One quarter of the way through the NBA season, the Seattle SuperSonics look vulnerable. The defending Western Conference champions have lost three home games - the same number they lost at home all last season.
Though Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton are scoring at career-best levels, the Sonics are scoring two points fewer per game, getting less production from their bench and shooting poorly from long range.Seattle committed 20 turnovers and shot a season-low 15 percent from the 3-point line in losing 94-92 to the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday.
Part of the problem is having five different players and one new starter, Jim McIlvaine, from last year's roster.
Seattle's bench is weaker without Nate McMillan, an 11-year veteran, who is on the injured list. He has missed 13 games with a strained right abductor muscle and the Sonics are 9-4 without him. He missed a career-high 22 games last season with injuries and Seattle was 15-7 without him.
George Karl has had 28 consecutive winning months as Sonics head coach. But that mark may be in jeopardy. The Sonics are 1-3 in December with homecourt losses to the Utah Jazz and Hornets and a road loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Though Seattle is 15-6, there are some disquieting signs. The Sonics have lost twice to the Utah Jazz, their foe in the last year's Western Conference finals, and are third in the conference behind the Houston Rockets and Jazz.
Twelve of their victories have come against sub-.500 teams. Seattle has a challenging schedule the rest of the month with six road games and home-and-home games against the Rockets.
The Sonics are 20th in shooting from 3-point range (133-for-402). In homecourt losses to the Jazz and Hornets this week, Seattle was 7-of-28, 25 percent from long range. Its opponents were a combined 17 of 32, 53 percent, from long range.
Kemp, a four-time All-Star, is averaging a career-bests in points (23.8), rebounds (11.8) and free throw accuracy (77 percent). His 54 percent shooting 170-for-312 tops the team.
Payton, a three-time All-Star and 1996 Olympian, is averaging 21.3 per game but his 47 percent shooting is below his career mark of 49 percent. He is carrying more of the offensive load because both shooting guards are struggling.
Hersey Hawkins is averaging 11.6 points per game compared to 15.6 last season. He is shooting a career-worst 71 percent from the free throw line.
Against Charlotte, he went 0-for-3 in the fourth quarter and committed three of his five turnovers.
"I made some horrible plays," Hawkins said. "The loss was really my fault."
Craig Ehlo, a 14-year veteran, is averaging five points per game and shooting 37 percent from the field. He is a career 46 percent shooter.
The Sonics lead the league in steals. When they are unable to get points in transition, they struggle. They are 3-5 in games when they score under 100 points. Against Charlotte, the Sonics were held to a season-low 10 points in the fourth quarter. It was the first time this season the Sonics have lost when they led after three quarters.
The Hornets snapped the Sonics 11-game winning streak on Nov. 26. Since then, Seattle is 3-3. Glen Rice, who scored 46 points in the two meetings, said the Hornets turned the defensive tables on the Sonics.
"We kept our poise and decided to put a lot of pressure on them by playing aggressively instead of letting them come after us."
Tony Smith's aggressive play resulted in a steal and basket and victory over the Sonics Saturday.
"Nate usually has the ball there in that situation," Karl said. "Poor passing decisions are costing us offensive confidence," Karl said. "I told our team we're not there yet and that we know we must get better."