With a team built in its majority from the
1967 expansion draft featuring
Walt Hazzard and six-year veteran
Tom Meschery,[1] and with
Al Bianchi at the head coach position, the Sonics finished the season with a 23β59 record and fifth place in the Western Division, six games behind the
Chicago Bulls, and did not qualify to enter the playoffs.
The twelve-man roster for the
1967β68 season consisted of three rookies from the 1967 NBA Draft and nine players from the expansion draft. Al Bianchi's choice of player-coach
Richie Guerin from the
St. Louis Hawks came as a surprise to most, since Guerin had already announced his retirement, and thus did not play for the Sonics.[2] He would return for the
1968β69 season to play for the relocated Atlanta Hawks after Seattle traded him in the offseason. Selecting
Tom Meschery from the
San Francisco Warriors was made possible after the Warriors unprotected him for the draft, after Meschery informed the San Francisco front office that he desired to join the
Peace Corps. Seattle's offer, however, was accepted by Meschery.[3] The SuperSonics planned to sign former
Seattle University player
Charlie Williams before the start of the regular season, but league rules prohibited the Seattle franchise to offer him a contract, since Williams was expelled from college after a
point shaving scandal.[4][5]
Seattle kicked off the regular season with a game against the
San Francisco Warriors on October 13 at the
Cow Palace, where they fell 114β116.[6]Walt Hazzard had a high scoring debut, leading the Sonics' offense with 30 points, followed by
Tom Meschery with 26.[7] After a week off, the Sonics played in consecutive days against the other expansion franchise, the
San Diego Rockets, splitting the series and thus winning their first regular season game in franchise history.[8] After two streaks of four and eight straight losses,[8] the Sonics found themselves quickly near the bottom of the Western Division by the end of the first four weeks of competition.[9] A few surprising results stood out, including their only victory[8] against
Bill Russell's
Boston Celtics in a double-header in
Philadelphia,[10] with the Celtics trailing by as much as 44 points after the first half,[11] and an outstanding performance by rookie
Bob Rule, with 47 points in a victory against the
Los Angeles Lakers.[12] On the other hand, the SuperSonics were on the losing end of two NBA scoring records. First, in December with a 122β160 loss against defending champions
Philadelphia 76ers, that set a new NBA record for most points by a team in a quarter[13] and a 123β154 loss against the Lakers on January that tied a franchise record for Los Angeles for most points in a game.[14]
With six games left in the regular season the Sonics were behind two games from the
Chicago Bulls in a last effort to obtain a berth in the
playoffs,[15] But in spite of defeating the Bulls in two of those six games,[8] Chicago managed to pull away with the fourth place in the
Western Division and the last spot in the playoff race, six games above the Sonics.[16]
With a team built in its majority from the
1967 expansion draft featuring
Walt Hazzard and six-year veteran
Tom Meschery,[1] and with
Al Bianchi at the head coach position, the Sonics finished the season with a 23β59 record and fifth place in the Western Division, six games behind the
Chicago Bulls, and did not qualify to enter the playoffs.
The twelve-man roster for the
1967β68 season consisted of three rookies from the 1967 NBA Draft and nine players from the expansion draft. Al Bianchi's choice of player-coach
Richie Guerin from the
St. Louis Hawks came as a surprise to most, since Guerin had already announced his retirement, and thus did not play for the Sonics.[2] He would return for the
1968β69 season to play for the relocated Atlanta Hawks after Seattle traded him in the offseason. Selecting
Tom Meschery from the
San Francisco Warriors was made possible after the Warriors unprotected him for the draft, after Meschery informed the San Francisco front office that he desired to join the
Peace Corps. Seattle's offer, however, was accepted by Meschery.[3] The SuperSonics planned to sign former
Seattle University player
Charlie Williams before the start of the regular season, but league rules prohibited the Seattle franchise to offer him a contract, since Williams was expelled from college after a
point shaving scandal.[4][5]
Seattle kicked off the regular season with a game against the
San Francisco Warriors on October 13 at the
Cow Palace, where they fell 114β116.[6]Walt Hazzard had a high scoring debut, leading the Sonics' offense with 30 points, followed by
Tom Meschery with 26.[7] After a week off, the Sonics played in consecutive days against the other expansion franchise, the
San Diego Rockets, splitting the series and thus winning their first regular season game in franchise history.[8] After two streaks of four and eight straight losses,[8] the Sonics found themselves quickly near the bottom of the Western Division by the end of the first four weeks of competition.[9] A few surprising results stood out, including their only victory[8] against
Bill Russell's
Boston Celtics in a double-header in
Philadelphia,[10] with the Celtics trailing by as much as 44 points after the first half,[11] and an outstanding performance by rookie
Bob Rule, with 47 points in a victory against the
Los Angeles Lakers.[12] On the other hand, the SuperSonics were on the losing end of two NBA scoring records. First, in December with a 122β160 loss against defending champions
Philadelphia 76ers, that set a new NBA record for most points by a team in a quarter[13] and a 123β154 loss against the Lakers on January that tied a franchise record for Los Angeles for most points in a game.[14]
With six games left in the regular season the Sonics were behind two games from the
Chicago Bulls in a last effort to obtain a berth in the
playoffs,[15] But in spite of defeating the Bulls in two of those six games,[8] Chicago managed to pull away with the fourth place in the
Western Division and the last spot in the playoff race, six games above the Sonics.[16]