A new era for the SuperSonics gets underway in the 2005-06 campaign. Weiss, an original member of the Sonics in 1967, has replaced Nate McMillian, who bolted the Emerald City unexpectedly in early July to accept the head coaching vacancy in Portland, as the team’s new general.
Weiss, who began his coaching career as an assistant with the San Diego Clippers in 1977, has been an assistant in Seattle since 1994. He is well liked by his players and will get the most out of them. Weiss will continue to allow the Sonics to launch countless threes, but will look for a more intense effort defensively so the club’s transition game will become more of an asset.
Seattle was a pleasant surprise in 2004-05, as it captured the Northwest Division and won its first division title since 1997-98, when it went 61-21 and won its third consecutive Pacific Division crown. The Sonics posted 50 or more wins for just the 10th time in franchise history and first since the 1997-98 campaign.
In the postseason, the Sonics knocked off Sacramento in five games in the first round, but they fell in six contests to the eventual world champion San Antonio Spurs in the conference semis.
All-Stars Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis were unbelievable for the Sonics in the regular season. Allen, who played in 78 contests, averaged a team-best 23.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists, while Lewis contributed 20.5 points and 5.5 boards in 71 games.
The Sonics’ offense will continue to run through Allen and Lewis and their success will continue to depend heavily on the performance of the two All- Stars. However, Seattle also has point guard Luke Ridnour, who averaged 10 points and a team-high 5.9 assists in his second season in the league.
Forward Vladimir Radmanovic was having a solid 2004-05 campaign until he suffered a stress fracture of his right fibula in March. He played in 63 games and averaged 11.8 points and 4.6 boards before the injury sidelined him for the remainder of the regular season. Radmanovic was not 100 percent healthy in the postseason, as he played in just six games.
Allen, who netted 26.5 per game in the postseason, signed a five-year contract extension worth a reported $85 million in the offseason. Allen will reportedly be paid $80 million in salary, with a potential for $5 million in bonuses.
Seattle also re-signed Radmanovic to a one-year contract and inked center Vitaly Potapenko to new deal as well. The team matched Minnesota’s offer to restricted free agent guard Damien Wilkins, who showed a lot of promise during the 2004-05 season.
The Sonics did lose some key players, as free agents Jerome James and Antonio Daniels left to sign with different teams. James, who had a breakout series against Sacramento in the postseason as he averaged 17.2 points and 9.4 boards, joined the New York Knicks, while Daniels found a new home with the Washington Wizards.
The Clippers missed the playoffs once again in the 2004-05 season, as they finished 37-45 and went on an early summer vacation for the eighth straight year. Last season, Corey Maggette led the club in scoring (22.0 ppg), while Elton Brand, who averaged 20.0 points in 81 contests, grabbed a team best 9.5 rebounds per game.
In the draft, the Clippers gambled on foreign prospect Yaroslav Korolev, who is a forward from Russia. In the second round, they selected Duke point guard Daniel Ewing.
The Clippers did make a significant free agent signing when they inked Cuttino Mobley to a multi-year deal. Originally selected out of Rhode Island by Houston in the second round (41st pick overall) of the 1998 NBA Draft, Mobley spent six seasons with the Rockets before he was traded along with Steve Francis and Kelvin Cato to Orlando for superstar Tracy McGrady, Juwan Howard, Tyronn Lue and Reece Gaines in June 2004. After playing just 23 games for the Magic, Mobley was dealt to Sacramento on January 10, 2005 for Doug Christie.
In 66 games for Orlando and Sacramento last season, the 30-year-old Mobley averaged 17.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists. He also registered 14.8 points per game during the Kings five-game loss to the Seattle SuperSonics in the first round of the playoffs.
The Clippers did lose Bobby Simmons, who was the NBA’s Most Improved Player last season, to free agency, as he signed a deal with the Milwaukee Bucks. The team also decided to renounce the rights to guards Kerry Kittles and Rick Brunson. However, the signing of Mobley offsets all three losses.
Veteran Sam Cassell was acquired from Minnesota along with a lottery-protected 2006 first-round draft pick for guards Marko Jaric and Lionel Chalmers. Cassell averaged 13.5 points, 5.1 assists and 2.7 rebounds with the Timberwolves last season.
Second-year pro Shaun Livingston will have a more active role this season for the Clippers. The 20-year-old point guard averaged 7.4 points and 5.0 assists in just 30 games last season. Livingston (back) starts the season on the inactive list.
The offseason was productive for the Clippers. They added a pair of solid veterans in Cassell and Mobley, who should work well with the young nucleus of Brand, center Chris Kaman, Livingston, Maggette.
Last season, the Clippers won two of three from the Sonics, who have won seven of the last nine meetings overall in this series. The Clippers have lost three straight and seven of their last eight at Seattle.
Los Angeles Lakers 
Seattle Sonics 
