The Sonics had gottten to the Western Conference Finals only to get beaten by a better team. So, obviously, it was time for owner Sam Schulman and management to get their butts in gear and find some good free agents. Unfortunately they didn't. Instead, the team sank to the bottom of the division. Here is how they sank into the depths:

1. Paul Silas retired. This was expected--he had played 16 seasons, for crying out loud! He could hardly move anymore.

2. Backup center Tom LaGarde went to expansion team Dallas, where he could start. The Sonics found unheralded WSU big man (7'2", 275 pounds) James Donaldson as his replacement, though James lacked mobility.

3. Schulman and the rest of management had heard enough of Dennis Johnson's tirades. DJ didn't spare teammates, coaches, or even management from his pouting and yelling when he wasn't winning. The Sonics traded him for an injury-plagued Paul Westphal, who everyone knew was nearing the end of his career. Westphal was a great shooter and a good ball handler when healthy, but his defense was virtually nonexistent. He played in only 36 games that season, averaging less than 17 points and only 4 assists per game, and shot only 44% from the field (he usually shot well over 50%).

4. Gus Williams sat out the season because he and the Sonics couldn't reach an agreement on a new contract.

5. Point-forward John Johnson was getting old--he was entering his 11th season and his body was wearing down.

6. Lonnie Shelton started the season with an injury (his knee I think), was suspended for fighting, was injured again, and played only 14 games that season.

7. Shelton's backup, James Bailey, was a great ahtlete but fouled more than Shelton did--and his defense was subpar.

8. Fred Brown was getting old -- in his 10th year. He often squinted when he shot--and winked, and looked the other way, and smiled at his defender, and still downed the 25-footer--but now I think he squinted because he needed glasses. His three-point percentage declined to a mere 36%, 8 percentage points lower than the year before.

9. The Sonics' draft pick, Bill Hanzlik, was rather undistinguished in his first year.

10. The Sonics recruited no major free agents. The Sonics had already sold a huge number of season tickets, so why shouldn't he reap the financial reward rather than spending it on some spoiled star?

For the majority of the season, the lineup looked as follows:

Jack Sikma at center. He saw lots of minutes and averaged almost 19 points a game (a team high), was third in the team in assists (about 3 per game), averaged almost 12 rebounds a game (5th in the league), was second on the team in steals, and second in blocks.

James Bailey, in his second year, started at power forward. At 6'9" he was tall enough, with long arms, and he could jump out of the room. He led the team in blocks (about 1.8 per game), averaged 14 points, 7.4 rebounds, and only 1.2 assists. He averaged 4 fouls per game, and fouled out 11 times that season. His footwork and positioning on defense was not particularly good.

John Johnson was still at small forward. His backup, Wally Walker, was not improving fast enough to take his place. JJ averaged 11.5 points, but in his worst season to date as a Sonic, shot only 43%, with only 3.9 assists and 4.5 rebounds.

Fred Brown started at guard, averaged 15.5 points (a far cry from his 23.1 points per game five seasons earlier), 3 assists, and led the team in steals (1.1 per game!)

Vinnie Johnson, a 6'2" guard in his second year, also started. "The Microwave," a born gunner, could heat things up very quickly when he was hot. While averaging 13 points per game, The Microwave shot over 53% from the field, though he lacked three-point range. Though he was not a ball handler, he was often forced into that role, and managed 4.2 assists per game.

With Paul Westphal and Lonnie Shelton hardly playing, the Sonics struggled to a 34-48 record, missing the playoffs by a mile. Their defense and ball handling had taken a few huge steps backward.

I don't remember any highlights.

Luckily, things would get better the following season.