Next year looms close for scuffling SonicsFRANK HUGHES; The News TribunePublished: February 14th, 2006 02:30 AMMILWAUKEE ? Seattle SuperSonics coach Bob Hill has allies on the team.A day after Hill said the team would give up battling for the Northwest Division title and begin developing players if general manager Rick Sund was unable to trade for a backup point guard in the next 10 days, his two team captains said they understood Hill?s approach and did not have a problem with it.?The guys that we have potentially may or may not be here next year,? Ray Allen said after the team practiced at Marquette University?s Al McGuire Center. ?Organizationally, if our chances are slim to make the playoffs, we have to focus on who is going to be here in the future. It seems like a logical move. Our young guys have been playing well. It does get frustrating when you feel like you have to play for next season.?Sonics co-captain Rashard Lewis concurred.?Right now, we are not playing well,? Lewis said. ?It is not looking too bright for us. When you know you are not going to make the playoffs, why play your main guys and get somebody injured when you can start focusing on next season??That, folks, is pretty close to a team that won 52 games a season ago admitting this season, with two months left to play, is a failure.Of course, Sund said he continues to talk to teams about making a deal, and there remains a decent chance that something will be done by the Feb. 23 trade deadline. The Sonics are prominently mentioned in various trade rumors around the league ? even ones that don?t make much sense ? and it appears as if forward Reggie Evans is being pursued by a number of teams that could use his rebounding skills.But even if the Sonics make a deal, they find themselves seven games behind the division-leading Denver after Sunday?s loss to the Nuggets. They have four games before the deadline.?We have to focus on the next (few) games before the deadline,? Allen said. ?Our production is ultimately going to decide what decision we need to or don?t need to make.?Hill on Sunday said that if a trade is not made, he will focus more extensively on developing Robert Swift and Johan Petro, who get few plays called for them during games.That is a dramatic switch from the team?s current offense, which creates opportunities for Allen and Lewis, the team?s two leading scorers.?I am all for it,? Allen said. ?I think it does make my job a lot easier. I have been around long enough; 20 points for me is easy to come by. I have to be more efficient, making sure Swift gets the ball and forcing him to play.?Sund said no decision has been made on Hill?s future, that he will be evaluated at the end of the season. Sund said that switching the focus to the development of youngsters will not necessarily hurt Hill?s chances to continue as coach after the season.?In my view, he?s been developing since he took over,? Sund said. ?He?s done a nice job.?Sund seemed more upset with the officiating during the Sonics? 120-112 overtime loss to the Nuggets, a game in which Denver shot 40 free throws to Seattle?s 20, and the officials missed a blatant double-dribble call on Carmelo Anthony at the end of regulation that could have affected the outcome.Sund called the league a few times Monday morning to complain but had not spoken to anybody. Sund said he left a few messages. Hill said he was going to put together a tape of the calls to show the league.Meanwhile, Lewis, who missed Sunday?s game with a right quadriceps contusion, said he thinks he will play tonight against the Milwaukee Bucks.Lewis was moving much more fluidly at practice Monday and did not appear to have the same limp he had the prior few days.?I?m pretty sure I will be playing,? Lewis said. ?It still hurts, it?s still tight, but I will be wearing a football pad. Just try to get it loose before the game and see if I can go these last two games before the All-Star break.?SUPERSONICS GAMEDAYSEATTLE (20-31) vs. MILWAUKEE (26-24)When: 5 p.m., Bradley Center.TV: FSN.Radio: 950-AM.Series: This is the first meeting of the season. The teams split two games last season.Scouting report: Sonics forward Rashard Lewis is expected to play after missing Sunday?s game with a right quadriceps contusion. If he can?t go, he will be replaced by Damien Wilkins, who has averaged 23.5 points the past two games. Coach Bob Hill said he briefly considered playing Lewis at the power forward spot and Wilkins at small forward, but he was not a big fan of Lewis at power forward. The Sonics have lost five of their past six games. They have two games left before the All-Star break. The Bucks are coached by former Sonics assistant Terry Stotts. The Bucks have had two in-flight incidents in the past week in which mechanical problems forced their flights to land.Next: 5 p.m. Wednesday at Minnesota Timberwolves, Target Center. http://www.thenewstribune.com/sports/sonic...p-4976655c.html
Also Ray Allen is not close to his numbers of last year. He is forcing a lot of bad shots. Also they lost Antonio Daniels and their tough big man that had career years last year. I think they need a center first and than a backup point guard.
My bad. The problem with this team is that they are giving up 106.8 ppg. The offense is fine but the rebounding and defense is what is killing them this year.
Next will be better there front court will get way way better with cause there young and getting better. Wilcox,Petro and Swift will be way way better then Luke is bound to get better so it might look bad for right now but next year is the year they bounce back
