The Sonics will go to camp with basically its current roster of 14 players under contract, with the only expected addition to include five-year NBA veteran Jermaine Jackson. The 6-foot-5 guard played summer league ball with Seattle. Jackson has played with five different NBA teams, most recently for Milwaukee in the 2005-06 season.

With training camp starting Tuesday and only a week for the team to prepare before Seattle travels to Sacramento Oct. 9 to face the Kings in its first preseason game, Presti said he wanted to limit the roster so the coaches can focus on implementing the team’s new philosophy.

“It allows for us to get right into teaching our system, evaluating the team and getting a feel for where we are,” Presti said. “Our focus for camp has to be on the guys we currently have and getting reps for those guys.

“For our team right now and the direction we are headed, I think it¹s important for our coaches to be working with our players —the guys they are going to be seeing every day — and getting to know them and getting in a nice rhythm.”

Presti said everyone is in town now and has been for the past few days.

With the team’s payroll at just over $63 million it appears the Sonics don’t have much wiggle room to bring in new players. However, Seattle is deep at guard and small forward, and could make some moves later on during training camp once head coach P.J. Carlesimo establishes what his rotation will be.

Here’s the training camp roster.

Player Pos. Ht./Wt. From Years Exp.
Nick Collison F/C 6-10/255 Kansas 4
Kevin Durant F 6-9/215 Texas R
Mickael Gelabale F 6-7/215 France 2
Jeff Green F 6-9/235 Georgetown R
Jermaine Jackson G 6-5/204 Detroit 6
Johan Petro C 7-0/247 France 3
Luke Ridnour G 6-2/175 Oregon 4
Mouhamed Sene C 7-0/230 Senegal 2
Robert Swift C 7-1/245 Bakerfield (HS) 4
Wally Szczerbiak F 6-7/245 Miami (Ohio) 9
Kurt Thomas F/C 6-9/235 Texas Christian 13
Earl Watson G 6-1/185 UCLA 7
Delonte West G 6-3/195 St. Joseph’s (PA) 4
Chris Wilcox F 6-10/235 Maryland 6
Damien Wilkins G/F 6-6/225 Georgia 4

Judge John Erlick, chief civil judge at King County Superior Court, assigned Judge Harry McCarthy to the City of Seattle’s lawsuit against the Sonics ownership group over the KeyArena lease agreement on Friday.

Louis Richmond, a spokesperson for the ownership group, said the Sonics had no comment at this time on McCarthy's assignment to preside over the case.
The Sonics filed a motion to change the judge presiding over the case earlier this week. Judge Glenna Hall, originally selected to hear the case, signed the order for her removal on Wednesday.

UPDATE
City of Seattle attorney's office spokesperson Ruth Bowman had this to say about Judge McCarthy being assigned to the case.

“We have no problem with Judge McCarthy. We didn’t even have a problem with the previous judge. And we are confident that we will get a fair and impartial judge from the King County bench. We believe that they have a fine bench.”

Seattle City Attorney Tom Carr talked about the city’s suit against the Sonics on KJR 950 earlier this week. Listen to that conversation here.

Also The Oklahoman columnist Jenni Carlson weighs in on Sonics arena situation. Carlson is the columnist that was involved in the tirade by Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy.

Seeking a different judge to oversee its case, the Seattle SuperSonics ownership group filed a motion to replace Judge Glenna Hall in its suit against the City of Seattle regarding the KeyArena lease agreement.
And the team’s wishes apparently have been granted, as Hall signed the order to change a judge on Wednesday, according to Hall’s assistant Barbara Murphy.
“They feel a different judge will be better suited for the case,” said Louis Richmond, a spokesperson for the ownership group.
The motion was filed in King County Superior Court on Monday. Hall was appointed the judge to oversee the case after the City of Seattle filed its suit on Monday to bind the Sonics to its lease agreement until its resolution on Sept. 30, 2010.
Murphy said Hall signed the order for change of judge on Wednesday, and the matter is now in the hands of Chief Judge John Erlick. Erlick is expected to reassign another judge to the case in the next few days.
Ruth Bowman, a spokesperson for the Seattle city attorneys’ office, said the city didn’t have any concerns with Hall presiding over the case.
“This is just one more sign that the Sonics are form shopping,” City Attorney Tom Carr said. “They wanted to arbitrate the case in Denver, and now they want a different judge.”
According to Carr, the city’s lawsuit is designed to keep the Sonics from breaking the lease.
Specifically, the suit seeks to block the case from going to arbitration. It also seeks a judgment that upholds the specific performance clause of the lease, and it asks for the Sonics to pay for the city’s attorney’s fees.
The city’s action is in response to Sonics chairman Clay Bennett announcing that the ownership group filed for arbitration over the accord with the American Arbitration Association last week.
Bennett has said that if a tangible arena proposal is not presented in the next month or so, he will file for relocation, although he has softened on his imposed Oct. 31 deadline.
Bennett most likely will try and move the Sonics to his native Oklahoma City, where he believes the franchise could thrive as the only major professional sports team in town.

