The 1991-92 season dawned for the Seattle Supersonics with optimism. The previous year, the Sonics had returned to the playoffs as the #8 seed, and had taken the #1 seeded Trailblazers to the brink, falling only during game 5 to their talented rivals to the south. The Sonics were also a young ballclub, led by kids like Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton, who were on the verge of exploding. 1991-92 would also mark the first full season in Sonic uniforms for Ricky Pierce, Eddie Johnson, and Benoit Benjamin, all of whom had been acquired in trades mid-season the year before. All in all, hopes were high.

The Roster:

The Starters:
Guard Gary Payton - In his second season in the NBA, the highly touted Payton continued to struggle to adjust to the pro game. He averaged under 10 points per game, and his ball handling and creation were also not up to par for NBA point guards. He had so much trouble with head coach KC Jones that Payton was nearly dealt during the season. The most common rumor had Payton going to Houston with Benjamin for Hakeem Olajuwon and Kenny Smith. I think both teams are glad they did not make the trade. Payton did show steady improvement during the season.

Guard Ricky Pierce - In his second season in Seattle, Pierce continued to show that he was just an adept a starter in the Western conference as he had been a reserve in the East. Pierce topped 5 Sonics in double figures in scoring with almost 22 points per night.

Forward Derrick McKey - "Heavy D"'s '91-'92 season was typical of his Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde career. He averaged a respectable 15 points per game but continued to show talent that warranted better performance. He also missed 30 games due to injury.

Forward Shawn Kemp - Kemp officially became the Reign Man during the '92 post-season, as Kevin Calabro came up with the moniker that would follow Kemp throughout his Sonic career. It was a breakout season for the manchild, as he averaged about 16 and 10 during the regular season. In the postseason, Kemp really served notice of his ascendance, averaging 22 and 16.

Center Benoit Benjamin - "Big Ben"'s one full season in Seattle was rather successful. He averaged 14 points per ballgame and gave the Sonics an inside presence. His attitude problems didn't really surface until the next season.

Key Bench Contributors:
Forward Eddie Johnson - Johnson's first full season in Seattle was rather impressive as he provided instant offense off the bench. "Easy Eddie" averaged 17.1 points per ballgame, good for second on the team, and was a leading contender for the NBA's top 6th man.

Forward/Center Michael Cage - Cage was effective as the third big man in a three man rotation. Cage ended up playing starters' minutes (about 30 per game) and provided his typically solid defense and rebounding.

Guard Nate McMillan - With Payton's struggles, "Mac 10" was the Sonics' top distributor and offensive operator. McMillan also was the team's best defensive player -- no surprise there. He continued to struggle offensively, however.

Guard Dana Barros - The team's other draft pick in 1990 made his mark by leading the NBA in 3 point percentage. He also provided instant offense, with a point a minute.

Scrubs: Forward Tony Brown - Brown was a mid-season Sonic pickup, first on a pair of 10-day contracts, and later signed for the entire season. His three-point shooting was somewhat reminiscent of former Sonic Brown Freddie, but the rest of his game wasn't. I recall calling him "Uptown" during that season, but I'm not sure if it was my own nickname or something I heard and repeated. Brown was the underdog I adopted during that season, as is my custom.

Center Rich King - King was the Sonics' first round pick, #14 overall, in 1991. I think I still have an Upper Deck basketball card of King on the back of which NBA Director of Scouting Marty Blake refers to him as "The steal of the draft". Blake was just a bit off, as King provided little in '91, and little later.

Guard Quentin Dailey - The once great Dailey was merely playing out the string with the Sonics in '91-'92, his final NBA season. I once heard a story that Dailey ordered pizza from an NBA bench -- that could have been during this season.

Forward Marty Conlon - Conlon, with a game only a mother could love, eventually found NBA success in Milwaukee. Success is not a word that would describe his time in Seattle in any way.

Guard Bart Kofoed - Not much to say here. Pretty standard 14th man fodder.

The Sonics began the '91-'92 season rather slowly under coach Jones. On January 14, the Sonics lost to the Hornets on a last second shot by rookie Larry Johnson. The loss dropped the team's record to an even .500, 18-18. The next day, Jones was fired. Assistant coach Bob Kloppenberg was named interim coach, and the club went 2-2 with Kloppy at the helm. On January 23, the Sonics named as their head coach George Karl, former coach of the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers, who was coaching at the time with Real Madrid in Spain.

I doubt I need to relate to Sonic fans the changes instituted by Karl. He allowed more freedom to his youngsters Payton and Kemp, emphasizing an up-tempo fast-break style of play that was opposite that of his predecessor. Karl also instituted the defense of Kloppenberg, which featured some full court press and a great degree of trapping during half-court sets. Payton and Kemp, and the Sonics in general, thrived under Karl. The team would go 25-17 the rest of the way to secure the #6 seed in the playoffs, losing the #5 seed only on the final day of the season on a tiebreaker.

The Sonics would face in the first round the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors had many talented players at the time, including Tim Hardaway, Sarunas Marcioulonis, and Chris Mullin. Their record of 55-27 tied with Utah for the second best in the Western Conference. In game one, the Sonics shocked the Warriors and pulled out a close game. After losing game 2, the Sonics came home and took two straight to advance to the second round for the first time in the 1990's. In the second round, the Sonics took on the Jazz. An overmatched Sonic team was unable to keep up with the Jazz, as veterans John Stockton and Karl Malone overmatched their Sonic counterparts Payton and Kemp in a four-game sweep.

Although '91-'92 is not a season most Sonic fans think of when they think of the team's best memories, it truly should be. That year was when the Sonics' incredible run of the 1990's began. Shawn Kemp took giant steps on the road to eventual stardom, and Gary Payton was pointed in the right direction by the end of the sesaon. George Karl first brought his unique brand of basketball to Seattle in 1992 as well. The Sonics' upset of an excellent Golden State team ranks as one of the top playoff series in the club's history. Sonic fans, look back proudly on the '91-'92 season.