1972–73 Seattle SuperSonics season

1972–73 Seattle SuperSonics season
Head coach Tom Nissalke
Bucky Buckwalter
General manager Bob Houbregs
Arena Seattle Center Coliseum
Results
Record 26–56 (.317)
Place Division: 4th (Pacific)
Conference: 8th (Western)
Playoff finish DNQ
Stats @ Basketball-Reference.com

The 1972–73 Seattle SuperSonics season was the 8th season of the Seattle SuperSonics in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The team finished the regular season in 6th place in the Western Conference with a 26–56 record, 21 wins behind the one obtained in their previous season. Head coach Tom Nissalke was fired by the team in January after a 13–32 start and was replaced by his assistant Bucky Buckwalter.[1]

Offseason

The offseason trade that sent player-coach Lenny Wilkens to the Cleveland Cavaliers was received with shock from fans and the player himself.[2][3] The trade also sent Barry Clemens to the Cavaliers and brought All-Star Butch Beard to the Sonics.

The signing of free agent John Brisker cost the SuperSonics a USD 10,000 fine and the resignation of their 1973 first round draft pick to the Philadelphia 76ers for violation of league rules that prohibited the team to approach Brisker without contacting the Sixers, who selected him in a supplemental draft in 1969 and held the rights to the player.[4] However, Seattle regained its first round pick after an appeal and the Sonics' second round selection was given to the 76ers.[5]

Draft picks

Note: only draft picks who participated in at least one game in the NBA are listed.

Round Pick Player Position Nationality College
1 7 Isaac Stallworth Guard / Forward  United States Kansas
2 18 Joby Wright Center / Forward  United States Indiana
2 23 Brian Taylor Guard  United States Princeton
3 40 Jim Creighton Forward  United States Colorado

Roster

1972–73 Seattle SuperSonics roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB (YYYY-MM-DD) From
G 21 Beard, Butch 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1947–05–04 Louisville
G/F 42 Brisker, John 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1947–06–15 Toledo
G 32 Brown, Fred 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 182 lb (83 kg) 1948–08–07 Iowa
F/C 41 Cross, Pete 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1948–03–28 San Francisco
G 12 Dudley, Charles 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1950–03–05 Washington
F/C 31 Fox, Jim 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1943–04–07 South Carolina
F/C 24 Haywood, Spencer 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1949–04–22 Detroit
F/C 44 McDaniels, Jim 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 228 lb (103 kg) 1948–04–02 Western Kentucky
F 40 McIntosh, Kennedy 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1949–01–21 Eastern Michigan
G/F 10 Snyder, Dick 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 207 lb (94 kg) 1944–02–01 West Virginia
G/F 15 Stallworth, Isaac 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1950–01–18 Kansas
G 11 Winfield, Lee 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 174 lb (79 kg) 1947–02–04 Providence
F/C 14 Wright, Joby 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1950–09–05 Indiana
Head coach
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured

Regular season

Season standings

Pacific Division W L PCT GB Home Road Neutral Div
y-Los Angeles Lakers 60 22 .732 – 30–11 28–11 2–0 22–4
x-Golden State Warriors 47 35 .573 13 27–14 18–20 2–1 14–12
Phoenix Suns 38 44 .463 22 22–19 15–25 1–0 14–12
Seattle SuperSonics 26 56 .317 34 16–25 10–29 0–2 9–17
Portland Trail Blazers 21 61 .256 39 13–28 8–32 0–1 6–20
# Western Conference
Team W L PCT
1 z-Milwaukee Bucks 60 22 .732
2 y-Los Angeles Lakers 60 22 .732
3 x-Chicago Bulls 51 31 .622
4 x-Golden State Warriors 47 35 .573
5 Detroit Pistons 40 42 .488
6 Phoenix Suns 38 44 .463
7 Kansas City–Omaha Kings 36 46 .439
8 Seattle SuperSonics 26 56 .317
9 Portland Trail Blazers 21 61 .256
z – clinched division title
y – clinched division title
x – clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