Gatorade signs Durant
The Gatorade Company announced on Thursday a partnership with Seattle’s Kevin Durant, making the 6-foot-9 swingman the first rookie ever to sign with Gatorade.
Terms of the multi-year agreement were undisclosed.
Durant follows in the footsteps of Michael Jordan, Kevin Garnett, Dwayne Wade.
“Gatorade has been a part of my game for a long time and I’m excited that I will now officially be part of their team,” Durant said.
Durant also has endorsement deals with Nike and EA Sports.

My apologies, but the Sonics are still tying up loose ends with the roster invitee list and will not release the training camp roster until Friday.

After a month of speculation, the Seattle SuperSonics officially added Paul Westhead, head coach of the WNBA champion Phoenix Mercury, to P.J. Carlesimo's coaching staff today. Here's the press release.

The Seattle SuperSonics today named Paul Westhead an assistant coach on P.J. Carlesimo’s staff, Sonics General Manager Sam Presti announced. Westhead brings 30 years of collegiate and professional coaching experience to the Sonics bench.
 
“We are extremely fortunate to have Paul Westhead join our coaching staff,” Carlesimo said. “He will be a great resource to our talented players, and also to his fellow coaches.”
 
Westhead joins the Sonics after spending the last two years as the head coach of the WNBA Phoenix Mercury, where he compiled an overall record of 41-27 (.603) and led the Mercury to their first WNBA Championship in 2007. Known throughout his coaching career for his teams’ up-tempo style, Westhead’s 2006 Mercury team shattered the WNBA record for scoring by averaging 87.1 points per game, nearly 10 points higher than the previous mark held by the 2000 Houston Comets.
 
“I’m happy to join the Sonics staff,” Westhead said. “P.J. and I have worked together and known each other for many years and I’m thankful for the opportunity.”
 
Westhead began his coaching career at LaSalle in 1970 and has spent 18 seasons as a head coach in the collegiate ranks, compiling a career 285-223 (.561) record. His most memorable collegiate stint came at Loyola Marymount from 1985-90, where he compiled a 105-48 (.686) record in five seasons and led the Lions to three consecutive NCAA appearances, including a trip to the Elite Eight in 1990. In addition to his nine seasons at LaSalle and five with Loyola Marymount, Westhead was also the head coach at George Mason from 1993-97.
 
Westhead’s NBA coaching career began during the 1979-80 season when he joined the Los Angeles Lakers as an assistant. Early that season he was elevated to head coach, eventually leading the Lakers to the 1980 NBA Championship. Coupled with the Mercury title this summer, Westhead is the only coach to win championships in both the NBA and WNBA.
 
Following his time with the Lakers, Westhead also served as head coach for the Chicago Bulls (1982-83) and Denver Nuggets (1990-92), and later served as Carlesimo’s assistant at Golden State from 1997-1999. He was also an assistant on the Orlando Magic coaching staff from 2003-05.

With the Sonics training camp set to begin on Monday, the team plans to release its roster invitee list tomorrow (Thursday). I’ll have the full list along with a short story. And I plan to write a preview looking at some of the main story lines heading into camp, as we make the switch to reporting what is happening on the basketball floor.

I’ll have daily updates from training camp starting next week, including interviews, injury updates, analysis on how guys are playing at practice and other tidbits. What else are you interested in knowing next week? Let me know in the comments section and I’ll try to address your concerns.

I also will be adding to the resource list on the right side of the page links I think will be helpful to provide more information throughout the year, including statistical breakdowns and analysis. I’ll let you know when I start to post those links.

I’m looking forward to covering camp, but I’ll keep you updated with what is happening on the arena front as well, so stay tuned.

For now, check out these links.

The Oklahoman columnist Berry Tramel talks about the City of Seattle’s battle with the Sonics over KeyArena.

The big news of the day is The Matrix, Phoenix’s Shawn Marion has said that it’s time to move on and wants to be traded.

According to the rumor mill the Los Angeles Lakers are interested, and willing to ship Lamar Odom to the Suns.

TrueHoop’s Henry Abbott has a pretty good analysis of the Marion situation here.

Shawn Stockton, the nephew of NBA legendary point guard John Stockton, has accepted a scholarship offer to play basketball at the University of Montana according to this report.

The City of Seattle filed a lawsuit against the Seattle SuperSonics in King County Superior Court over the lease agreement between the two parties, according to the Associated Press.

Representatives from the city held a press conference at the Seattle law offices of K & L Gates Monday morning. The city retained the law firm’s services to represent them on the case.

The city’s lawsuit is designed to keep the Sonics from breaking their lease, and was in response to the Sonics ownership group filing for arbitration over the KeyArena lease agreement with the American Arbitration Association on Friday.

The ownership group is seeking a buyout of the KeyArena lease by making a case of economic hardship suffered by both the city and the franchise.

In the arbitration filing the Sonics claim they lost $17 million last season. Sonics chairman Clay Bennett and a group of Oklahoma City investors bought the team for $350 million in July 2006.

The ownership group wants to get out of playing at KeyArena the last two years of the lease agreement, which runs until Sept. 30, 2010.

However, the city references a specific performance clause in the lease agreement that states the team must play all home games exclusively in KeyArena until the end of the agreement.

