RELATED CONTENT

Bob Hill Coach Page Sonics Make Coaching Change 2005: The Year in Photos Sonics News Archive

Kevin Pelton, SUPERSONICS.COM | January 5, 2006

---

It did not take long for Bob Hill to put his stamp on the Seattle SuperSonics. In game one of the Hill era, last night's 101-97 victory in Chicago over the slumping Bulls, Hill unveiled massive changes and a team and style that bore limited resemblance to the Sonics under Bob Weiss.

Hill, named the 14th head coach in franchise history on Tuesday morning, quickly began implementing changes. Tuesday's practice was an intense, 135-minute affair featuring more running than teams are accustomed to at this time of year, and Hill ran a 90-minute practice on the morning of the game instead of the light walkthrough that is typical in the NBA.

"It was like I was there yesterday, and I felt fine. It was great. It was fun." Randy Belice/NBAE/Getty

The changes continued when the Sonics took the court with their eighth different starting lineup of the season thus far. Luke Ridnour returned to his spot at point guard, replacing Damien Wilkins, while Vladimir Radmanovic and rookie Johan Petro moved into the lineup in place of Reggie Evans and Vitaly Potapenko, giving the Sonics the five-man group that was considered a possible Opening Night lineup and worked together well in the preseason.

Behind Petro, Hill substituted in second-year center Robert Swift, who had seen just 16 minutes of action all season entering last night's game. Suddenly, the Sonics went from having no 7-footers or shot-blockers in their rotation to having a pair of them. Either Petro or Swift played basically the first 21 minutes of the game (Radmanovic stepped in for Swift for the last possession of the first quarter) and they combined to play just under 39 minutes.

"We need them on the floor," Hill had told reporters Tuesday. "We need their length, we need them to alter shots, and they can get out and run. We’ll see; it is going to be fun with them. They are going to be scared; they are going to make mistakes. That is OK, they are going to be better, and hopefully by March it will pay off." While the youngsters made mistakes at times and combined for 11 fouls, with Petro fouling out, they also provided a presence in the middle. The Sonics, who entered the game last in the NBA in defending two-pointers with opponents hitting 52.9% of their two-point tries, allowed Chicago to shoot just 42.9% inside the 3-point line.

"Weren't our bigs great?" raved Hill afterwards. "Yes, they did some great things. It was great to see them get some rebounds above the rim. I'm glad to see them get rebounds above the rim. Overall I was proud of them for their first game."

"I was excited about the chance," Petro, who grabbed nine rebounds, told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. "I feel good about how I did and I want to get better. But this was a good start."

Radmanovic, making his first start in nearly two years - his last was Jan. 17, 2004 at Washington - did not have a great shooting night, hitting just one of his five two-point tries. But Radmanovic hit four 3-pointers, two of them in the fourth quarter, to snap out of a recent slump with 14 points.

Along with Ray Allen (4-for-6 from 3-point range), Radmanovic was the beneficiary of outstanding Sonics ball movement. The team assisted on 22 of its 32 field goals (68.8%), well above its season average of 55.7% assisted buckets. What was truly remarkable was the distribution of the assists; point guards Ridnour and Ronald "Flip" Murray combined for just seven, while three frontcourt players had three or more. Nick Collison's team-high five assists (against just one turnover) tied a career high.

"I like the style," said Rashard Lewis, who scored 21 points and handed out four assists. "There is a lot of movement and it is set for not just one guy but for a lot of combinations. It is designed for layups and easy baskets. He had a lot of rotation tonight to make sure everyone was fresh and was playing hard. He changed a lot of plays and the lineups. We're still learning, but I'm looking forward to it."

While Hill is known for his defensive mentality and will look to focus on that end of the court on a Sonics team struggling to defend, he has historically been a successful offensive coach. All four full seasons that Hill was the head coach in Indiana and San Antonio, his teams finished in the top ten in the NBA in Offensive Rating. Three of the four, as well as the 1990-91 Pacers, whom he coached for 57 games, finished in the top ten in pace of play. Last night was the Sonics second-fastest game of the season, as they and Chicago combined for 190 possessions.

"I like the style. We're still learning, but I'm looking forward to it." Randy Belice/NBAE/Getty

Part of the reason the game was so fast from a statistical perspective was the parade to the free-throw line made by both teams. The Sonics were 27-for-34 on free throws, including 16-for-18 in the second quarter alone.

"We're a good free-throw shooting team," said Hill. "It is our friend. We have to take advantage of that. With our spacing, our opportunities will be there."

On defense, the Sonics tightened up their rotations and, with the athletic Petro and Radmanovic starting together, were better equipped to switch screens on the perimeter. Rebounding could be an issue without Evans in the lineup, but the Sonics rebounded as a team to hold Chicago to just three offensive rebounds in the first half and grab a strong 72.7% of defensive rebound opportunities overall. Even Ridnour chipped in, pulling down a career-high eight boards.

Perhaps most impressive about Hill's debut was that it came with Allen sidelined for the final 9:13 after being hit in the eye. The Sonics have been outscored by 20.1 points per 48 minutes this season with Allen on the bench, but they held their own without him down the stretch, fending off a Chicago run with Collison and Radmanovic layups in the final two minutes and 4-for-4 free-throw shooting from Ridnour. The Sonics were outscored by just one, 23-22, after Allen left the game.

"When it first happened, I thought this could be really great if we can win without him, because it'll give the rest of them so much confidence," Hill said. "That was my hope. I didn't know at the time. In my shoes, I was a little nervous.

"But we have a different set of plays now, so we can get the ball to different people. Rashard was really, really good."

Wednesday night was only one win, and it came against a struggling Chicago squad that has now lost eight straight games. But as Hill joined Lenny Wilkens (in 1977-78) and Nate McMillan (in 2000-01) as the three Sonics coaches to win their first game after taking over the team mid-season (see mid-season coaching changes chart below), there were many positive signs for the Sonics going forward, both in the short term and, with youngsters Ridnour, Collison, Petro and Swift playing well, the long term.

Mid-Season Coaching Changes Winning Percentage Year Old Coach New Coach at Change Post-Change Diff. 1972-73 Tom Nissalke Bucky Buckwalter .289 .351 +.062 1977-78 Bob Hopkins Lenny Wilkens .227 .700 +.473 1991-92 K.C. Jones George Karl .500 .643 +.143 2000-01 Paul Westphal Nate McMillan .400 .567 +.167

"It was like I was there yesterday, and I felt fine," Hill said of his first win as an NBA coach in more than nine years. "It was great. It was fun.

"But it was not so much about me as it was about the players. Things have been tough lately. I am just glad they could get one."