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2005 Playoffs Homepage Lewis a Game-Time Decision Tuesday Live From The Press Box - Game 4 Sonics News Archive

Damien Wilkins

Rock, the Sonics video coordinator and special assignments coach, has throughout his time in the NBA played one-on-one after practice with various young players, seeking to help them improve their game. This year, that youngster is Wilkins, and he's usually one of the last Sonics of the practice court as he works against Rock, developing his offensive skills.

"He knows that in order for him to play in this league; because he's a tweener type of guy, he's got to work at it every day," said Rock. "He goes out there and does it regardless. The other guys might skip a time or two, but he makes the extra effort. If I'm in the office, he'll come up and get me."

"I told Rashard before the game started, when I knew he wasn’t playing, that I would go out there and give it my best effort for him." Jeff Reinking/NBAE/Getty

While those who watched Wilkins during training camp, the preseason and practices had an inkling of what he could do when given the opportunity to get on the court, it was Rock who knew best that Wilkins had behind the scenes developed into an NBA player while spending the first four and a half months of the season at the end of the bench or on the injured list.

"I'd been working with him for a couple of months, and I actually told him, 'You're ready,'" Rock recalled. "I've done it enough with guys that I get a good feel for when they're ready and when they're not."

By midseason, all Wilkins needed was an opportunity. He got it in late March, with Vladimir Radmanovic on the injured list with a stress fracture of his right fibula and Rashard Lewis bothered by a bone bruise in his right foot and tendinitis in his left knee.

Wilkins put the league on notice by scoring a career-high 21 points in a March 24 win at Portland, including the last seven of the game as the Sonics hung on by a 91-89 final. Little more than a week later, Wilkins was in the starting lineup. He would start seven games towards the end of the season and averaged 9.8 points per game during March and April.

With Lewis and Radmanovic back in the lineup for the playoffs, Wilkins found himself back on the bench. He played only 10 minutes and was scoreless in the First Round against the Sacramento Kings. Still, Wilkins prepared diligently. The day before the start of the Sonics series with San Antonio, Wilkins watched tape with Rock of the March 30 game he and the Sonics played against the Spurs.

Injuries would again force Wilkins into the spotlight. After Radmanovic went down with a sprained ankle in the opener of the series, Lewis sprained his left big toe late in Game 3. When Lewis was unable to play in Sunday's Game 4, Sonics Coach Nate McMillan turned to veteran Antonio Daniels as his starter, but also made Wilkins one of his first players off the bench.

Wilkins played 32 minutes in Game 4 and sparked the Sonics, finishing with 15 points on 7-for-11 shooting, six rebounds and five steals.

He couldn't have done it without the hours of hard work throughout the season.

"It was entirely on my preparation," Wilkins said. "I couldn't have gone out there and done the things not only that I did last night, but things I've tried to do towards the end of the season and even all year long through practice. I've treated practice like game time. I took it very seriously. Even when I wasn't playing, I was focusing a lot on my conditioning, focusing on staying prepared, staying ready, staying sharp - preparing as if I was going to play."

While Wilkins' individual effort was exemplary, it was notable most because the Sonics were able to overcome the absence of Lewis and Radmanovic to win 101-89 and tie the series at two. After Lewis felt he was letting the team down by not playing, Wilkins - along with his teammates - picked up for him.

"I told Rashard before the game started, when I knew he wasn’t playing, that I would go out there and give it my best effort for him," said Wilkins. "He had told me, 'Be ready and just play as hard as you can; play aggressive at both ends.' That's what I tried to do. We were fortunate enough to come out as a team and execute at both ends the way we did and get a win."

"The way those guys played - especially Damien, but everybody stepped up - made me feel real comfortable sitting on the side cheering them on," said Lewis. "It seems like they're giving me time to get back. They're holding it down for me."

Who could have imagined that Wilkins would be in this scenario, playing a key role in the playoffs and making a name for himself on national television?

He could have.

"Sometimes it was hard because I wasn't playing, was sitting on the bench in street clothes, but I would always envision it, think about it," said Wilkins. "I knew if I did get my chance - and I was optimistic that I would get a chance, if not here, somewhere else - I knew once I did get that shot, I'd be ready for it."

And Walt Rock could have too.

"Last night, everybody's like, 'Where'd he come from?'" said Rock. "He can do that - it's not something where he went out there and surprised everybody on the team."