Right team, right time for Weiss

That face never worries, which is a little odd because the owner of that face is a coach, an NBA coach, and coaches often worry, fret and lose sleep over the tiniest of details, which are often out of their control.

But Bob Weiss has no use for the daily dilemmas that slow down others in his profession. He hardly second-guesses his decisions, does not stew in traffic jams, has little time for regret and refuses to live in the past or concern himself about what the future might hold.

He learned some time ago that everything happens for a reason and talks with a matter-of-fact, Zen-like essence about how he's arrived to this place as the new Sonics coach so late in life.

At 63, Weiss is the third-oldest coach in the NBA. He walks gently in a duck-like manner on arthritic knees and hips, like a man who spent 12 years giving his body to the game.

During games, he kneels on the court with a white towel beneath his right knee for support and on this night, slides his 6-foot-2 frame into a chair in a half-empty arena at Golden State.

He says that his previous stints with San Antonio, Atlanta and the Los Angeles Clippers, when he compiled an unimpressive 210-282 record, were simply an extended prelude to this moment ... his final curtain call.

Weiss firmly believes he's the right man for this job, carefully acknowledging that perhaps he wouldn't be the right man for any other team than the Sonics. And also noting that this Sonics team — and not previous teams — is perfect for him.

"When George [Karl] left and they hired [Paul] Westphal, I thought I really wanted the job then," Weiss said. "I felt I was ready to get back into head coaching, interviewed and everything and made a hard push.

"But looking back on it, that team would have been wrong for me. We were holding on, still had Gary [Payton], who was in his prime and Vin [Baker], who was in a transition. That team was shifting, and things were unsettled. It's different now. Still a veteran group, but much more settled."

Under Westphal's guidance, the Sonics fell apart and finished the strike-shortened 1998-99 season with a 25-25 record a year after winning 61 games and advancing to the Western Conference semifinals. The next season, Seattle went 45-37 and was dispatched in the first round of the playoffs. Westphal was fired the following season after a 6-9 start.

Weiss isn't oblivious to the parallels. Like Westphal, he replaced a coach who was popular with Sonics fans and guided the team to the Western Conference semifinals in his final season. He too prefers an up-tempo pace offensively and allows his players liberties that his predecessor wouldn't condone.

But unlike Westphal, Weiss has a history with the Sonics. He was a member of the original 1967-68 expansion team and has been part of the coaching staff since 1994.

"It's different with coach Weiss than with coach Westphal because Bob, he's more demanding than Westphal was," said Rashard Lewis, the only Sonic remaining from the Westphal era. "Paul came in and everything was new, and I guess it took him awhile to get to know us, and that might have been why the team wasn't so good.

"I was just a rookie back then, not really playing much, but I could tell the older guys maybe didn't give him the respect he deserved. With coach Weiss, we know what he's like and he knows us, probably better than we know ourselves. So I don't see those problems being an issue."

Spend enough time around Weiss and talk to the people that know him and the phrase "He's comfortable in his own skin" gets repeated by friends, players and co-workers as if they're all reading from the same script.

Dominique Wilkins, whose nephew Damien is a Sonic, played for Weiss in Atlanta and affectionately referred to him as "Benevolent Bob" in an interview months ago. Said Wilkins: "When people say 'player's coach,' that's Bob. He's a player's coach. He doesn't have an ego or a hidden agenda. What you see is what you get."

It's a description that speaks to Weiss' easygoing personality. In his spare time, he's an avid golf, chess and poker player, but is far less of a gambler as a coach now than he was in his earlier days.

Back then, he'd give rookies extended minutes in hopes they might develop into a star. But four years with Karl taught him to become more judicious when distributing minutes to rookies.

If he weren't an NBA coach, Weiss might have become a magician. He used to entertain players with sleight-of-hand tricks as an assistant, but rarely, if ever, does he camouflage his true emotions.

He was downright giddy on that summer day in July when he signed a three-year contract believed to be worth about $9 million. It's the richest deal he's ever received during his 39 years in the NBA, but nearly half what the team offered McMillan before he bolted to Portland.

Still, Weiss doesn't appear to be someone who succumbs to insecurities. In fact, he filled his staff with an assistant in Bob Hill, who interviewed for the head-coaching job in 1998, and Jack Sikma, who many believe will succeed Weiss once he leaves.

Even the prospect of failing never seems to enter Weiss' mind. At least, he declines to share those thoughts publicly.

"Having coached where I've been, on the other side of the spectrum, if you will, you can appreciate having a team like this where you have a legitimate chance to win every night," Weiss said. "I've had my share of clean-up jobs, and unless you're Larry Brown, you don't usually get a long time to turn those teams around.

"So if you're asking whether I'd rather coach a good team or a bad team, I'll take the good team."

Some might argue that Weiss is in a no-win situation, believing that if the Sonics succeed, well, they were supposed to, given the returning talent. But should the Sonics stumble, then Weiss will likely be the fall guy.

"It's a classic argument," team president Wally Walker said. "Our expectations have raised because of what happened to the team last year, but I think if you talk to Bob or Flip Saunders or any coach that has gone to a good team and has good players to work with, the expectations are higher.

"When we were rebuilding and Nate was starting out, we had to take a longer view, which always tries everyone's patience, but it's what it was. It gave us a chance to get here. ... We always have goals that are hopefully realistic for the team. To make the playoffs, that's still our goal and we're the defending Northwest [Division] champions, so that needs to be our goal as well."

Throughout training camp, Weiss has been hesitant to criticize players in the media, but his honeymoon ends Wednesday when the team starts the regular season against the Los Angeles Clippers at KeyArena.

As the Sonics sank to 1-4 and endured lopsided defeats in exhibitions, Weiss remained cheerfully optimistic. Only after a disheartening 32-point shellacking in Phoenix, did Weiss break character.

The face that usually emits a warm glow and a disarming grin looked tired and defeated. He spoke in defiant tones and was dismayed by his team's effort, but still refused to single out any players.

"I thought a big turning point was after the Phoenix game and prior to the Golden State game when Bob said we're going to go to our true rotations and we're going to make some decisions whether they are right or wrong and this is how we're going to do it," Sikma said. "So the page kind of turned to everything we do from now on is not geared to which personnel is going to be on our roster, but how are we going to play."

The next night, the Sonics dismantled the Warriors, 108-95, at The Arena in Oakland in what was by far their most complete outing of the exhibition season. After emerging from the locker room, Weiss and his coaching staff breathed a little easier.

"There was a feeling of, 'Hey, are we where we need to be?' and after the Golden State game it helped us say 'OK, we're on the right track,' " Sikma said. "I think it provided clarity for Bob. I think there's a lot less for him to think about now.

"From what I can tell, Bob is best at not complicating things a lot. It stays pretty simple in a very positive way. With that, it gives a player some confidence and freedom out there on the court, and we'll see how that works."

Percy Allen: 206-464-2278 or pallen@seattletimes.com