Sonics' future may be in past

This has nothing to do with Vladimir Radmanovic. Try Detlef Schrempf 15 years ago, when Dallas sent him to Indiana with a second-round draft pick at the 1989 trade deadline in exchange for 6-11 Herb Williams.

Williams was serviceable. Schrempf became a star.

Fifteen years later that deal hangs in the background with the deadline two days away, and Radmanovic one of the top trade possibilities for Seattle.

Not just because Sonics general manager Rick Sund was an executive with Dallas when Schrempf was traded.

Not just because Schrempf, a former Sonics player, settled in the Puget Sound area after retiring from the NBA in 2001.

And not just because Radmanovic and Schrempf, both forwards, are European.

More than one person has compared Radmanovic to Schrempf, obviously not for their hairstyles.

"To be honest, I never really got a chance to see Detlef play that much," Radmanovic said.

They are from different generations of European players. Schrempf came to the United States for high school, playing at Centralia, and then for four years at the University of Washington. He was 22 when he entered the NBA.

Radmanovic played professionally in Europe before he was chosen with the No. 12 pick in the 2001 draft, just months after Schrempf played his final NBA game.

Both had early reputations as shooters. Schrempf is the guy Larry Bird beat in the finals of the 1987 3-point shootout. Radmanovic made 42 percent of his 3-point attempts as a rookie, the best percentage in the league for a player 6-10 or taller.

Neither one fit the traditional mold of a frontcourt player.

"Det was a 'tweener throughout his career," said Sonics coach Nate McMillan, a teammate of Schrempf. "I mean, what was he?"

That isn't a rhetorical question. Schrempf started for the Sonics at small forward, but played power forward when Shawn Kemp went to the bench.

Radmanovic started the season at power forward, and McMillan has said he's better suited to playing defense in the post than matching up on the wing against a small forward facing the basket. Now, Radmanovic usually is the second player off the bench behind Ronald Murray, and some see him suited to that sixth-man role, capable of playing either forward position.

Making a judgment now might be rash.

"It's a slow process with him, and I like what I've seen, his growth," McMillan said of Radmanovic. "Patience is what you're talking about. You want it to be here and happen now, but it's his third year and it takes time."

Fifteen years ago, the Mavericks traded Schrempf, who was 26, for Williams, who had just turned 31.

Two years later, Schrempf was named the league's Sixth Man of the Year in Indiana and Williams was averaging 12.5 points and six rebounds, the high-water mark of his four seasons with the Mavericks.

Schrempf was an All-Star in Indiana in 1993 and was traded to Seattle after the season for Derrick McKey and Gerald Paddio. Schrempf averaged 15 or more points all six seasons in Seattle. He was an All-Star twice with the Sonics ('95 and '97).

That was a pretty steep climb from his first three-plus seasons with Dallas when he started 22 games and never played more than 1,711 minutes a season. As a rookie, his playing time was so sparse he played pick-up games at night.

The question of whether Schrempf would have become the same caliber player had he stayed in Dallas is valid.

It could be being traded allowed Schrempf to show what he was capable of. It's also plausible the trade was motivational fuel Schrempf burned in elevating his play.

Radmanovic is playing more than Schrempf at this point in their respective careers, but his shooting percentages aren't as good.

It's possible Radmanovic could evolve into a multi-position player like Schrempf, with the shooting touch of a perimeter player and the strength to play inside.

"Versatility is good," McMillan said. "And I think once Vlade expands his game on the offensive end, in the post on the perimeter, that could happen."

COMPARING THE IMPORTS

Detlef Schrempf played his final NBA game in April 2001. Two months later, Vladimir Radmanovic entered the league as the Sonics' No. 12 pick in the draft. Here's how their first three seasons stack up.

Vladimir Radmanovic

No. 12 choice by Seattle in 2001 draft as a 20-year-old

YEAR MPG PPG RPG FG PCT. 3-PT. PCT.

2001-02 20.2 6.7 3.8 41.2 42.0

2002-03 26.5 10.1 4.5 41.0 35.5

2003-04 31.8 12.5 5.6 39.9 35.9

Detlef Schrempf

No. 8 choice by Dallas in 1985 draft as a 22-year-old

YEAR MPG PPG RPG FG PCT. 3-PT. PCT.

1985-86 15.1 6.2 3.1 45.1 42.9

1986-87 21.1 9.3 3.7 47.2 47.8

1987-88 19.4 8.5 3.4 45.6 15.6

Traded from Dallas to Indiana on Feb. 21, 1989. In 37 games with Mavericks that season, Schrempf averaged 22.8 minutes and 9.5 points. In 32 games with Pacers after the trade, he averaged 31.4 minutes and 14.8 points.

P-I reporter Danny O'Neil can be reached at 206-448-8209 or dannyo'neil@seattlepi.com

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