Points in the Paint

Philadelphia, PA (Basketball News) - The Seattle SuperSonics look like a club that could have a very short run ahead of them in the 2005 NBA playoffs.

Seattle is battling injuries to some of its key players and is having trouble earning the Northwest Division crown. The struggling SuperSonics will try once again to lock up the division title when they welcome the playoff-bound Houston Rockets on Monday to KeyArena.

The Sonics are attempting to win their first division title since 1997-98, when they went 61-21 and won their third consecutive Pacific Division title. Seattle has posted 50 wins for just the 10th time in franchise history and first since the 1997-98 campaign.

All-Star forward Rashard Lewis has been hampered by a foot injury that has caused him to miss seven straight games entering the contest against the Rockets. Guard Antonio Daniels and forward Danny Fortson are also dealing with some nagging injuries.

Lewis, who was an NBA All-Star for the first time this season, has played in 67 games this season and is second on the team in scoring at 20.7 points per game. He has also posted 5.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists per contest.

Ray Allen, who is a a five-time All-Star, has teamed with Lewis to make up one of the most potent one-two scoring combinations in the league. The 29-year-old Allen leads the club in scoring (23.9 ppg) and has also registered 4.4 boards and 3.7 assists per game. He has scored in double-digits in 72 of the 73 games that he has played in this season for Seattle.

With Lewis, who last played in a game on March 27th at home against Washington, out of the lineup, the Sonics have dropped four in a row and five of their last seven games overall. It is clear that Seattle is missing Lewis’ presence on offense, as teams are able to focus on primarily stopping Allen which makes it more difficult for the Sonics’ offense to get into any kind of rhythm. With Allen and Lewis on the court, the opposition has to spread its defense and that allows Seattle to move the ball more effectively around the perimeter.

Seattle, which should eventually clinch the division and the third spot in the conference, needs a healthy Lewis for the postseason or it will be in big trouble. Daniels, Fortson, Ronald Murray, Vladimir Radmanovic and Luke Ridnour are a solid supporting cast, but the Sonics’ two All-Stars are the keys to any kind of success they will have in the playoffs.

Radmanovic is Seattle’s third leading scorer (11.8 ppg), while Ridnour is averaging a team-best 5.9 assists. Fortson provides a nasty attitude down low, while Murray is a versatile guard who can add a big spark offensively off the bench when the team needs it.

The bottom line is that Seattle needs a healthy roster if it hopes to compete and win some games in the postseason. Without Allen and Lewis operating at full force, the once high-powered offense becomes very ordinary. The Sonics have some nice role players, but they are not capable of inflicting the same damage that Lewis is capable of. Allen and Lewis give Seattle a pair of stars that are capable of taking over a game as well as possibly winning a seven- game series.

Phoenix and San Antonio will be the top two seeds in the conference when the playoffs arrive. The Sonics will play the sixth seed, assuming they capture the division, which could be Sacramento, Houston, Denver or Memphis. The Nuggets and Grizzlies are on the verge of locking up the final two berths in the playoff race in the West.

The Sonics are not a team that is going to strike fear into their opponents. They are not the same club that won 18 of their first 21 games to start the campaign. Seattle’s intensity has dropped a notch and it looks like they could be a squad that is just happy to be participating in the postseason.

Don’t be surprised if Seattle bows out in the first round of the playoffs!