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.