Power Ranking | ||||
SEASON | WEEK | RECORD | RANK | COMMENT |
2005 | Training Camp | 37-45 | 29 | Only two teams in the West have no shot at the playoffs, and this is No. 1 on that list. The return of Nick Collison will help, but it was another way-too-quiet summer in Seattle. |
2005 | Preseason | 37-45 | 28 | Brent Barry makes a Week 1 return Sunday to Key Arena, but here's guessing the reunion does more to kickstart Barry's three ball than it does for Sonics. |
2005 | Week 1 | 2-1 | 19 | Looks like that 30-point loss to Clips on Opening Night -- which quickly sparked whispers about Coach McMillan's immediate future -- was a really loud wake-up call. |
2005 | Week 2 | 6-1 | 10 | Remember last November, when Flip Murray was deified? Danny Fortson is this season's Flip, because some Sonics fans are apparently calling Fortson the next Lonnie Shelton. |
2005 | Week 3 | 9-2 | 7 | Sayeth Ray: 'I'm not playing like this because it's the last year of my contract.' Sayeth us: The contract issue can't hurt and should help Allen keep this up, even if other Sonics can't. |
2005 | Week 4 | 13-2 | 3 | Don't be smug, Seattle. Surely you didn't expect your Supes to be the first team to reach 10 wins -- or to rank third in the NBA in rebounding differential after a month. |
2005 | Week 5 | 15-3 | 4 | It's only a bad rumor. Sonics didn't really petition the league to play all 82 games this November. They're even off to an encouraging 2-0 start in December. |
2005 | Week 6 | 17-4 | 1 | Here's another way to break it down: Sonics are indeed 0-2 against Boston ... but also 2-0 against San Antonio. You can guess which resonates most with the committee. |
2005 | Week 7 | 18-5 | 3 | It's an Adam Sandler line we can't hear enough, and we're a little late with it as it is, but here goes: Happy Hanukkah to the owner of Seattle SuperSonic-ahs ... past and present. |
2005 | Week 8 | 19-5 | 2 | It's not as good as Sandler and his SuperSonic-ahs, but it's my second-favorite Seattle line: Ray Ray calling the offense 'organized confusion.' One of the lines of the season so far. |
2005 | Week 9 | 22-6 | 4 | The other leading surprise package, along with Phoenix, just completed a restful stretch of one game game in nine days between Dec. 18-26. January will be a lot busier (and tougher). |
2005 | Week 10 | 24-8 | 3 | More credit where it's overdue: Seattle is now 2-0 against Miami and San Antonio. Makes it easy for Supes to get over that first (two-game) losing streak of the season. |
2005 | Week 11 | 27-9 | 2 | The good news: Sonics have six victories since Dec. 1 in which they've trailed in the fourth quarter. The bad news: Seattle still can't figure out how to beat Clips in L.A. |
2005 | Week 12 | 28-11 | 3 | Sources say Sonics are petitioning the league for more Sunday home games, because they haven't lost one yet (6-0). On the flip side, Seattle is just 11-8 since that 17-3 start. |
2005 | Week 13 | 30-12 | 3 | The good news: Karl's arrival in Denver means the list of teams that can woo Ray away just got one shorter. The bad news: Ray says his uncertain future is starting to be a distraction. |
2005 | Week 14 | 32-13 | 3 | Sonics have to hold firm up here, with a fat division lead and a 7-2 record vs. Spurs, Suns, Kings, Mavs and Heat. |
2005 | Week 15 | 35-14 | 2 | January (8-7) wasn't super, but Supes are a sparkling 5-1 in February and 9-3 overall against .640-or-better teams, even after losing at home Sunday to Dallas. |
2005 | Week 16 | 35-15 | 5 | So how soon do Supes clinch the division? Can they actually clinch before April? Not impossible, if our math is right. |
2005 | Week 17 | 38-16 | 5 | As poorly as they played in Milwaukee, Sonics enjoyed a fine February. They went 8-3, after an 8-7 mark in January. |
2005 | Week 18 | 41-17 | 3 | Can't beat Phoenix on their home floor, but you can forgive Sonics for that. They're still a tidy 7-4 vs. the rest of the top six. |
2005 | Week 19 | 42-19 | 4 | Winning at MSG salvaged something from what had to be Sonics' worst week of the season. Holding a 10 1/2-game division lead over Denver doesn't hurt, either. |
2005 | Week 20 | 45-20 | 5 | Trust us: Coach McMillan is far more concerned about the injury loss of Radmanovic than reports of the season's first locker-room grumbling about minutes, roles, shots, etc. |
2005 | Week 21 | 48-21 | 4 | As hot as Nuggets are, look at Sonics' division lead. It's still nearly 10 games, in spite of stubborn Seattle's recent turmoil. |
2005 | Week 22 | 50-23 | 6 | Wondering what keeps Sonics up here? Slump or not, injuries or not, Sonics are still 23-14 against .500-plus teams, second only to San Antonio's 26-14. Phoenix is third at 24-15. |
2005 | Week 23 | 50-26 | 11 | This is no joke. Sonics haven't won since April 1 and have nothing but injuries (Rashard, Radmanovic, Daniels, Fortson). |
2005 | Week 24 | 52-28 | 8 | It wasn't the smoothest divisional clinch, but c'mon. Fifty-two wins! Nate must have done some coaching to coax 52 wins out of a smallish squad universally picked to be a doormat. |
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