1969–70 Seattle SuperSonics season

The 1969–70 Seattle SuperSonics season was the 3rd season of the Seattle SuperSonics in the NBA. After the resignation of Al Bianchi,[1] Lenny Wilkens took the role of player-coach and led the team to a 36–46 record, a six win improvement over their previous season and 3 games behind the Chicago Bulls, who got the last playoff spot in the Western Division. Wilkens led the league in assists with 9.1 apg.

1969–70 Seattle SuperSonics season
Head coach	Lenny Wilkens
General manager	Bob Houbregs, Zollie Volchok
Arena	Seattle Center Coliseum
Results
Record	36–46 (.439)
Place	Division: 5th (Western)
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Stats @ Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
Television	KTNT-TV
Radio	KOMO

Draft picks

Main article: 1969 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	3	Lucius Allen	Guard	United States	UCLA
3	32	Lee Winfield	Guard	United States	North Texas

Roster

Roster listing

1969–70 Seattle SuperSonics roster
Players	Coaches
Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB (YYYY-MM-DD) From G 42 Allen, Lucius 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1947–09–26 UCLA F 20 Boozer, Bob 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1937–04–26 Kansas State F 43 Clemens, Barry 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1943–05–01 Ohio Wesleyan G 25 Hairston, Al 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 170 lb (77 kg) 1945–12–11 Bowling Green PF 14 Meschery, Tom 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1938–10–26 Saint Mary's F/C 41 Murrey, Dorie 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1943–09–07 Detroit F/C 45 Rule, Bob 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1944–06–29 Colorado State G/F 10 Snyder, Dick 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 207 lb (94 kg) 1944–02–01 West Virginia SG 44 Thorn, Rod 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1941–05–23 West Virginia G 19 Wilkens, Lenny 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1937–10–28 Providence G 11 Winfield, Lee 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 174 lb (79 kg) 1947–02–04 Providence	Head coach Lenny Wilkens Legend (C) Team captain (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended Injured

Depth chart

Seattle SuperSonics Depth Chart - 1969-70
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Lenny Wilkens	Lee Winfield	Lucius Allen
SG	Rod Thorn	Dick Snyder	Art Harris	Al Hairston
SF	Barry Clemens	Tom Meschery	Joe Kennedy
PF	Bob Boozer	John Tresvant	Erwin Mueller
C	Bob Rule	Dorie Murrey

Regular season

Season standings

Western Division	W	L	PCT	GB
x-Atlanta Hawks	48	34	.585	–
x-Los Angeles Lakers	46	36	.561	2
x-Chicago Bulls	39	43	.476	9
x-Phoenix Suns	39	43	.476	9
Seattle SuperSonics	36	46	.439	12
San Francisco Warriors	30	52	.366	18
San Diego Rockets	27	55	.329	21

x – clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

1969–70 NBA records
Team	ATL	BAL	BOS	CHI	CIN	DET	LAL	MIL	NYK	PHI	PHO	SDR	SFW	SEA
Atlanta	—	2–4	6–0	5–2	3–3	3–3	4–3	3–3	4–2	3–3	2–4	4–2	5–2	4–2
Baltimore	4–2	—	5–2	5–1	4–3	5–2	4–2	3–3	1–5	3–4	3–3	6–0	2–4	5–1
Boston	0–6	2–5	—	3–3	3–3	4–3	2–4	1–6	4–3	2–4	2–4	4–2	5–1	2–4
Chicago	2–5	1–5	3–3	—	3–3	3–3	4–2	4–2	0–6	3–3	5–2	3–4	4–2	4–3
Cincinnati	3–3	3–4	3–3	3–3	—	4–2	2–4	2–5	2–5	4–3	3–3	4–2	2–4	1–5
Detroit	3–3	2–5	3–4	3–3	2–4	—	3–3	1–6	1–6	1–5	3–3	3–3	3–3	3–3
Los Angeles	3–4	2–4	4–2	2–4	4–2	3–3	—	3–3	2–4	4–2	3–4	5–2	5–2	6–0
Milwaukee	3–3	3–3	6–1	2–4	5–2	6–1	3–3	—	2–4	5–2	6–0	6–0	4–2	5–1
New York	2–4	5–1	3–4	6–0	5–2	6–1	4–2	4–2	—	5–2	6–0	5–1	5–1	4–2
Philadelphia	3–3	4–3	4–2	3–3	3–4	5–1	2–4	2–5	2–5	—	4–2	4–2	6–0	0–6
Phoenix	4–2	3–3	4–2	2–5	3–3	3–3	4–3	0–6	0–6	2–4	—	7–0	3–3	4–3
San Diego	2–4	0–6	2–4	4–3	2–4	3–3	2–5	0–6	1–5	2–4	0–7	—	5–2	4–2
San Francisco	2–5	4–2	1–5	2–4	4–2	3–3	2–5	2–4	1–5	0–6	3–3	2–5	—	3–4
Seattle	2–4	1–5	4–2	3–4	5–1	3–3	0–6	1–5	2–4	6–0	3–4	2–4	4–3	—