I’ll have more on this story later today.

I managed to scramble up to Seattle and make it to the 11 a.m. press conference. If you haven't heard already, the Sonics ownership group filed for arbitration with the City of Seattle challenging the KeyArena lease.

posted a general overview of the press briefing below, and I'll have more details this afternoon.

Seattle SuperSonics chairman Clay Bennett announced in a press conference Friday morning that the Sonics ownership group filed for arbitration with the City of Seattle in an effort to establish parameters for a buyout of the KeyArena lease.

Bennett did say that the Sonics will play the 2007-08 season in KeyArena, and the WNBA Seattle Storm will play the 2008 season at the Seattle Center facility.

However, Bennnett reaffirmed earlier statements made in the media, saying KeyArena as it currently stands, or a remodeled KeyArena, is not a viable option and dysfunctional situation economically.

Bennett’s group has retained the Seattle law firm of Byrnes and Keller. Seattle attorney Brad Keller was on hand to answer questions.

Bennett also said that he had received the market feasibility study from the Muckleshoots and intends to study a potential deal to build a new arena at the

Auburn site near Emerald Downs. The Muckleshoot have committed to donating the 26.5 acre site it owns as a gift to build a 18,500-seat NBA arena.

Bennett also said he has received other proposals to build arenas in the Seattle area. He also said his group received offers from local groups to purchase the team, but that his group does not intend to sell the NBA franchise.

Bennett made his comments during a 40-minute press conference held in a conference room at a hotel in downtown Seattle.

Sonics chairman Clay Bennett has called a press conference for 11 a.m. today to address a number of issues, according to Sonics spokesman Tom Savage.

I'm not sure what the press conference is about, but I'll have more information once I attend the briefing this morning.

The Oklahoman columnist John Rohde didn't mince words when talking about the Seattle SuperSonics and the effort to get an arena done locally. Here's an excerpt from his column.

"We've been readin' what you you've been writin' about us these past few months.

"Ya'll think we're nothing but a bunch of land-stealing, crop-dusting, bare-foot, chicken-ranch slumlords, living in shotgun houses with no running water.

"But unlike you, we know how to treat an NBA franchise.

"Just ask the New Orleans Hornets. They took to us pretty good for two seasons in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. They're welcome back anytime.

"Your Sonics are welcome anytime, too.

"Next year seems as good a time as any."

Read more here.

As we wait to hear from Sonics chairman Clay Bennett and Gov. Chris Gregoire on the Muckleshoot Indian tribe’s market feasibility study (Cue up the Jeopardy theme song here), I thought I would offer up some material for your reading pleasure.

Former Sonics coach and current Seattle-area resident Bill Russell lectures the NBA 2007 rookie class, which includes Sonics Kevin Durant and Jeff Green, in New York on Tuesday.

The big news of the day is Utah’s Andrei Kirilenko says he wants out of Utah.

Here are couple stories out of Portland on Greg Oden after the disheartening news of his season-ending knee surgery.

The Portland Tribune’s Kerry Eggers catches up with Sam Bowie, and the former Trail Blazer who dealt with his share of injuries feels terrible for Oden.

And Dwight Jaynes of the Portland Tribune says a NBA source from another team told him an Oden pre-draft camp exam in Orlando raised some red flags.

Mike Seely of the Seattle Weekly’s Buzzer Beater blog weighs in on the Muckleshoot study.

And for Sonics fans looking for some insight into the personality of one of the newest Sonics, Delonte West, check out this ESPN 2 Q & A with the former Boston Celtic guard, as he describes what he would do with his date on Valentine’s Day. Pretty funny. I don’t think I could pull it off.

In the aftermath of Portland’s Greg Oden being lost for the season, a writer out in the blogosphere predicts Seattle rookie Kevin Durant will be a disappointment this season.

Take a closer look at the article here. An interesting read, although I think the writer is wrong.

The Daily Oklahoman follows up Monday’s press briefing by the Muckleshoots, saying Oklahoma City’s chances of securing the Sonics may have taken a hit.

And I meant to post this on Monday, but take a look at the Muckleshoot market feasibility study here.

That’s all for now.

The Muckelshoot Indian Tribe hosted a press briefing this morning headed by Jason Thompson, a senior associate with Washington, D.C. firm Brailsford & Dunlavey, the company that performed the feasibility study.

Thompson said the study confirmed that an events center at the proposed site adjacent from Emerald Downs in Auburn could successfully house an arena with the Sonics as the main tenant.

The study also projected a preliminary construction cost for the arena and surrounding parking at $452 million, with a start date of 2009.

The tribe also said it would be willing to gift the 26.5-acres of land it owns toward the construction of the project, and is now waiting for word from Gov. Chris Gregoire or Sonics Chairman Clay Bennett before making their next move.

Read my full story about the meeting here.

However you see it, the Muckleshoots announcement is another piece of good news for Seattle Soniics fans who want to see the team stay.

In other news, Paul Westhead apparently remains a possibility to join the Sonics coaching staff. After leading the Phoenix Mercury to the WNBA championship, Westhead is mulling the possibility of joining Seattle.

