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Sonics management has made no secret of the fact that they were disappointed by the team's rebounding last season, as the Sonics ranked 29th of 29 NBA teams in rebounds per game. In reality, the Sonics weren't quite that bad. In terms of team rebounding percentage - a more accurate metric because it takes into account the fact that the Sonics and their opponents combined to hit about 44.8% of their shots last year, way above the league average of 43.9%, meaning less rebounds for both teams - the Sonics were 27th. That's still not very good.
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What you might not know is that the Sonics were actually a very respectable rebounding team two years ago, ranking 24th in the NBA in rebounds per game but a middle-of-the-pack 16th in rebound percentage. With two of the NBA's best per-minute rebounders on the roster in Reggie Evans and Danny Fortson, as well as Nick Collison, who averaged 10.0 rebounds per game as a senior at Kansas, the Sonics will almost certainly be much improved on the glass. Helping matters will be less use of the trap in halfcourt, meaning Sonics forwards and centers won't be pulled away from the basket as much. The results have been tangible thus far in preseason, with the Sonics posting a strong 52.2% rebounding percentage, good for seventh in the NBA through Monday's preseason action.
After the Sonics allowed 97.8 points per game last season, Coach Nate McMillan has made the most dramatic changes to his defensive scheme since he took over the helm of the Sonics early in the 2000-01 season. The trapping style the Sonics have used in halfcourt since the George Karl era will be scaled back this season as the Sonics emphasize containing on defense. Too often in the past, opposing perimeter players came into a game expecting to have a big night against the Sonics because of the open looks they would get when the Sonics would double-team.
This year, the Sonics aim to make other teams work for their looks, forcing shots with a hand in the face of the shooter. The question mark is whether the Sonics can contain individually on the perimeter. There will also be an adjustment period as players who have grown used to the trapping style relearn what to do on defense. In time, however, the change should prove a positive one for the Sonics. Beginning with Ray Allen, more than half of the Sonics roster could become free agents at season's end. Already, the situation has drawn numerous comparisons to the 2002-03 L.A. Clippers, who collapsed from 39 wins to 27 despite adding Andre Miller in an off-season trade because of the weight of selfishness from impending free agents. The comparison might not be apt, however.
While the Clippers free agents were all young, many in their early 20s and looking for their first big NBA payday, the only Sonics that fit that description are Murray and Vladimir Radmanovic. The 29-year-old Allen is a professional, and NBA teams already know what he can do. The same is true of players like Antonio Daniels and Vitaly Potapenko (also both 29). A free agent market that more and more is eschewing high scorers in favor of unheralded team players like Brian Cardinal or defenders like Trenton Hassell will also help the Sonics cause. Whether a coming payday acts as motivation to work hard or be selfish depends on the player, and the Sonics group is more likely to follow the former path.