Game log

1969–70 game log Total: 36–46 (Home: 22–14; Road: 10–26; Neutral: 4–6)
October : 1–6 (Home: 1–2; Road: 0–4) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 1 October 14 @ New York L 101–126 Bob Rule (27) Madison Square Garden 14,796 0–1 2 October 15 @ Atlanta L 119–124 John Tresvant (29) Alexander Memorial Coliseum 3,718 0–2 3 October 18 @ Chicago L 126–131 (OT) John Tresvant (28) Chicago Stadium 7,430 0–3 4 October 19 @ Milwaukee L 106–130 Bob Boozer (26) Milwaukee Arena 7,370 0–4 5 October 25 Los Angeles L 106–130 Bob Rule (19) Seattle Center Coliseum 12,536 0–5 6 October 28 Chicago L 114–116 Barry Clemens (14) Seattle Center Coliseum 3,620 0–6 7 October 31 Cincinnati W 129–121 Lenny Wilkens (38) Seattle Center Coliseum 4,016 1–6
November : 5–10 (Home: 3–4; Road: 2–6) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 8 November 2 @ Atlanta L 113–125 Bob Rule (22) Alexander Memorial Coliseum 4,101 1–7 9 November 4 @ Detroit W 116–102 Bob Boozer (28) Cobo Arena 2,076 2–7 10 November 7 @ Baltimore L 112–126 Bob Rule (29) Baltimore Civic Center 4,459 2–8 11 November 8 @ Philadelphia W 125–117 Bob Rule (32) The Spectrum 10,363 3–8 12 November 11 @ Chicago L 100–106 Lenny Wilkens (19) Chicago Stadium 8,149 3–9 13 November 13 Detroit W 117–113 Bob Rule (28) Seattle Center Coliseum 4,106 4–9 14 November 14 @ San Diego L 112–148 Tom Meschery (26) San Diego Sports Arena 4,838 4–10 15 November 15 Philadelphia W 146–136 Bob Rule (49) Seattle Center Coliseum 6,679 5–10 16 November 19 Atlanta L 116–137 Bob Boozer (24) Seattle Center Coliseum 5,583 5–11 17 November 21 Milwaukee L 115–117 Bob Rule (35) Seattle Center Coliseum 12,920 5–12 18 November 23 Boston L 116–125 Bob Rule (33) Seattle Center Coliseum 5,538 5–13 19 November 24 @ San Diego L 105–112 Lenny Wilkens (23) San Diego Sports Arena 3,393 5–14 20 November 25 San Francisco L 106–114 Bob Rule (24) Seattle Center Coliseum 4,001 5–15 21 November 29 Phoenix W 130 129 Bob Rule (33) Seattle Center Coliseum 9,418 6–15 22 November 30 @ Phoenix L 108–116 John Tresvant (21) Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 3,621 6–16
December : 8–10 (Home: 6–3; Road: 2–7) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 23 December 2 @ New York L 109–129 Bob Rule (25) Madison Square Garden 14,627 6–17 24 December 3 @ Cincinnati W 118–117 Bob Rule (30) Cincinnati Gardens 2,456 7–17 25 December 4 @ Atlanta L 111–119 Bob Rule (24) Alexander Memorial Coliseum 2,931 7–18 26 December 5 @ Milwaukee L 98–131 Bob Boozer (19) Milwaukee Arena 7,064 7–19 27 December 6 Baltimore W 132–129 (OT) Bob Rule (40) Philadelphia, PA 8,128 8–19 28 December 9 Detroit W 109–104 Bob Rule (36) Seattle Center Coliseum 6,168 9–19 29 December 11 New York W 112–105 Bob Rule (28) Seattle Center Coliseum 10,029 10–19 30 December 12 Phoenix L 116–130 Tom Meschery (29) Seattle Center Coliseum 6,146 10–20 31 December 14 @ Los Angeles L 127–131 Bob Rule (45) The Forum 8,729 10–21 32 December 16 @ San Francisco L 119–125 Bob Rule (33) Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena 3,889 10–22 33 December 17 Cincinnati W 117–104 Lucius Allen (23) Seattle Center Coliseum 4,472 11–22 34 December 19 Philadelphia W 123–116 Tom Meschery (26) Seattle Center Coliseum 6,210 12–22 35 December 21 San Diego W 112–96 Lucius Allen, Tom Meschery (18) Seattle Center Coliseum 6,021 13–22 36 December 23 @ San Francisco L 115–119 Lucius Allen (19) Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena 3,481 13–23 37 December 26 Boston L 112–122 Bob Rule (41) Seattle Center Coliseum 10,273 13–24 38 December 27 New York L 117–119 Bob Rule (25) Vancouver, BC 4,206 13–25 39 December 30 Phoenix W 134–121 Tom Meschery (24) Seattle Center Coliseum 5,201 14–25