The Muckleshoot Indian Tribe will host a question and answer session on Monday with the consultants who performed the feasibility study.

The report delves into the possibility of building an arena that could potentially house the Seattle SuperSonics and Storm on land owned by the tribe next to Emerald Downs.

Last month the Muckleshoots released a preliminary progress report on a feasibility study for a potential arena next to Emerald Downs. Brailsford & Dunlavey, a Washington, D.C., firm that specializes in facility planning, is performing the study.

The report’s preliminary analysis indicated that Seattle is a strong NBA market. Also, a drive-time analysis showed little difference between fans who would drive to KeyArena and a potential new facility in Auburn.

There’s a little over two weeks left before training camp. For Sonics fans who are getting a little anxious for the season to begin, check out the clip below provided by a regular reader of this blog.

I'm late to the party on this one, but former Sonics broadcaster David Locke has landed a gig in Salt Lake City doing sports talk radio at K-Fan 1320. Locke had previously worked at K-FAN before he came to Seattle to work at KJR 950 eight years ago.

I'm happy fo Locke. I know some Sonics fans found his personality a bit grating, but Locke always treated me well in the past when I covered the team and no one cares more about the NBA than Locke.

So it's good to see he's found a place where he can share his enthusiasm and the wealth of information he holds. Read Locke's welcome back home to Utah letter here.

Unbelievable news out of Portland as No. 1 overall draft pick Greg Oden is done for the season after exploratory surgery revealed cartilage damage in his right knee.

This is sad news for Oden, Portland and the NBA as the league looked forward to anticipated matchups between Oden and Seatte's Kevin Durant.

And it certainly hurts this year's rebuilding effort for Portland. Read more details in this story from The Oregonian.

The Daily Oklahoman has an interesting report on the Seattle City Council passing an ordinance that is supposed to hold the Sonics to their lease agreement with KeyArena. However, apparently event the council members themselves don’t believe the ordinance carries much weight.

In case you missed it, Mitch in the Morning at KJR 950 caught up with Marques Johnson on Tuesday. Johnson will do 10 Seattle Sonics games this year. It’s worth checking out. Take a listen to that interview here.

Sonics chairman Clay Bennett has used the San Antonio Spurs as a model to mold the Sonics franchise. Here’s an interesting story out of San Antonio (I have to give props to Supersonicsoul.com for the link) which has the Spurs asking for $164 million in taxpayer subsidies to upgrade the AT&T Center,built five years ago for $193.4 million.

And here’s the latest on Portland’s No. 1 pick Greg Oden and the prospects on how serious his knee injury is from the Oregonian.

There’s not much going on in Sonicsland as the team prepares for its training camp opening up in less than three weeks. However, I should have some news on the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe’s proposal to build an arena near Emerald Downs next week.

General Manager Sam Presti announced on Tuesday that Paul Rivers has been hired as the director of basketball technology.
 
“We are excited to welcome Paul to the Sonics front office,” Presti said. “Paul brings a wealth of knowledge to our overall operations and will help accelerate our personnel systems with his creativity.”
 
Before his arrival in Seattle Rivers spent the last two seasons as the video coordinator for the Detroit Pistons. Before that, Rivers served as the video coordinator for the San Antonio Spurs during the 2004-05 season.

He began his front office basketball career at Michigan State where he worked under head coach Tom Izzo in the video department.

I talked with Seattle general manager Sam Presti on Friday for a few minutes about the Sonics upcoming training camp and wanted to share that with you. There’s also some newsworthy stuff involving the Sonics that occured in the past few days, so we’ll try and catch up.

Most notably, Sonics chairman Clay Bennett said he may delay plans to apply for permission to relocate the team if the Oct. 31 deadline for coming up with an arena deal in Seattle passes with no deal in hand.

Also, The Daily Oklahoman takes a look at how the Sonics relocating to Oklahoma City could help change the city’s image.

Supersonic.com has an interesting interview with P.J. Carlesimo.

And the Oakland Tribune caught up with Gary Payton’s agent Aaron Goodwin, who talks about where the glove might end up this season.

Here are Presti's thoughts on the upcoming training camp.

Q: What are your thoughts on the overall roster heading into camp, and do you plan to make any changes before Oct. 1?

Presti: We are pleased with the roster. We certainly like our young core. And we feel like we have a number of guys that have the opportunity to improve, get better and continue their development. We also feel like we have a veteran presence as well. So we have a nice blend and depth at all positions.

Q: How many roster invitees will you have?

Presti: We’re still working through it. I don’t anticipate it being a large number. We have a new coach and a lot of new faces. So we’re really getting right into teaching and putting in a system. So we need to give our guys as many reps as possible.

We are pleased going into the camp with this roster. But as I will always say, you never know what could happen. But I would say it would be most likely we go into camp for the most part with the guys we have.

Q: I know you don’t want to talk specifically about competition between players at each position, but what types of things are you looking for from the point guard position?

Presti: I think PJ’s (Carlesimo) system will ultimately dictate that. I also think obviously we have some guys with differing skill sets, so we like the diversity that we have at that position. And we feel good that we have guys that bring different things to the table at that position. So we like the combination that we have.

