Are the Sonics for real?

[stkelly52]

At the start of this season the Seattle Sonics were picked by most everyone as one of the 5 worst teams in the NBA. ESPN had them as the second worst team in the NBA (ahead of only the Bobcats). After thier first game (a 114 84 loss to the Clippers) People were saying that McMillian would not last the month as coach. Local talk radio lamblasted Seattle's management for saying that they felt this team was a legitamit playoff contender.

Now the Sonics have the NBA's best record (shared with the Suns). How could every prognosticator have been so wrong about this team? OR were they? Can the Sonics keep winning like this all year?

[JonInMiddleGA]

Absolutely, Sonics are for real.

Their Breakfast Toaster sandwich rocks, especially being able to get them any time of day or night. AFAIC, they really are what the motto says "America's Drive-In".

[gottimd]

Can the Sonics keep winning like this all year?

As long as they continue to outscore their opponents, I don't see a reason why the can't.

[MikeVic]

They CAN'T!!! Argh!! It's all a fluke. How can they keep winning.

[Suicane75]

Man, i could go for a blizzard and one of those giant burgers right about now.

[dawgfan]

I have a hard time imagining that they'll keep up this torrid pace, but this could very well be a 50-win team by the end of the season. Let's review what's working and why it might last:

1. Shooting - The Sonics have been one of the top outside shooting teams in the league for a while now, and they still have great shooters in Ray Allen and Rashad Lewis, and Vlad Radmanovic is stepping up as well. The Sonics are getting more open looks this year as the big men are setting more picks.

2. Rebounding - The addition of Danny Fortson and the delayed debut of Nick Collison have made a big difference here. The Sonics have one of the best rebounding ratios in the league, and much of that can be attributed to Fortson. He's always been a rebounding beast (check his rebound per minute numbers over his career) and he's rubbing off on Collison and Reggie Evans.

3. PG play - Luke Ridnour has really progressed in his 2nd season; he's much more consistent and confident in running the team, and he's done a good job of penetrating just enough to draw defensive attention his way before he makes the pass to a wide open Lewis on the wing or Fortson down low. Antonio Daniels still has one of the best assist-to-turnover ratios in the game as the backup, and along with Ridnour provides the Sonics very strong PG play.

4. Defensive pressure - Nate McMillan has always been a defense-first kind of guy, and he's got a team now that is buying in to his philosophy. With Brent Barry, the Sonics last year just didn't have a PG that could pressure the opposing point; Ridnour and Daniels can and do. Add in the aggressive play of Fortson and Evans and it rubs off on guys like Jerome James and Collison.

5. Team buy-in - The early success the Sonics have had has made is easier for everyone on the team to buy-in on their formula for success. James is a guy that in the past has been notorious for sulking when he wasn't involved on the offense. Now he's willing to wait for garbage points and put some effort into shot-blocking and rebounding. Allen is willing to expend some effort on defense rather than saving it all on the offensive end. Daniels is content with backing up Ridnour. Radmanovic is not sulking about being the 6th man and is putting some effort into rebounding and guarding 4's and 5's when necessary.

It'll be real interesting to see what the Sonics do as the season progresses - they have a lot of guys in free agent years, including Allen; do they try and trade for another piece and go for it now? Do they stand pat, not wanting to disrupt what they've got? Will they start to fall apart, and if so will management deal away the free agents-to-be?

[korme]

it's all about Danny Fortson baby