Sonics epitomize long shots
By Terry Brown
NBA Insider
Monday, September 13
Ray Allen wants to be paid $100 million over the next seven years, not only because he is one of the best players on the Seattle SuperSonics but also because he is one of the best shooters in the NBA.
The problem, though, is that the Sonics are already paying Rashard Lewis, Vladimir Radmanovic and Flip Murray (as well as Brent Barry last year) to be Ray Allen.
During the 2004 season, the Sonics shot a whopping 1,936 3-pointers. The audaciously offensive Mavericks, by comparison, shot 1,456. The notoriously unbalanced Celtics shot 1,599. There wasn't a team in the NBA that was 300 triples close to these Sonics -- and that was with Allen injured for a substantial portion of the season.
Allen played in only 56 games last year and still put up 378 3-pointers. The only player to beat him in that category was Lewis, who had 386 attempts in 80 games. Right behind Allen was Radmanovic, who had 377 3-point attempts in 77 games. Add in Barry's 252 as the playmaker on the team and Murray's 229 off the bench, and you have the most prolific long-range team in the NBA.
But by all indications, Lewis wants to shoot more. In his first full season in the Sonic rotation in 2000, Lewis took 120 3-pointers. The next year, he became a starter and took 285 triples. Year after that, his long-range attempts were up to 316. Last year, he took 386.
Forget the fact that in Lewis' best season in the NBA, which just so happened to be in 2003, he took only 217 3-pointers and averaged a career-high 18.1 points per game. This kid has fallen in love with the long shot.
But he isn't the only one on this team. In Radmanovic's first season in the NBA, he shot 157 3-pointers while grabbing only 185 defensive rebounds as a 6-foot-10 power forward. The following year, he took 293 3-pointers compared to only 247 defensive rebounds. Last year, his third in the NBA, he took 377 3-pointers compared to 302 defensive rebounds.
The long shot became more than an offensive strategy for this team. It became a culture. Three out of every 10 shots were from beyond the arc as 2,169 of Seattle's total of 7,964 points scored were triples.
The Soncis' leading scorer was a small forward. Their second-leading scorer was a shooting guard. Their third-leading scorer was the back-up guard. Their fourth-leading scorer was Radmanovic -- a post player only by introduction -- and their fifth-leading scorer was the point guard.
The Sonics didn't have a power player who averaged more than 7.1 points per game. They also didn't have a single player who averaged more than 6.5 rebounds per game. They had only two players who averaged more than 0.6 blocks per game, and no one posted more than 1.4.
But here's the rub. They won only 37 games and missed the playoffs by six to a team that spent $14.6 million less on payroll.
Ray Allen
Shooting guard
Seattle SuperSonics
Allen becomes a free agent after next year and, according to reports, is asking for a six-year deal worth about $100 million. The Sonics are offering six years at about $70 million, which is curiously close to Lewis' deal that will pay him $65 million over his term; Radmanovic and Murray are also up for free agency next year, and Barry's already gone to San Antonio.
Let's say the Sonics are able to satisfy Allen at some compromised cost and retain Radmanovic despite his agent's obscene demands, then what are we to expect of them?
Two-thousand 3-point attempts?
Forty wins?
Allen is perhaps one of the best 10 or 15 players in the game today. He has shown that he can be more than just a shooter by upping his assist, rebound and steal numbers since coming to Seattle from Milwaukee.
But Allen and Lewis?
Allen, Lewis and Radmanovic?
Allen, Lewis, Radmanovic and Murray?
Put them all in a barrel, shake them up, use a blindfold and pull one out. Can you really tell the difference? Why not trade for Peja Stojakovic, Allan Houston and get Steve Kerr out of retirement. Because if the Sonics aren't careful over the next 82 games, they could turn their immediate future into one long 3-point shooting contest with little hope of coming out a winner.
By Terry Brown
NBA Insider
Monday, September 13
Ray Allen wants to be paid $100 million over the next seven years, not only because he is one of the best players on the Seattle SuperSonics but also because he is one of the best shooters in the NBA.
The problem, though, is that the Sonics are already paying Rashard Lewis, Vladimir Radmanovic and Flip Murray (as well as Brent Barry last year) to be Ray Allen.
During the 2004 season, the Sonics shot a whopping 1,936 3-pointers. The audaciously offensive Mavericks, by comparison, shot 1,456. The notoriously unbalanced Celtics shot 1,599. There wasn't a team in the NBA that was 300 triples close to these Sonics -- and that was with Allen injured for a substantial portion of the season.
Allen played in only 56 games last year and still put up 378 3-pointers. The only player to beat him in that category was Lewis, who had 386 attempts in 80 games. Right behind Allen was Radmanovic, who had 377 3-point attempts in 77 games. Add in Barry's 252 as the playmaker on the team and Murray's 229 off the bench, and you have the most prolific long-range team in the NBA.
But by all indications, Lewis wants to shoot more. In his first full season in the Sonic rotation in 2000, Lewis took 120 3-pointers. The next year, he became a starter and took 285 triples. Year after that, his long-range attempts were up to 316. Last year, he took 386.
Forget the fact that in Lewis' best season in the NBA, which just so happened to be in 2003, he took only 217 3-pointers and averaged a career-high 18.1 points per game. This kid has fallen in love with the long shot.
But he isn't the only one on this team. In Radmanovic's first season in the NBA, he shot 157 3-pointers while grabbing only 185 defensive rebounds as a 6-foot-10 power forward. The following year, he took 293 3-pointers compared to only 247 defensive rebounds. Last year, his third in the NBA, he took 377 3-pointers compared to 302 defensive rebounds.
The long shot became more than an offensive strategy for this team. It became a culture. Three out of every 10 shots were from beyond the arc as 2,169 of Seattle's total of 7,964 points scored were triples.
The Soncis' leading scorer was a small forward. Their second-leading scorer was a shooting guard. Their third-leading scorer was the back-up guard. Their fourth-leading scorer was Radmanovic -- a post player only by introduction -- and their fifth-leading scorer was the point guard.
The Sonics didn't have a power player who averaged more than 7.1 points per game. They also didn't have a single player who averaged more than 6.5 rebounds per game. They had only two players who averaged more than 0.6 blocks per game, and no one posted more than 1.4.
But here's the rub. They won only 37 games and missed the playoffs by six to a team that spent $14.6 million less on payroll.
Ray Allen
Shooting guard
Seattle SuperSonics
Allen becomes a free agent after next year and, according to reports, is asking for a six-year deal worth about $100 million. The Sonics are offering six years at about $70 million, which is curiously close to Lewis' deal that will pay him $65 million over his term; Radmanovic and Murray are also up for free agency next year, and Barry's already gone to San Antonio.
Let's say the Sonics are able to satisfy Allen at some compromised cost and retain Radmanovic despite his agent's obscene demands, then what are we to expect of them?
Two-thousand 3-point attempts?
Forty wins?
Allen is perhaps one of the best 10 or 15 players in the game today. He has shown that he can be more than just a shooter by upping his assist, rebound and steal numbers since coming to Seattle from Milwaukee.
But Allen and Lewis?
Allen, Lewis and Radmanovic?
Allen, Lewis, Radmanovic and Murray?
Put them all in a barrel, shake them up, use a blindfold and pull one out. Can you really tell the difference? Why not trade for Peja Stojakovic, Allan Houston and get Steve Kerr out of retirement. Because if the Sonics aren't careful over the next 82 games, they could turn their immediate future into one long 3-point shooting contest with little hope of coming out a winner.