January : 6–10 (Home: 3–5; Road: 3–5) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 40 January 1 Chicago L 111–114 Bob Rule (36) Seattle Center Coliseum 5,149 14–26 41 January 3 Los Angeles L 109–126 Bob Rule (26) Seattle Center Coliseum 8,677 14–27 42 January 4 Detroit L 110–116 Dick Snyder (27) Portland, OR 3,451 14–28 43 January 6 @ Atlanta L 97–101 Bob Boozer (21) Alexander Memorial Coliseum 3,839 14–29 44 January 9 @ Philadelphia W 135–132 Lenny Wilkens (31) The Spectrum 4,220 15–29 45 January 10 @ Detroit L 128–129 Tom Meschery (28) Cobo Arena 2,346 15–30 46 January 13 Boston L 102–111 Lucius Allen (23) Philadelphia, PA 5,678 15–31 47 January 14 Philadelphia W 122–110 Dick Snyder (26) Boston, MA 4,614 16–31 48 January 16 Chicago W 119–103 Lenny Wilkens (23) Kansas City, KS 3,713 17–31 49 January 17 @ Phoenix W 134–131 Lenny Wilkens (24) Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 9,094 18–31 50 January 22 Phoenix L 120–129 Bob Rule (31) Las Cruces, NM 2,805 18–32 51 January 23 @ Los Angeles L 100–128 Bob Rule (22) The Forum 11,393 18–33 52 January 24 Los Angeles L 121–122 (OT) Bob Rule (22) Seattle Center Coliseum 9,697 18–34 53 January 28 Atlanta W 120–119 Dick Snyder (23) Seattle Center Coliseum 4,483 19–34 54 January 29 San Francisco W 105–101 Dick Snyder (24) Seattle Center Coliseum 4,010 20–34 55 January 30 @ San Diego L 117–119 (OT) Bob Boozer (33) San Diego Sports Arena 4,941 20–35
February : 11–6 (Home: 8–4; Road: 3–2) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 56 February 1 Milwaukee W 118 116 Tom Meschery (27) Seattle Center Coliseum 12,660 21–35 57 February 3 @ Baltimore W 120–115 Bob Rule (29) Baltimore Civic Center 4,418 22 35 58 February 4 @ Cincinnati W 121–115 Bob Rule (30) Cincinnati Gardens 2,805 23 35 59 February 6 @ Boston L 117–127 Lenny Wilkens (29) Boston Garden 6,109 23–36 60 February 7 @ Detroit L 109–113 Tom Meschery (21) Cobo Arena 3,540 23–37 61 February 8 Philadelphia W 118–117 Bob Rule (29) Seattle Center Coliseum 8,050 24–37 62 February 11 Baltimore W 119–117 Bob Boozer (23) Seattle Center Coliseum 5,810 25–37 63 February 13 Baltimore W 141–138 Bob Rule (39) Seattle Center Coliseum 8,905 26–37 64 February 17 Phoenix L 118–129 Bob Rule (25) Seattle Center Coliseum 8,220 26–38 65 February 18 San Diego L 119–122 Bob Rule (42) Eugene, OR 5,500 26–39 66 February 20 Boston L 125–127 Bob Rule (27) Seattle Center Coliseum 8,614 26–40 67 February 21 Milwaukee L 127–140 Bob Rule (33) Portland, OR 11,139 26–41 68 February 22 San Francisco W 131–127 Bob Rule (30) Seattle Center Coliseum 11,564 27–41 69 February 24 San Francisco W 130–122 Bob Rule (29) Seattle Center Coliseum 4,802 28–41 70 February 25 Atlanta W 120–112 Bob Rule (27) Seattle Center Coliseum 5,685 29–41 71 February 27 @ San Francisco W 107–99 Lenny Wilkens (22) Oakland, CA 4,604 30–41 72 February 28 Chicago W 140–104 Bob Rule (32) Seattle Center Coliseum 13,096 31–41
March : 5–5 (Home: 3–1; Road: 2–4) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 73 March 3 San Diego W 126–114 Dick Snyder (26) Seattle Center Coliseum 9,915 32–41 74 March 6 Cincinnati W 126–122 Dick Snyder (33) Seattle Center Coliseum 13,102 33–41 75 March 8 Baltimore L 106–109 Bob Rule (28) Seattle Center Coliseum 13,058 33–42 76 March 9 @ Milwaukee L 105–124 Bob Rule (19) Milwaukee Arena 10,746 33–43 77 March 10 @ New York L 99–117 Bob Rule (24) Madison Square Garden 18,212 33–44 78 March 13 New York W 115–103 Lenny Wilkens (28) Portland, OR 11,035 34–44 79 March 15 @ Cincinnati L 113–116 Bob Rule (25) Cincinnati Gardens 9,640 34–45 80 March 17 @ Chicago W 109–102 Three players (22) Chicago Stadium 9,098 35–45 81 March 20 @ Boston W 123–119 Dick Snyder (20) Boston Garden 10,393 36–45 82 March 22 @ Los Angeles L 118–121 Bob Rule (33) The Forum 13,745 36–46
1969–70 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
Lucius Allen	81	–	22.4	.442	–	.731	2.6	4.2	–	–	9.8
Bob Boozer ^[a]	82	–	31.1	.491	–	.822	8.7	1.3	–	–	15.2
Barry Clemens ^[a]	78	–	19.1	.454	–	.793	4.1	1.5	–	–	8.3
Al Hairston	3	–	6.7	.375	–	1.000	1.7	2.0	–	–	2.3
Art Harris ^[a]	5	–	35.6	.384	–	.444	3.8	4.0	–	–	12.0
Joe Kennedy	14	–	5.9	.088	–	1.000	1.4	.5	–	–	.6
Tom Meschery	80	–	28.7	.482	–	.790	8.3	2.0	–	–	12.3
Erwin Mueller ^[a]	4	–	17.3	.406	–	.444	3.5	1.5	–	–	7.5
Dorie Murrey	81	–	13.3	.446	–	.731	4.4	.9	–	–	5.5
Bob Rule	80	–	37.0	.463	–	.714	10.3	1.8	–	–	24.6
Dick Snyder ^[a]	76	–	30.1	.531	–	.810	4.1	4.4	–	–	13.6
Rod Thorn	19	–	5.5	.444	–	.625	.8	.9	–	–	2.9
John Tresvant ^[a]	49	–	26.1	.428	–	.735	7.4	1.9	–	–	12.6
Lenny Wilkens ^[a]	75	–	37.4	.420	–	.788	5.0	9.1	–	–	17.8
Lee Winfield	64	–	12.0	.479	–	.750	1.5	1.6	–	–	5.7

