Sonics put faith in Hill

This is the third of a five-part series analyzing the Sonics' season

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — "There's something about him," said the front-office executive. "I can't put my finger on it, but he's got it."

Back in January — when Bob Hill met the people in charge of selling, promoting and marketing the Sonics — whatever the coach has, it was on display and everybody recognized it.

He dressed like a basketball coach on and off the court. He spoke like a basketball coach, and he carried himself like, well, a basketball coach.

But most important, after all of the handshakes, photo ops and one-on-one interviews, the execs walked away convinced their team was in the capable hands of a man who, if nothing else, looked as if he knew what he was doing.

The Sonics officially acknowledged that Monday by exercising the option on Hill's contract and bringing him back for another season.

The announcement made official what everyone said. From the vice presidents, who were charmed by his off-color tales about coaching in the Italian league, to the middle managers, who privately cheered because they had someone they could sell to a seemingly disenchanted fan base.

He had it. That unmistakable quality they could put on a billboard or on the cover of a magazine. He had that rare ability to hobnob with deep-pocket sponsors one minute and mingle with coupon-cutting season-ticket holders the next.

He had presence.

"He looks like the guy," the front-office exec said. "We didn't have that before, but now you look on our sideline and there's no question who's in charge."

The remark was also an unintentional backhanded slap at former coach Bob Weiss, who had the misfortune of being the guy who replaced Nate McMillan after he bolted for Portland last summer.

Expectations were high. All Weiss had to do was continue winning at the pace of the 2004-05 team, which went 52-30, captured the Northwest Division title and advanced to the Western Conference semifinals.

After an unenthusiastic training camp in which several players began the season out of shape, the offense was an undefined mess and the pecking order was unclear. It was evident that the Sonics had made a mistake, although nobody would admit it at the time.

The confession came two months later, after Seattle had stumbled to a 13-17 start. On Jan. 3, Weiss was relieved of coaching duties but remained with the team as an advisor, and general manager Rick Sund ended Hill's long exile from the NBA head-coaching ranks.

There would be no interim tag, no coaching search and no rumors involving Phoenix assistant Marc Iavoroni, former Miami coach Stan Van Gundy or ex-Sonic Paul Silas.

"Bob is the coach," Sund said.

When asked how long Hill would remain, Sund quipped: "Until we get another one."

Sund's directness helped ease a rocky midseason transition. Like it or not, the players would have to deal with Hill for at least the remainder of the season. And Hill admittedly wasn't a happy camper.

Often he chose his words carefully, not wanting to offend Weiss, but his actions essentially said: "Play time is over."

Hill, who last led an NBA team in 1996, waited impatiently for nearly 10 years to get another opportunity, and he was not going to blow it. He installed a boot-camp-style training camp during one of the busiest times of the season. He held practices in the mornings before games, which led to tired legs and ugly defeats. He made radical changes with the starting lineup, revamped the offense and tweaked defensive schemes.

None of this led to victories. The Sonics were 3-7 in their first 10 games and 9-19 after 28 games with Hill. The team's spin-makers pointed to a couple of trades that reshaped the roster and said the new-look Sonics needed time to jell.

It wasn't until a 98-96 defeat to Detroit on March 3 that the Sonics turned the corner. They're 12-9 since that game and 13-8 with newcomers Chris Wilcox and Earl Watson in the lineup.

Apparently, that's enough for Sund, who ended weeks of speculation Monday. Financial terms of Hill's contract were not disclosed, and there's a strong possibility that the two sides will negotiate a long-term deal this offseason.

"Based on the progress we've made as a team over the last third of the season, Bob is the best candidate to get the Sonics back to the playoffs next year," Sund said in a statement. "The playoffs are still our No. 1 goal, and it's important for the players and assistant coaches to know that Bob is going to be the head coach next season."

The players and assistants already knew. Just like the front-office execs and middle managers knew Hill was the guy during that meet-and-greet session in January.

Still many — even those within the franchise — wonder whether the tireless coach whom they saw arrive early and leave late over the past three months is genuine or whether he was coaching for a contract.

"This is who I am," he said after Monday's practice at Arco Arena. "I'm way beyond all of that. I'm at a place in my life where I've come to grips with being misunderstood. Everybody needs to get there. It's very comforting. It really is.

"If you have a vision of what you think needs to be done, well, in the process and along that journey, you're going to have ups and downs. And during those downs, people are going to be critical. And during the ups, they're going to say too nice of things about you. And what you've got to do is keep working, not get distracted and not worry about it. After 35 years, I'm smack dab right there."

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