip averaged over 20 points at the beginning of the season and managed to average 12 off the bench and fill in for MVP Brent Barry (along with Ridnour and Daniels) as best as he could. Going from an unknown to crossing guys over at the Rookie/Soph game and gaining the respect of many notches his Most Improved status for me. High Point in the Season 7 Game Win Streak Before the Sonics beat Orlando 115-101 on March 13th they hadn't won more than three straight. Barry's return ignited the Sonics and gave hope to their fans that a playoff birth was in the future, especially since four of the seven wins were away games. Low Point in the Season April 2nd loss to the Lakers This loss capped a 4 game losing streak to push the Sonics out of the playoffs. After being so hot the previous seven games, the Supes caved in and clinched their 2nd straight losing season. Any comments? Feel free to post your choices for these or other categories.
MVP: Brent Barry For exactly the reasons Shard outlined. While there is no doubt Ray was our best performed player, the bottom line is wins. Seattle need Barry in the team to win , and that's good enough reasoning for me. A 5-15 stretch in the 20 games Brent missed effectively dashed any hope the Sonics had of making the playoffs. Most Improved: Flip Murray Who knows if he was most improved, he simply got playing time. But there is no doubt Seattle have unwrapped a gem here, his 12 points a game good for third on the team, and he helped ease the pain of Ray's injury in the early point of the season. High Point: Beating the Lakers on the Buzzer Gary Payton's return to the key, and it was almost Kobe Bryant who stole the show. Going head to head with Ray Allen in the last quarter, Bryant threatened to steal the game before Ray hit an impossible twisting lay up to fittingly, beat the legend that was traded to get him, and endear himself to Seattle fans more than ever. He finished with 35 points. Low Point: Tumbling out of playoff contention. Enough said.
