1972–73 Seattle SuperSonics season

The 1972–73 Seattle SuperSonics season was the 6th 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]

1972–73 Seattle SuperSonics season
Head coachTom Nissalke
Bucky Buckwalter
General managerBob Houbregs
ArenaSeattle Center Coliseum
Results
Record26–56 (.317)
PlaceDivision: 4th (Pacific)
Conference: 8th (Western)
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Stats @ Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
TelevisionKTNT-TV
RadioKOMO

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 $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
Main article: 1972 NBA draft

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
Roster listing
1972–73 Seattle SuperSonics roster
Players Coaches
Pos.No.NameHeightWeightDOB (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

(fired)

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured

Depth chart
Seattle SuperSonics Depth Chart - 1972-73
STARTER 2ND 3RD 4TH
PG Butch Beard Charles Dudley Lee Winfield
SG Fred Brown Dick Snyder
SF John Brisker Bud Stallworth Kennedy McIntosh
PF Spencer Haywood Gar Heard Joby Wright
C Jim Fox Jim McDaniels Pete Cross

Regular season

Season standings
Pacific Division W L PCT GB Home Road Neutral Div
y-Los Angeles Lakers 6022.732–30–1128–112–022–4
x-Golden State Warriors 4735.5731327–1418–202–114–12
Phoenix Suns 3844.4632222–1915–251–014–12
Seattle SuperSonics 2656.3173416–2510–290–29–17
Portland Trail Blazers 2161.2563913–288–320–16–20
# Western Conference
Team W L PCT
1 z-Milwaukee Bucks6022.732
2 y-Los Angeles Lakers6022.732
3 x-Chicago Bulls5131.622
4 x-Golden State Warriors4735.573
5 Detroit Pistons4042.488
6 Phoenix Suns3844.463
7 Kansas City–Omaha Kings3646.439
8 Seattle SuperSonics2656.317
9 Portland Trail Blazers2161.256
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 —3–41–55–12–23–42–21–34–42–23–11–33–36–03–14–03–1
Baltimore 4–3—1–55–10–48–02–23–15–23–11–32–23–35–12–24–04–0
Boston 5–15–1—7–03–15–13–13–15–13–14–02–24–47–04–04–04–0
Buffalo 1–51–50–7—2–21–51–30–41–51–30–40–41–67–11–32–22–2
Chicago 2–24–01–32–2—3–13–43–34–05–21–52–43–14–04–25–15–1
Cleveland 4–30–81–55–11–3—1–31–34–32–21–31–30–66–01–31–33–1
Detroit 2–22–21–33–14–33–1—2–41–33–31–52–51–33–14–26–02–4
Golden State 3–11–31–34–03–33–14–2—3–14–23–41–52–24–02–45–14–3
Houston 4–42–51–55–10–43–43–11–3—0–41–31–31–55–12–22–22–2
Kansas City-Omaha 2–21–31–33–12–52–23–32–44–0—1–51–60–43–13–34–24–2
Los Angeles 1–33–10–44–05–13–15–14–33–15–1—3–32–24–06–16–06–0
Milwaukee 3–12–22–24–04–23–15–25–13–16–13–3—2–23–15–15–15–1
New York 3–33–34–46–11–36–03–12–25–14–02–22–2—6–13–13–14–0
Philadelphia 0–61–50–71–70–40–61–30–41–51–30–41–31–6—0–41–31–3
Phoenix 1–32–20–43–12–43–12–44–22–23–31–61–51–34–0—5–24–2
Portland 0–40–40–42–21–53–10–61–52–22–40–61–51–33–12–5—3–4
Seattle 1–30–40–42–21–51–34–23–42–22–40–61–50–43–12–44–3—

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
Butch Beard 73–19.2.439–.7142.43.4––6.6
John Brisker 70–23.3.435–.8224.62.1––12.8
Fred Brown 79–29.4.455–.8184.05.5––13.5
Pete Cross 26–5.1.286–.4442.2.4––.8
Charles Dudley 12–8.3.435–.875.51.3––2.8
Jim Fox 74–33.0.515–.80811.22.4––11.4
Spencer Haywood 77–42.3.476–.83912.92.5––29.2
Gar Heard 3–5.7.444–1.0002.0.7––3.0
Jim McDaniels 68–16.1.399–.7005.11.1––5.6
Kennedy McIntosh 56–19.7.326–.6154.0.9––4.5
Dick Snyder 82–37.3.463–.8613.93.8––13.8
Isaac Stallworth 77–15.9.379–.7542.9.8––6.3
Lee Winfield 53–20.0.431–.5742.43.5––6.6
Joby Wright 77–12.1.478–.4162.8.5––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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