Q: Talk a little bit about what Delonte West brings to this team?

I think he’s a great competitor. He’s a guy that plays for his teammates, but is also capable of being aggressive with the ball. And I do think he’s a little bit of a rarity in that he can legitimately play both positions.

Q: What role do you see Kevin Durant playing and how will you help protect him from the pressure of high expectations this season??

Ultimately the line up and minutes will be decided by P.J., and the most effective five guys that he wants to play together will be out on the floor. The focus on our guys is always on getting better every day. Coming to work and trying to find a way to help the team, and help the organization. And that’s the expectation for our players, coaches and our staff. So we’re looking for that type of effort and that type of process.
.

Q: If this team plays up to its potential can they make the playoffs?

Presti: I’m not sure. But I think we have to see once we roll it out on the floor and evaluate our roster, and obviously it’s totally our of our control how the other teams look. But we’re really focused on getting better from practice to practice, and game to game and establishing an identity for the basketball team. If we can come in and take some steps toward those goals and build good team chemistry, we’ll let the outcome and standings develop from there

Our focus is on getting better form day to day, and not skipping steps in that process. We want to craft a foundation for long-term success. And that can’t happen when you’re swinging for a grand slam. You have to take the time to do the little things.

Q: What are your thoughts on Chris Wilcox and how do you see his role evolving this season?

Presti: We’re excited to see Chris and our other big guys in PJ’s system. As we go going I think we’ll have an opportunity to see where everybody fits into that scheme. But he’s certainly someone we’re excited to see on the floor and using his athleticism.

Q: How has Wally Szczerbiak recovered from last year’s season-ending ankle surgery?

Wally had a good summer. He played in the New York pro-am league, and he’s excited to get started. We’re excited to add a player that can score as efficiently as he does.

Q: How important is it to get the young players time together on the court to help build some cohesiveness for the future?

Those are things that P.J. has to determine — what gives us the best opportunity to win games and also to develop our guys. So those things will work themselves out.

Q: Ready to get training camp going?

We’re definitely excited to get started. Now that we have our coaches in place they our prepping and meeting. We’ve got guys in town and working out. So we’re excited about starting up and getting to work. We’re putting things in place and getting our guys focused on what they’re going to do.

The Sonics have been trying for decades to find a consistent player at the center position. And you’ve heard the names before: Benoit Benjamin. Rich King. Jim McIlvaine. Calvin Booth, Jerome James — to name just a few. None of them panned out.

But the latest big man could be the real deal — if he can stay healthy. Robert Swift is coming back from season-ending knee surgery suffered toward the end of preseason last season. The 7-footer from Bakerfield, Calif. has put on some bulk that could make him the inside force this team sorely needs. But if Swift takes awhile to work up to his potential, Seattle should have enough in reserve to get by at the center spot this season.

Frontrunner

Robert Swift (7-0, 270, 3rd year)
Last year was supposed to be a breakout season for Swift. Instead, he spent the 2006-07 rehabilitating from surgery to repair an ACL tear in his right knee. The previous season Swift showed the promise of becoming a solid contributor in the league. He averaged 6.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and a block in 21 minutes a game. Swift should be given an opportunity to earn the starting spot again this season.

Pros: A legit 7-footer who moves well, rebounds, can block shots and can score inside. Former Seattle coach Bob Hill said the absence of Swift was one of the primary reasons Seattle underperformed last season.

Cons: He hasn’t played in a competitive basketball game in nearly a year, so there’s going to be some rust in his game. And there’s still some uncertainty to how his knee will respond, and how he’ll be able to carry the extra weight.

In the mix

If Swift is not ready, expect Nick Collison or Kurt Thomas to step into this role. You can see what I think about their strengths and weaknesses here.

Sleepers
Johan Petro (7-0, 247, 3rd year)
His play was up and down during last season, and continued that way throughout Seattle’s summer league schedule. He’s long, can block shoots and runs the floor well. But at times he seems disinterested and makes mistakes consistent with a young player early in his career. The Frenchman averaged 5.7 points and 4.2 rebounds in just over 18 minutes a contest. Petro started 13 games, and Seattle was 6-7 in those contests.

Pros: Petro can extend defenses with a good, mid-range jump shot. He’s a decent defender who can block a couple shots a game, and he moves well for a big man.

Cons: He needs to bring it consistently game in and game out.

Mouhamed Sene (6-11, 230, 2nd year)
Sene was the third straight center drafted by the Sonics during the Wally Walker era as Seattle tried to address its deficiency at center. Sene probably is the most raw of the three young centers. He spent time in the developmental league last season, and after watching him during the Las Vegas summer league, he’ll probably spend some more time there this season.

Pros: Has the potential to become a good defender inside with a long wing span. Plays with energy. At 21 years old he’s still young and has time to develop.

Cons: Sene still needs to develop consistent post moves on the block, and is out of position at times on the defensive end. He needs to play on a consistent basis to learn the game — which probably means another trip to the developmental league.

