Kevin Pelton, SUPERSONICS.COM | May 9, 2005
SAN ANTONIO - The way he crumpled to the floor after spraining his right ankle during the second quarter of Sunday's Game 1 of the Seattle SuperSonics Western Conference Semifinals series with the San Antonio Spurs left no doubt that Sonics forward
Vladimir Radmanovic was in severe pain.
Over the course of this series, however, Radmanovic's injury will be equally painful to his team. He is not expected to return against the Spurs.
"He definitely makes this offense run a lot more fluid, so I feel bad for him and definitely for what he brings to this team," said Sonics guard 
Ray Allen, who also sprained his ankle Sunday, but less seriously.
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"He definitely makes this offense run a lot more fluid, so I feel bad for him and definitely for what he brings to this team."
Brian Bahr/NBAE/Getty
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If there is a positive to the injury, it's that the Sonics had to learn how to play without Radmanovic when he missed the final 19 games of the regular season with a stress fracture in his right fibula. But the Sonics 9-10 record in those games, while partially attributable to forward
Rashard Lewis also missing nine of those games, serves as a reminder of Radmanovic's value to the Sonics.
According to the Web site 
82games.com, the Sonics outscored opponents by 7.4 points per 48 minutes during the regular season when Radmanovic was on the court, the best mark for any Sonics player.
When Radmanovic scored at least 15 points this season, the Sonics were 16-3, speaking to his ability to change a game with his outside shooting from the power forward position.
"Just having him out on the floor is going to spark that fear in people's eyes," Allen told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer when Radmanovic returned to the lineup for the Sonics First Round series against the Sacramento Kings.
Even with Radmanovic slow at times to shake off the rust from a month off - he had 10 points in 23 minutes in Game 2, but averaged only 6.4 points on 13-for-33 (39.4%) shooting - the Sonics were able to cruise past the Kings in five games. But the Sonics knew they'd need Radmanovic's presence off the bench against San Antonio to spread the Spurs defense.
Now, they'll have to go a different direction. Sonics Coach Nate McMillan suggested after Monday's practice that Radmanovic will be replaced by a combination of bigger players - more minutes for 
Nick Collison and 
Vitaly Potapenko - and a smaller one, forward 
Damien Wilkins. Wilkins, though not the 3-point threat Radmanovic is, allows the Sonics to play a relatively similar style. Playing Collison or Potapenko alongside another big man could allow the Spurs to double-team Lewis more aggressively.
Without Radmanovic, the answers aren't easy for the Sonics.
