Lakers Hardly Scare Sonics Addition Of Shaquille O’Neal Won’t Alter Balance Of Power

So what if Shaquille O’Neal and his genie act are now with the Los Angeles Lakers! The Seattle SuperSonics still consider themselves the best in the West, gearing up to challenge the Chicago Bulls for the NBA championship again next June.

“I think the Lakers are still chasing us and they have a little catching up to do,” Hersey Hawkins said.

“We’re in a situation in Seattle where we’re competing for a championship,” team president Wally Walker said.

After losing in six games to Michael Jordan and the Bulls in the NBA Finals, the Sonics re-signed free agents Gary Payton, Sam Perkins and Hawkins, renounced free agents Ervin Johnson and Frank Brickowski, and added free-agent center Jim McIlvaine and free-agent reserve Craig Ehlo.

It was an expensive summer spending spree.

Payton got an $88 million deal and McIlvaine $35 million. The contracts for Payton, McIlvaine, Hawkins, Perkins, Ehlo and Steve Scheffler totaled almost $150 million.

“The dollars are staggering,” Walker said. “But it’s our system and that’s the way it is.”

The 1996-97 Sonics will start the 7-foot-1, 265-pound McIlvaine in the middle, where they used Perkins, Johnson and Brickowski last season. The former Washington Bullets’ backup joins incumbent starters Shawn Kemp, Detlef Schrempf, Payton and Hawkins.

On the bench, the key Sonics players will be Nate McMillan, David Wingate, Perkins and Ehlo.

They’ll also have Greg Graham, Eric Snow, Sherell Ford and Scheffler, as well as second-round draft choices Joe Blair, Joe Vogel and Drew Barry in their training camp in October.

Before that, look for the Sonics to add another center or power forward to give them some more depth on their bench.

Because the Sonics are now way over the salary cap, they will be looking for a free-agent bargain who will play for the league’s minimum.

“There’ll be some guys who are toward the end of their careers who would like to compete for the championship,” Walker said. “I think we’ll be pretty appealing.”

The key to it all for the Sonics was keeping Payton, last season’s NBA defensive player of the year and a member of Dream Team III at the Olympics. Payton and Kemp were All-Stars for the Sonics last season.

“They’re outstanding players, probably the best in their positions in the league,” McIlvaine said of his new teammates.

Kemp and Payton couldn’t beat Chicago, but they helped Seattle win Games 4 and 5 and threw a good scare into the Bulls.

The Sonics knew there was a chance O’Neal was coming out West. They decided they needed rebounding help and more size at center before O’Neal’s decision was finalized, though.

Now, Seattle must hold off the new Lakers as well as Utah and San Antonio.

“They’ve got an outstanding starting five now,” Walker said of the Lakers. “They’re very solid at all positions. But I think we’ve proven we’re very tough to beat. Until proven otherwise, I think we’ll still be that team.”

The Sonics won a franchise-best 64 games last season under George Karl, who is expected to be rewarded with a contract extension of three or four years.

Karl did not want O’Neal in the West.

“I was angry, I was frustrated,” he admitted. “I didn’t want to see him go to the Lakers, but he’s there.”

Still, he believes his club is the one to beat in the West.

“I think it’s Seattle,” Karl said. “If we stay injury free, I think we should be better next season.”

Said Hawkins: “The Lakers will be good, they definitely will be a good team. But we don’t fear them. We’re going to be good, too.”