Maybe the most intriguing player returning for Seattle is Chris Wilcox. If the 6-10 power forward plays to his potential he could be a big part of the team’s success this year. But last year was kind of a roller coaster ride for the University of Maryland product. Disappearing acts followed monster games by Wilcox, as he continues to learn what it takes to be a consistent performer in the NBA.
But as the Sonics switch to a team that emphasizes defense and versatility, Wilcox could be a key cog in helping Seattle make that the paradigm shift. With veterans Nick Collison and Kurt Thomas vying for playing time, the Sonics are deep at this position.

Front runners

Chris Wilcox (6-10, 235, 6th year)
We know a couple things about Wilcox: He can jump out of the gym, runs the floor well for a big man and is one of the best finishers in the league. But what we haven’t seen from Wilcox is a polished, low-post game and a solid defensive presence inside for Seattle. However, you have to remember Wilcox is just 24 years old. He stayed healthy last season and started in 81 games, averaging a respectable 13.5 points and 7.7 rebounds. He shot 53% from the floor and 68 % from the field. But with Ray and Rashard gone Seattle needs to get more from Wilcox inside.

Pros: He’s long and has the ability to be a good weak-side defender and scorer. He runs the floor well, allowing him to get easy baskets in transition. And for a big man he has soft hands and is a quick jumper.

Cons: Needs to refine his low-post game and become a more consistent scorer inside. He could also get to the foul line more. He only averaged 4.4 foul shots a game last season. But his foul shots should go up with more field goal attempts this season. Wilcox averaged about 10 shots a game last year.

Nick Collison (6-10, 255, 4th year)
Collison is a true lunch-pail guy, and the type of role player every team needs. He does a lot of the dirty work, setting screens, rebounding and defending inside. But Collison’s basketball acumen also tends to make you forget that he was the Big 10 player of the year for Kansas and can score in a lot of different ways. There’s a reason Collison was invited to try out for Team USA, and it’s not because Coach K needed an extra body. Collison is a gamer. He averaged 9.6 points and 8.1 rebounds last year. Collison started 56 games, and Seattle was 22-34 in games he started.

Pros: Collison’s skill set makes it hard to keep him on the bench. He’s got a smooth, mid-range jump shot and nifty moves inside to get his shot off amongst the big boys. He plays hard and seems to do the little things to help Seattle win.

Cons: Collison is not the biggest guy and tends to get overpowered against elite big men. He doesn’t wow you with his athleticism, although he seems to be a decent athlete.

In the mix

Kurt Thomas (6-9, 235, 13th year)
Getting the veteran big man from Phoenix was a nice pick up for the Sonics, and helps solidify the team inside. Thomas is known for his defense and physical play inside. Last year Tomas was Phoenix’s best defender against the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA playoffs. He averaged 4.6 points, 5.7 rebounds and 18 minutes a game. Thomas also started five playoff games, averaging 7.5 points and 4.9 rebounds a contest.

Pros: Thomas can still play and will provide Seattle with solid minutes at the power forward or center spot. He will give Seattle some physical play inside, and also can serve as a mentor for the team’s younger big men.

Cons: With any player entering the twilight of his career you worry about injuries and their ability to sustain their level of play over the long haul. The Sonics will probably monitor his minutes and make sure they are not overusing Thomas during the year.

Will take a look at the final roster position —centers — on Saturday.

He's back.

Former Seattle SuperSonics broadcaster Marques Johnson will return to Seattle to announce Sonics broadcasts.

FSN announced today that Johnson, along with Steve "Snapper" Jones, will join Kevin Calabro as analysts on Sonics broadcasts this year. Jones will serve as the lead analyst on 60 of FSN's 70 Seattle SuperSonics game telecasts, replacing Lenny Wilkins.

Johnson, FSN's current PAC-10 basketball analyst, will team up with Calabro on 10 Western Conference games.

Jones is a Portland native who starred at the University of Oregon before playing eights seasons in the ABA, where he averaged 16 points in 640 games.

Gone for several seasons, Johnson reunites with Calabro. The UCLA All-American and five-time NBA All-Star has made a smooth transition to the broadcast booth, and is known for his interesting and informative game analysis.

Kevin Durant’s regular-season opening may be the most anticipated debut in Sonics history. You’ve seen the highlights, with Durant deftly pouring in fall-away jumpers and jamming down monster dunks while at the University of Texas. And then you watched him do the same thing for Seattle in the Las Vegas summer league. Now it’s time to see the Kevin Durant show at KeyArena.
Some will consider him a natural at small forward because of his ability to score both inside and outside. But I think the Sonics like the mismatches he creates for other shooting guards, and will start him out here.

Front Runners

Kevin Durant (6-9, 225, Rookie)
He hasn’t played a minute in the league yet and Durant already has raised the expectations for his first season in the NBA. Durant was invited to try out for Team USA and put on such an impressive shooting performance that Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski was tempted to include him on this year’s team. NBA prognosticators have him scoring between 15 to 25 points a night. His summer league numbers weren’t impressive (24 ppg, 2 rpg, 33% FG, 23% from 3-point line), but I don’t think you can glean too much from those numbers because of the lack of quality play at the point guard position and the fact that he could pretty much shoot from anywhere he wanted on every possession. Coach P.J. Carlesimo will force Durant to have better shot selection during the season, and his shooting percentage will go up.

