Sonics: No Need To Panic Karl Says Team Didn’t Play Poorly In Playoffs; Wants Kemp, Payton To Lead

Losing to the Denver Nuggets two years ago was one thing. Losing in the first round of the playoffs last season was something else entirely.

Seattle SuperSonics coach George Karl has watched too much videotape of his team’s 3-1 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers to see it any other way.

The Sonics, who open their new season Friday night in Utah, can’t escape their recent past. With an uneasy eye on the present, they admit they blew it in the playoffs against Denver.

But not against Los Angeles.

“We did not play poorly against the Lakers last year,” Karl said.

Ousted mainly by the defense of Denver’s Dikembe Mutombo and the offense of the Lakers’ Nick Van Exel in the opening round of the 1994 and ‘95 playoffs, the Sonics insist they still have the talent to win an NBA championship.

Are they just kidding themselves? Did their playoff eliminations the past two seasons destroy them psychologically? Did the losses steal any of the fragile confidence they’re going to need to survive this season?

“I think there’s going to be a degree of nervousness when the playoffs come next year,” Karl admitted.

All-Stars Shawn Kemp, Gary Payton and Detlef Schrempf are back. So is Ervin Johnson, who is expected to be the starting center, along with Sam Perkins, Vincent Askew and Nate McMillan.

Gone are Kendall Gill and Sarunas Marciulionis, traded away by the Sonics at Karl’s urging. They were unhappy with their minutes and their roles under Karl. He was unhappy with their attitudes.

The Sonics traded the disgruntled Gill back to Charlotte for Hersey Hawkins, who will replace Gill in the starting lineup as their shooting guard.

The Sonics dealt Marciulionis to Sacramento for 36-year-old Frank Brickowski, who didn’t even play last season.

“I think the guys that we changed needed to be changed,” Karl said.

“Their ego and their individuality had created a locker-room problem and a lot of problems managing the team. I was part of that problem. I’m happy the organization supported me and now we’ve moved forward and tried to solve some of our weaknesses.”

The Sonics averaged 60 regular-season wins the past two seasons. Their 57-25 record last season was the league’s fourth-best.

“It’s upsetting to know that you’re labeled as a choker or whatever they want to call you,” McMillan said.

“But the thing is, we have another opportunity. We still have a good team here. We’ve still got an opportunity if we want to improve ourselves and go forward.”

After the Sonics’ second straight sudden playoff departure, a lot of people thought the 44-year-old Karl would follow general manager Bob Whitsitt out the door. Whitsitt and team owner Barry Ackerley parted company after the Denver playoff defeat.

In Karl’s case, it didn’t happen. Ackerley elected not to swallow the final season of Karl’s contract, which will pay him $1.1 million this season. Ackerley and general manager Wally Walker looked at Karl’s regular-season record in Seattle (202-86, .701) for 3-1/2 seasons, not his playoff record (17-20).

“You all made it sound like I wasn’t going to come back,” Karl said. “I didn’t feel that way.”

The Sonics players are encouraged by the fact the team’s ownership and front office elected not to make any major changes - like trading Kemp, Payton or Schrempf.

“I still think we have a legitimate team here,” McMillan said. “If we were going backward and losing players and having to rebuild, then maybe it would be more frustrating.”

The Sonics enter the season with a lot of question marks, including consistent 3-point shooting. In their 4-2 start in the exhibition season going into weekend games against Golden State and expansion Vancouver, Hawkins was shooting only .333 (5 of 15) from 3-point range and .306 (19 of 62) overall from the floor.

There also is concern about the Sonics’ rebounding, the center play of Johnson, the aging of Perkins (34) and Schrempf (33), and the health of the 31-year-old McMillan, trying to come back after an ankle surgery in May.

If the Sonics break down physically, Karl will have to rely more than he wants to on rookies Sherell Ford, a shooting forward and the team’s first-round draft pick from Illinois-Chicago, and Eric Snow, a point guard and second-round selection from Michigan State.

Karl has turned Payton, Seattle’s point guard, and Kemp, its power forward, into team leaders this season. Payton is in the final year of his contract.

“I think it’s time for Gary and Shawn to take the responsibility for the success of this team,” he said.

The Sonics are among a half dozen NBA teams that can win the championship this season, Karl insisted.

“I don’t think there’s any one team that far ahead of anybody,” he said.