The 2000–01 Seattle SuperSonics season was the 34th season for the Seattle SuperSonics in the National Basketball Association.
Season summary
Off-season The SuperSonics had the 17th overall pick in the 2000 NBA draft, and selected small forward Desmond Mason out of Oklahoma State University. During the off-season, the team acquired All-Star center Patrick Ewing from the New York Knicks in a four-team trade, and signed free agent Pervis Ellison, but released him to free agency after nine games.
Regular season Despite the addition of Ewing and Mason, the SuperSonics struggled losing seven of their first ten games of the regular season. Head coach Paul Westphal was fired after a 6–9 start to the season, and was replaced with former SuperSonics guard Nate McMillan. Under McMillan, the SuperSonics played above .500 in winning percentage for the remainder of the season, holding a 28–24 record at the All-Star break, and finishing in fifth place in the Pacific Division with a 44–38 record. However, the team failed to qualify for the NBA playoffs by finishing in tenth place in the Western Conference.
Gary Payton averaged 23.1 points, 8.1 assists and 1.6 steals per game, contributed 102 three-point field goals, and was named to the All-NBA Third Team, and to the NBA All-Defensive First Team, while Rashard Lewis showed improvement becoming the team's starting small forward, averaging 14.8 points and 6.9 rebounds per game, and also leading the SuperSonics with 123 three-point field goals, and Ruben Patterson averaged 13.0 points per game. In addition, Vin Baker provided the team with 12.2 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, while Ewing provided with 9.6 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game, Brent Barry contributed 8.8 points and 3.4 assists per game along with 109 three-point field goals, while shooting .476 in three-point percentage, Shammond Williams provided with 6.8 points and 2.8 assists per game, and Mason contributed 5.9 points per game off the bench, and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.
During the NBA All-Star weekend at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C., Payton was selected for the 2001 NBA All-Star Game, as a member of the Western Conference All-Star team. Meanwhile Lewis participated in the NBA Three-Point Shootout, and Mason won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest. The SuperSonics finished 17th in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 640,847 at the KeyArena at Seattle Center during the regular season.
Aftermath Following the season, Ewing signed as a free agent with the Orlando Magic after only one season with the SuperSonics, and Patterson signed with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Draft picks
Round Pick Player Position Nationality College/club team 1 17 Desmond Mason SG/SF Oklahoma State 2 42 Olumide Oyedeji C DJK Würzburg 2 47 Josip Sesar SG Cibona Zagreb
Roster
Roster Notes Power forward Pervis Ellison was waived on December 16, 2000. Point guard Shammond Williams holds American and Georgian dual citizenship. He was born in the United States, but he played on the Georgian national team.
Regular season
Standings
Game log
Player statistics
PlayerGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG 76 27 28.0 .422 .063 .723 5.7 1.2 0.5 1.0 12.2 67 20 26.5 .494 .476 .816 3.1 3.4 1.2 0.2 8.8 62 39 20.8 .418 .394 .818 2.5 2.2 1.0 0.2 5.8 9 0 4.4 .286 – 1.000 1.3 0.3 0.0 0.2 0.7 79 79 26.7 .430 .000 .685 7.4 1.2 0.7 1.2 9.6 78 78 34.9 .480 .432 .826 6.9 1.6 1.2 0.6 14.8 78 14 19.5 .431 .269 .736 3.2 0.8 0.5 0.3 5.9 70 44 16.3 .523 – .441 3.6 0.8 0.3 0.7 4.5 30 1 7.4 .486 – .750 2.2 0.1 0.2 0.3 1.5 76 22 27.1 .494 .056 .681 5.0 2.1 1.4 0.6 13.0 79 79 41.1 .456 .375 .766 4.6 8.1 1.6 0.3 23.1 69 6 17.9 .438 .459 .875 1.9 2.8 0.4 0.1 6.8 1 0 9.0 1.000 – – 0.0 2.0 0.0 0.0 6.0 34 1 9.0 .316 .000 .735 1.4 0.1 0.2 0.5 2.2
Player statistics citation:
Awards and records
Awards Gary Payton, All-NBA Third Team Gary Payton, NBA All-Defensive First Team Desmond Mason, NBA All-Rookie Team 2nd Team
Records
Transactions
Trades
Free agents
Additions
Player Signed Former team
Subtractions Player Left New team
See also 2000–01 NBA season
References