Pros: An ample skillset: A feathery shooting touch with a shooting range that extends beyond the 3-point-arc; the quickness to take his man off the dribble; polished, low-post moves on the block; an ability to defend both inside and on the perimeter; a will to win; very coachable.

Cons: Durant’s wiry frame could benefit from a couple hours spent in the weight room. His lack of bulk will probably limit his ability to finish inside in his first year. And his shot selection can be suspect at times. But he definitely will make some spectacular plays during the season and will be a big draw at the turnstile.

In the mix

Wally Szczerbiak (6-7, 244, 9th year)
If Carlesimo chooses to play Durant at small forward, Szczerbiak seems the likely choice here. He’s probably the best shooter on the team, with a career 50 percent field goal percentage, and 40 percent from 3-point range. However, Wally has played in only 32 games in each of the last two seasons, and needed season-ending surgery on his left ankle. According to reports Szczerbiak has recovered and is ready to go this season. If healthy, Wally, who will make $12 million this upcoming season and $13 million next year, is a consistent scorer who plays hard and will help fill a leadership role for the Sonics.

Pros: Provides the Sonics with another scoring option and has value as a starter or coming off the bench. Szczerbiak adds a veteran presence on a young team.

Cons: Health is a major concern. If he can keep his legs under him Szczerbiak could be a solid contributor for Seattle.

Damien Wilkins (6-6, 225, 4th year)
He’s followed in Ray Allen’s footsteps for the last three seasons, and now we’ll see if Wilkins, who has three years left on a $15 million contract, is ready to emerge into the limelight and earn starters’ minutes. So far, the reviews have been mixed at best. Wilkins averaged 24.8 minutes a contest last season, finishing with 8.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.41 turnovers a game. Wilkins started 31 games, and Seattle was 10-21 in games he started.

Pros: A good athlete, and like his father Gerald and uncle Dominique, can create his own shot. He’s a good defender who will take the challenge of guarding the other team’s best scorer. Wilkins is an okay shooter from the perimeter but a bit inconsistent, although he did finish shooting 40 percent from the 3-point line last season.

Cons: Got his chance to start when Ray Allen was hurt and did not perform up to expectations. Maybe he tried to force things a bit in his zest to do well.

We’ll take a look at the small forward position on Wednesday.

Who will lead Seattle at the point guard spot will be one of head coach P.J. Carlesimo’s important decisions during training camp. Basically, whoever Carlesmimo hands over the keys of the team to will help mold the first year of potential superstar Kevin Durant and fellow rookie Jeff Green.

So it’s important that Carlesimo finds someone with good leadership skills that can help Durant develop and this young team develop into a playoff contender. And you also would like someone who is a good distributor who can get Durant and others the ball where they can score consistently.

Plus, Carlesimo has made defense a point of emphasis, so having a solid defender at the top of Seattle’s defensive rotation is essential.

So let’s take a look at some of the candidates for the starting point guard spot, addressing some of the pros and cons of each candidate.

Front Runners

Earl Watson (6-1, 195, 7th year)

Watson started several games late last season before injuring his ankle with four games to play, so we’ll start with the UCLA graduate. Watson got the nod as the starter over Luke Ridnour toward the latter stages of last season because then-coach Bob Hill liked Watson’s scrappiness and aggressive play on the defensive end.

Watson averaged 9.4 points, 5.7 assists, 2.4 rebounds, 2.17 turnovers and 1.29 steals a contest..

Watson started in 25 games, averaging 9.6 points, 7.6 assists, 2.8 turnovers and 1.48 steals a contest. Seattle was 8-17 in games Watson started

Pros: Watson plays with a lot of energy and confidence, and gets after it on the defensive end, which is a point of emphasis for P.J. Carlesimo and Seattle general manager Sam Presti. He’s a streaky shooter who at times can carry you on the offensive end. Watson runs the break well and knows how to find the hot hand.

Cons: Watson takes bad shots at times, particularly early in the offense. Sometimes he tries to make the spectacular pass instead of the good pass and turns the ball over. He can be outspoken at times, which is not necessarily a bad thing.

Luke Ridnour (6-2, 170, 5th year)
Ridnour started the majority (58) of Seattle’s games last season but fell out of favor with Coach Hill and was passed over for Watson. Ridnour averaged 11 points, 5.2 assists, 2.3 rebounds, 2.2 turnovers and 1.2 steals last year. In games started Ridnour averaged 11.6 points, 5.8 assists, 2.4 rebounds, 2.2 turnovers and 1.26 steals. Seattle was 25-33 in games Ridnour started. Ridnour seemed to lose confidence in is play with the benching, and did not play well coming of the bench.

Pros: Ridnour is an excellent passer and could be a nice complimentary player at the point guard position to scorers like Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, Chris Wilcox and Wally Szczerbiak. He does a nice job pushing the ball and finding open players on the break. And he can shoot from the outside, although he has not shot up to his potential from the 3-point line. Like Watson, Ridnour can also penetrate and create off the dribble.

Cons: Ridnour is not as good as defender as Watson. And the confidence thing could be an issue heading into a very competitive training camp.

