Allen may return to the lineup for the Sonics Friday. Noah Graham/NBAE/Getty

That the Sonics haven't played the brand of basketball McMillan wants to see since the opener, turning the ball over too much and struggling to contain opponents on defense, that is an issue.

After sustaining a 103-93 loss at the hands of the Phoenix Suns Tuesday night, McMillan held optional shooting drills Wednesday afternoon but also had his team watch tape of most of Tuesday's game, reliving the mistakes that allowed Phoenix to build a lead as large as 21 points during the fourth quarter.

"We know we've got work to do," McMillan told the media, repeating what he'd said to the team. "This team is not where I want it to be. I thought last night, that effort was not even close to what I need to see a week away from the NBA season. Execution is still not there. Some of that is due to having some guys out, but that can't be an excuse."

The Sonics played the last two games of their three-game road trip without All-Star guard Ray Allen, who is being cautious with a sore back. Forward Rashard Lewis has only seen action in two games because of plantar fasciitis, while guard Ronald "Flip" Murray has yet to play with a strained left quad muscle.

"The one good thing about this is Ray, Rashard, Ronald, they have been with me for a year or so and know what I want and what I expect, so they won't be too far behind," McMillan said.

All three players are on their way back to the lineup, potentially starting with Allen in Friday's preseason finale at KeyArena against the Portland Trail Blazers. A decision about Allen's availability likely won't be made until the day of the game.

"I have to talk with Mike and talk with Ray and see how he feels," said McMillan. "If he's still feeling anything, I don't think you do it. But he may need to get another run."

Lewis and Murray are less likely to play Friday because, at most, they would only have one practice under their belt before the game. McMillan is expecting to have both players in the lineup in time for the Sonics regular-season opener against the Los Angeles Clippers a week from today.

"Basically, our treatment and the way we've gone about this is to try to make sure they are ready to open the regular season and not really rushing these guys back for the preseason," McMillan said.

The beneficial aspect of having the Sonics three leading scorers out of the lineup, besides for the fact that it's now and not during the regular season, has been the opportunity to get the younger Sonics more action than they might otherwise have seen and put them in roles they are not accustomed to playing.

"It's an eye-opener too, because you do have that opportunity, and I want to give certain guys opportunities," McMillan said. "A lot of my decisions on how much they get early in the season will come from what they did in preseason. It hasn't been all bad that those guys have been injured. You definitely want them to be healthy, but I've seen a number of these guys - Vlade (Radmanovic) play with the ball; Luke (Ridnour) play; Nick (Collison) play, get minutes … guys I haven't really seen out there for a long period of time."

The players thrust into larger roles haven't always responded well, occasionally forcing the issue on offense while trying to create their own shots instead of relying on their teammates to help them get a good shot. That too can be a learning experience.

"What we need to recognize or realize is that when you lose guys like that, that's when you come together even closer, even tighter," McMillan said. "Both Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis are stars for reasons; they can create that, they can get their own (shots)."

That's why the Sonics can't wait to get Allen and Lewis back in the lineup.

"We need to get those guys back," McMillan said, "and then we can get a feel for where we are."