1972–73 NBA records|- Team ATL BAL BOS BUF CHI CLE DET GSW HOU KCO LAL MIL NYK PHI PHO POR SEA
Atlanta — 3–4 1–5 5–1 2–2 3–4 2–2 1–3 4–4 2–2 3–1 1–3 3–3 6–0 3–1 4–0 3–1
Baltimore 4–3 — 1–5 5–1 0–4 8–0 2–2 3–1 5–2 3–1 1–3 2–2 3–3 5–1 2–2 4–0 4–0
Boston 5–1 5–1 — 7–0 3–1 5–1 3–1 3–1 5–1 3–1 4–0 2–2 4–4 7–0 4–0 4–0 4–0
Buffalo 1–5 1–5 0–7 — 2–2 1–5 1–3 0–4 1–5 1–3 0–4 0–4 1–6 7–1 1–3 2–2 2–2
Chicago 2–2 4–0 1–3 2–2 — 3–1 3–4 3–3 4–0 5–2 1–5 2–4 3–1 4–0 4–2 5–1 5–1
Cleveland 4–3 0–8 1–5 5–1 1–3 — 1–3 1–3 4–3 2–2 1–3 1–3 0–6 6–0 1–3 1–3 3–1
Detroit 2–2 2–2 1–3 3–1 4–3 3–1 — 2–4 1–3 3–3 1–5 2–5 1–3 3–1 4–2 6–0 2–4
Golden State 3–1 1–3 1–3 4–0 3–3 3–1 4–2 — 3–1 4–2 3–4 1–5 2–2 4–0 2–4 5–1 4–3
Houston 4–4 2–5 1–5 5–1 0–4 3–4 3–1 1–3 — 0–4 1–3 1–3 1–5 5–1 2–2 2–2 2–2
Kansas City-Omaha 2–2 1–3 1–3 3–1 2–5 2–2 3–3 2–4 4–0 — 1–5 1–6 0–4 3–1 3–3 4–2 4–2
Los Angeles 1–3 3–1 0–4 4–0 5–1 3–1 5–1 4–3 3–1 5–1 — 3–3 2–2 4–0 6–1 6–0 6–0
Milwaukee 3–1 2–2 2–2 4–0 4–2 3–1 5–2 5–1 3–1 6–1 3–3 — 2–2 3–1 5–1 5–1 5–1
New York 3–3 3–3 4–4 6–1 1–3 6–0 3–1 2–2 5–1 4–0 2–2 2–2 — 6–1 3–1 3–1 4–0
Philadelphia 0–6 1–5 0–7 1–7 0–4 0–6 1–3 0–4 1–5 1–3 0–4 1–3 1–6 — 0–4 1–3 1–3
Phoenix 1–3 2–2 0–4 3–1 2–4 3–1 2–4 4–2 2–2 3–3 1–6 1–5 1–3 4–0 — 5–2 4–2
Portland 0–4 0–4 0–4 2–2 1–5 3–1 0–6 1–5 2–2 2–4 0–6 1–5 1–3 3–1 2–5 — 3–4
Seattle 1–3 0–4 0–4 2–2 1–5 1–3 4–2 3–4 2–2 2–4 0–6 1–5 0–4 3–1 2–4 4–3 —

Game log

1972–73 game log
Total: 26–56 (Home: 16–25; Road: 10–29; Neutral: 0–2)
October : 4–5 (Home: 2–3; Road: 2–2)
November : 4–13 (Home: 3–5; Road: 1–8)
December : 4–11 (Home: 3–3; Road: 1–8)
January : 5–9 (Home: 3–5; Road: 2–4)
February : 4–11 (Home: 3–5; Road: 1–6)
March : 5–9 (Home: 2–4; Road: 3–5)
1972–73 season schedule

Player statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game
Player GP GS MPG FG% 3FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
Beard, ButchButch Beard 73 – 19.2 .439 – .714 2.4 3.4 – – 6.6
Brisker, JohnJohn Brisker 70 – 23.3 .435 – .822 4.6 2.1 – – 12.8
Brown, FredFred Brown 79 – 29.4 .455 – .818 4.0 5.5 – – 13.5
Cross, PetePete Cross 26 – 5.1 .286 – .444 2.2 .4 – – .8
Dudley, CharlesCharles Dudley 12 – 8.3 .435 – .875 .5 1.3 – – 2.8
Fox, JimJim Fox 74 – 33.0 .515 – .808 11.2 2.4 – – 11.4
Haywood, SpencerSpencer Haywood 77 – 42.3 .476 – .839 12.9 2.5 – – 29.2
Heard, GarGar Heard 3 – 5.7 .444 – 1.000 2.0 .7 – – 3.0
McDaniels, JimJim McDaniels 68 – 16.1 .399 – .700 5.1 1.1 – – 5.6
McIntosh, KennedyKennedy McIntosh 56 – 19.7 .326 – .615 4.0 .9 – – 4.5
Snyder, DickDick Snyder 82 – 37.3 .463 – .861 3.9 3.8 – – 13.8
Stallworth, IsaacIsaac Stallworth 77 – 15.9 .379 – .754 2.9 .8 – – 6.3
Winfield, LeeLee Winfield 53 – 20.0 .431 – .574 2.4 3.5 – – 6.6
Wright, JobyJoby Wright 77 – 12.1 .478 – .416 2.8 .5 – – 3.9

Awards and records

Transactions

Overview

Players Added

Via draft

Via trade

Via free agency

 Players Lost

Via trade

Trades

August 23, 1972 To Seattle SuperSonics
Butch Beard		 To Cleveland Cavaliers
Lenny Wilkens
Barry Clemens
September 18, 1972 To Seattle SuperSonics
Cash considerations		 To Houston Rockets
Don Smith
October 20, 1972 To Seattle SuperSonics
Kennedy McIntosh		 To Chicago Bulls
Gar Heard
1973 third round pick

References

  1. ↑ Supersonics fire Tom Nissalke, Star-News. January 11, 1973. Retrieved June 13, 2012.
  2. ↑ SuperSonics Trade Wilkens; Houbregs: 'difficult trade', Ellensburg Daily Record. August 24, 1972. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  3. ↑ Ex-Sonic Wilkens may quit pro ball, Ellensburg Daily Record. August 31, 1972. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  4. ↑ SuperSonics Fined For Signing Brisker, The Day. November 17, 1972. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  5. ↑ "Seattle Regains First-Round Pick". The Pittsburgh Press. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: E. W. Scripps Company. April 19, 1973. Retrieved April 7, 2010.
  6. ↑ Seattle Inks Brisker, The Michigan Daily. August 9, 1972. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
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