In The Mix

Delonte West (6-4, 180, 4th year)
West will provide versatility in the backcourt with his ability to play both guard positions. He also should be given an opportunity to earn the starting point guard spot with Carlesimo putting all jobs up for grabs heading into training camp. West averaged 12.2 points, 4.4 assists, 3.1 rebounds, and 2 turnovers a contest. West started in 47 games, averaging 13.8 points, 5.1 assists, 2.8 rebounds, 2.3 turnovers and 1.28 steals.

Pros: West gives Seattle a bigger body at the point guard spot. He’s a good defender who plays with a lot of energy. He’s also a good scorer.

Cons: West is not a pure point guard and probably isn’t as good as a distributor as Watson and Ridnour. His inexperience in running the show as a point guard in the league remains a question mark.

Sleepers

Gary Payton (6-4, 193, 18th year)
Will GP make Seattle the last stop of his career? It remains to be season, but all indications are the Glove, at 39 years old, still wants to play one more year, and it probably won’t be in Miami. Payton averaged 5.3 points and 3 assists in 22 minutes a game for Miami last season. He started in 28 games, and the Heat went 11-17 in games Payton started.

Pros: Sonics’ fans would get the opportunity to see Payton retire as a Sonic, and it would add some luster to what may turn out to be final season for the team in Seattle. Payton could help ease the transition on the court for players like Durant and Green.

Cons: Payton was never enamored with working with younger players in the past, but maybe having an NBA championship ring has changed his outlook.

Sam Cassell (6-3, 185, 15th year)
When healthy, Cassell can still play. And similar to Payton, Cassell could be a steadying influence for Seattle’s young players. The Clippers might be interested in trading for one of Seattle’s big men with Elton Brand out for the year. In 58 games Cassell averaged 12.3 points and 4.7 assists last season. he started 30 games, and the Clippers were 15-15 in games Cassell started last season.

Pros: A professional who knows how to score and get others involved from the point guard position.

Cons: At 37 years old, can he stay healthy?

We’ll take a look at the shooting guard position on Wednesday.

First off I want to apologize for my absence on the blog the past week. I’ve been juggling between Sonics stuff and my former position as preps coordinator until we bring in a replacement so I spent most of my time helping to put together our prep football tab last week.

Now that obligation has been fulfilled, there will not be any more lapses on the blog during the season or leading up to training camp.

A couple links to check out include this column by Berry Tramel from the Oklahoman, who basically says Oklahoma City should not get involved in paying relocation fees or other costs involved in bringing the Sonics here. Tramel refers to the story we had on Bennett’s conversation with Sonics employees two weeks ago in which an employee said that Bennett told them Oklahoma City was willing to foot the bill to bring the Sonics to Oklahoma City.

At the Wages of Wins Journal, David Berri has an interesting analysis

of this year’s Sonics that predicts they could be a playoff team this season.

And Seattle native and Rainier Beach grad Doug Christie said he’s in the best shape of his life, and ready for a comeback this season. Christie said that two teams are interested in his services — one team in the Eastern Conference and one in the Western Conference. He also says he would be interested if the hometown Sonics come calling.

As I would have done last week if I had the time, I’ll have a breakdown of each position heading into training camp starting with a look at point guards today. Thanks again for the questions. I took the time to answer a few of them here.

RJ99: I think there’s a possibility the Sonics will carry 15 players on the roster if there’s an issue with depth starting the season. In particular, if a potential starter gets hurt during training camp there’s more of a possibility of keeping an extra body around. We should hear about training camp invitees in the next few weeks, but I would expect Summer League participants Kenny Adeleke, Brandon Heath and Olu Famutimi to be invited.

The captain issue is an interesting one because Kevin Durant is the best player on the team, but he’s still only 18 years old. Normally you would want your point guard to take on a leadership role, but there’s still some uncertainty as to who will start at point guard. So I would think someone like Nick Collison or Kurt Thomas would take on a leadership role, and perhaps Wally Szczerbiak. From there you would have to wait and see what leaders emerge from camp. I don’t see Durant as a captain. I think he has too much to worry about as it is, as far as adjusting to the league in his first year.

If the Sonics are going to be a defensive team this season, to me that means less possessions and working for better shots. So I would suspect they will take less 3-pointers and work the ball inside. However, if you look at their roster they have several guys that like to shoot the 3 (Durant, Wally, Luke, Watson, Wilkins, West), and they still don’t have a great low-post presence. So you probably still will see some shots from behind the arc go up.

TTOWNPORT: I think Durant will start at shooting guard and Jeff Green will either start or come off the bench as a small forward. I believe Durant can guard other shooting guards because of his length, and I don’t think he’s strong enough yet to play inside effectively. And I believe Green would be great at the small forward position because of his passing ability and defensive skills. Green would give Seattle another playmaker on the floor. And because of his size Green also can play some four.

As far as Thomas helping the other big guys develop, I think any time young players can play against talented, experienced veterans their games will grow. So the addition of Thomas, along with having a polished player like Collison, working with the bigs can only help players like Robert Swift, Johan Petro and Mouhamed Sene get better.