• ^a Statistics with the Seattle SuperSonics.

Awards

• Bob Rule and Lenny Wilkens made their first and seventh All-Star appearances respectively at the 1970 NBA All-Star Game.

Transactions

Overview

Players Added Via draft Lucius Allen Lee Winfield Via trade Bob Boozer Barry Clemens Dick Snyder

Players Lost Via trade Art Harris Erwin Mueller Bob Kauffman John Tresvant Waived Tommy Kron ^[^]

• ^{^} Kron was put on waivers, and after no other team claimed him the Sonics sold him to the Kentucky Colonels of the American Basketball Association.[2]

Trades

September 5, 1969	To Seattle SuperSonics Bob Boozer Barry Clemens	To Chicago Bulls Bob Kauffman 1971 third round pick
October 26, 1969	To Seattle SuperSonics Dick Snyder	To Phoenix Suns Art Harris
November 1, 1969	To Seattle SuperSonics 1970 second round pick	To Detroit Pistons Erwin Mueller
January 21, 1970	To Seattle SuperSonics Cash considerations	To Los Angeles Lakers John Tresvant

References

1. Bianchi Quits Seattle Job, The Tuscaloosa News. Jule 12, 1969. Retrieved June 9, 2012.
2. Tommy Kron Sold to the Colonels, Kentucky New Era. October 30, 1969. Retrieved June 10, 2012.