Fast finish, not super start, will decide Sonics' season

Ray Allen was named the Western Conference's player of the week and has yet to score fewer than 20 points in a game. The Sonics have won six games in a row -- four by double digits.

But amid the excitement of a 6-1 start, there's a little anxiety as the Sonics begin a six-game road trip in Philadelphia today.

It's mid-November, after all, and the Sonics' past two seasons might as well have been stamped, "Best if Used by Nov. 17." That day has been the Sonics' witching hour, and their high-flying starts have come crashing down about the time holiday decorations go up. They don't even stick around for a cup of eggnog as the team hasn't had a winning record on Christmas either of the past two seasons.

Will this be any different? Or just another early season climax?

"We'll see," has been coach Nate McMillan's stock answer to the question of whether this start is for real. After all, the past two weeks of November have been more of a tease than a true indication of this team's trajectory for the past two seasons.

Does it feel different this time?

"Yeah, it does to me," guard Antonio Daniels said. "Because of the teams that we've beaten. And we feel more mature."

Here's a look at the past to see what the future might hold for the Sonics:

Peaking early

Depth and talent give a coach the luxury of letting his team play its way into shape. Upper-crust teams like the Sacramento Kings and San Antonio Spurs can afford to ease into the year. Being at full roll when the season starts isn't as important as peaking for the playoffs.

"Those elite teams, so to speak, they can give up a game in November," McMillan said.

The Sonics haven't had that luxury for a few years now. McMillan has run a tight training camp to get his team to hit the starting line at full sprint. The hope is that the Sonics will steal a few early games, because when a team straddles the line between lottery and lower-playoff seed like the Sonics have for six years now, those early games can be the difference.

McMillan's plan has worked the past two seasons. But it's also given a warped image of how good the team is because the Sonics are already playing at capacity while most of the league is gaining speed. The Sonics don't get worse as the season progresses so much as their opponents get much better.

Making the fast start stand up this season will depend on the Sonics being able to shift into a higher gear.

"We have to improve," McMillan said. "Even though we're playing well right now, we've got to get better. We've got to find a way to play even harder and execution has to get even better because teams are going to get better as we go on."

Lewis loses steam

Every season since Rashard Lewis re-signed with the Sonics in 2002 has began with this question: Is this the year he becomes an All-Star? And every season has started with a two-week surge that has people predicting he will make the breakthrough.

This one is no different.

Lewis is averaging 21.1 points and seven rebounds, both improvements over last season, despite playing with plantar fasciitis. The problem in his left foot has prevented him from practicing between games.

But Lewis' recent history shows a similar trend. The past two seasons, Lewis has averaged 20.6 points in games through Nov. 17 and 15.7 points in games after. His field-goal percentage is 49.8 percent through Nov. 17 and 43.5 after.

"He has gotten off to good starts, just as we have, and teams adjust," McMillan said. "Teams come in, and they know they've got to bring their best game to beat us and they know they have to take certain people out to beat us."

Two things bear mentioning, though. First, Lewis had a season-high 12 rebounds on Sunday against the Memphis Grizzlies despite scoring a season-low 14 points. That was because Shane Battier was his personal pest for the night, shadowing Lewis and never leaving to help out on anyone else. Instead of getting frustrated, Lewis kept his focus with four rebounds and a block in the fourth quarter.

The other difference is that Lewis won't shoulder the same pressure in the post, which has seemed too much for his slight 6-foot-10 frame during the past two seasons. That's because Danny Fortson and Reggie Evans, surprisingly, give the Sonics other options down low. Evans has four double-digit scoring games this season, which is as many he had his first two seasons combined.

"Now, I can freelance out on the wing," Lewis said. "Play my normal position where I have a better advantage, I think."

Rough and ready

Look in the rearview mirror too long and you'll miss the biggest difference to this season's team, which is kind of difficult to do since power forward Fortson is built like a semi-truck.

His acquisition this summer was considered a no-lose proposition since the Sonics only gave up center Calvin Booth. But no one knew how much Fortson would help this team. Consider the following facts:

The Sonics have allowed 100 points twice this season, and both were games Fortson did not play. The first was the season opener in Los Angeles when he was suffering from back spasms. The second was Sunday's victory over the Memphis Grizzlies when he was suspended. McMillan said he noticed a difference in his team before the game

"We didn't have a swagger about us," McMillan said.

Last season, the Sonics outrebounded their opponent only twice in the first eight games. This season, the Sonics have outrebounded their opponent in every game except for the opening loss to the Clippers.

And lest anyone worry that Fortson's one-game suspension for throwing an elbow at Raptors forward Chris Bosh will cause him to change the way he plays, here's what he said after yesterday's practice:

"If Danny Fortson tones it down, then Danny Fortson is a non-factor," Fortson said.

"I might as well pack up and go home to Florida."

FAST STARTERS

The Sonics are 6-1 and a victory tonight in Philadelphia would give them their best start since beginning 10-0 in 1993. However, a look at the previous two seasons shows the first two weeks have been more an aberration than an omen. Two keys are opponents' field-goal percentage and turnovers:

2002-03

Through After

Nov. 17 Nov. 17

Record 8-2 (.800) 32-40 (.444)

Points 94.9 91.8

Pts. allowed 88.3 92.8

FG pct. against 43.8 44.8

TO forced 16.2 14.5

2003-04

Through After

Nov. 17 Nov. 17

Record 6-2 (.750) 31-43 (.419)

Points 97.8 97.0

Pts. allowed 94.4 98.1

FG pct. against 44.6 45.3

TO forced 16.4 14.6