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Luke Ridnour

A starter in all 82 games during the Sonics 52-win 2004-05 season, Ridnour briefly lost his job to converted swingman Damien Wilkins after missing two games because of nausea. Ridnour came off the bench in the Sonics last game in 2005 and their first game in 2006, before Hill returned him to the starting lineup. At the time, Ridnour was struggling with the expectations placed on him following the departure of veteran backup Antonio Daniels.

"The essence of Luke Ridnour is to get him out in the open court and let him do his thing." Jeff Reinking/NBAE/Getty

Under Hill, Ridnour's development is back on track. In the 13 games he's played since Hill has taken over (missing last Thursday's loss to Dallas), Ridnour has averaged 15.6 points, 8.2 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game, shooting an even 50.0% from the field. That kind of performance, should Ridnour maintain it, would make him an elite point guard. Over the course of the full season, those averages would rank him 14th amongst point guards in scoring, 10th in rebounds and fifth in assists. Only two point guards, San Antonio's Tony Parker and Boston's Delonte West, are shooting better than 50% from the field.

Hill won't divulge the exact calculation of his own efficiency formula for rating players, but it also shows Ridnour's dramatic improvement.

"Last year, Luke was a .321," Hill says. "Through the first 20 games this year, he was a .332. In the last x amount of games, he's like .490. Against New Jersey, he was a .687. That will tell you right there. He's just flourishing when you run the ball."

By mentioning running, Hill opens the discussion of why Ridnour has flourished over the last month. The consensus is that Ridnour is most effective in an up-tempo style, where he has the basketball in his hands and is deciding when and where to deliver it to teammates, pull up for a mid-range jumper or take it to the basket. The Sonics entered the season planning to play this style, but pulled back after a slow start to the season. Hill has re-emphasized the transition game.

"The essence of Luke Ridnour is to get him out in the open court and let him do his thing," says Hill. "He's such a great ballhandler; he's very quick and fast with the ball. He's a very willing passer. He's getting better now at finishing around the basket with his baby hooks and floaters and he's making the pull-up jumpshot, the in-between jumpshot. Everybody runs with him because they know he's going to pass them the ball."

"When we run like that, it just opens up so much more opportunity," Ridnour adds. "I'm not just a jumpshooter; I get to do other things."

While Ridnour has been at his best in transition, he has also been much more effective running the Sonics half-court offense over the last month for a number of reasons. Hill has put the ball in Ridnour's hands and freed up shooting guard Ray Allen to move without the basketball instead of having to create his own shot. The Sonics have run more pick-and-rolls with Ridnour, giving him space to operate against a bigger defender or while his defender recovers to him. Lastly, moving Vladimir Radmanovic into the starting lineup has given the Sonics better floor spacing and forced his defender to stay at home instead of providing help when Ridnour gets into the lane.

The combination of those factors has the Sonics scoring at a more efficient rate under Hill (their Offensive Rating of 116.6 points per 100 possessions under Hill would tie the Detroit Pistons for the best offense in the NBA) and Ridnour getting more high-percentage looks.

"Pick-and-rolls, we've done a lot more of those," Ridnour says. "That definitely helps myself and other guys because I'm able to get into the lane. Vlade, they have to stick to him, so it makes it easier to turn the corner and the floor is open."

"Pick-and-rolls, we've done a lot more of those. That definitely helps myself and other guys because I'm able to get into the lane." Sam Forencich/NBAE/Getty

Ridnour has also rapidly developed an on-court rapport with the Sonics young centers, particularly Robert Swift. Ridnour is looking for Swift around the basket for lobs and his penetration has freed Swift for put-back dunks even when Ridnour has missed. Of Ridnour's seven missed shots against New Jersey on Saturday, four were rebounded by the Sonics, two by Swift for a foul and a dunk and one by Johan Petro for a dunk.

"If I can get that big guy to come to me, their defender, as long as I get it up there, I know our guy is back there somewhere," explains Ridnour. "Even if I don't make the shot, as long as I get on the rim, I know they have a shot to get it, so sometimes it's just best to get in there and make something happen."

There also may be an element of confidence to Ridnour's resurgence, as former Sonics Coach Nate McMillan mentioned while in town earlier this week. Ridnour points to the fact that he is playing heavier minutes and getting more looks at the basket as allowing him to free his mind and play basketball.

"I've just been going out and taking what's there," says Ridnour. "I haven't been trying to force it and thing about, 'I've got to make this shot,' because I know there's going to be more opportunity than those five or six shots. You can let the game come to you more, and I take advantage of what I see."

The ultimate testament to how important Ridnour has become to the Sonics came last Thursday, when he was unable to play because of a sprained left knee. While the Sonics were able to put up 34 points and shoot better than 62% in the first quarter, their offense went cold and they scored just 63 points on 35.6% shooting over the final three quarters of a seven-point loss. When Hill was asked after Saturday's game about Ridnour's value to the Sonics, he quickly pointed to the Dallas game.

"Were you here for the last game?" Hill said. "Need I say more?

"He's absolutely totally significant to everything we do. Jason Kidd is one of the best point guards in the league, and he just held his own, if not outplayed him tonight."