Kevin Pelton, SUPERSONICS.COM | Oct. 13, 2004
The Sonics signed five free agents on Oct. 4 and invited them to training camp. One, center Leon Smith, has already been released at his own request. Here's a look at the other players vying to make the Sonics.
24 | Mateen Cleaves
Position: Point guard
Height: 6-2
Weight: 205
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College: Michigan State '00
Born: September 7, 1977 (Flint, MI)
Drafted: First round (14th overall) by Detroit, 2000
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If you don't know Mateen Cleaves, you don't follow college basketball. Cleaves etched his name into the annals of NCAA history by teaming with fellow Flint native Morris Peterson to help lead the Michigan State Spartans to the 2000 title. But while Peterson has been a quality pro, Cleaves has struggled to find his niche in the NBA. After being drafted by the hometown Pistons and playing up-and-down basketball as a rotation regular as a rookie, Cleaves was traded to the Sacramento Kings, where he saw precious little action behind Mike Bibby and Bobby Jackson.
Cleaves spent most of 2003-04 in the NBDL, averaging 13.7 points, 5.9 assists and 4.3 rebounds for Huntsville. Cleaves also played four games, starting two, for the Cleveland Cavaliers on a 10-day contract. Cleaves totaled 19 assists against just five turnovers in those games. Known as a fine passer and defender whose ability to score is in question, Cleaves played for the Sonics entry in the Rocky Mountain Revue summer league, starting four times and leading the team with 3.7 assists per game.
Also see:
NBA.com: Kings of the Weight Room
Celtics.com: Cleaves Waiting for the Call
23 | Carl English
Position: Shooting guard
Height: 6-5
Weight: 205
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College: Hawaii '04
Born: February 2, 1981 (St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada)
Drafted: Not Drafted
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Growing up with his aunt and uncle in the tiny town of Patrick's Cove, Newfoundland, where he honed his game on a hoop set on a highway. The practice paid off, as English landed a scholarship to the distant University of Hawaii. After missing nearly all of his first season because of ankle surgery and playing sparingly the following year, English broke out as a third-year sophomore, averaging 15.5 points per game and earning second-team All-WAC honors. As a junior, English was first-team All-WAC, ranking second in the conference with 19.6 points per game. English applied for the 2003 Draft as the seventh-leading scorer and second-leading three-point marksman in Warrior history, but was not selected.
After failing to catch on with the Indiana Pacers last fall because of the number of guaranteed contracts on the roster, English played for Charleston of the NBDL. English averaged 8.4 points per game for the Lowgators, leading the team with 50 three-pointers. English is known for his three-point shooting, meaning his chances of making the Sonics were hurt when the team signed Turkish sharpshooter Ibrahim Kutluay in late September.
Also see:
Sonics Q&A: Carl English
NBA.com Canada: Q&A With Carl English
Pacers.com: Pacers 2003 Training Camp Invitees
Pacers.com: Did Bad Shooting Night Damage English's Chances?
Pacers.com: What Happened to English?
12 | Damien Wilkins
Position: Guard/forward
Height: 6-6
Weight: 225
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College: Georgia '04 (also N.C. State)
Born: January 11, 1980 (Washington, D.C.)
Drafted: Not Drafted
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The Wilkins name is well-known in the NBA. Damien is the son of Gerald, who played 14 seasons in the NBA, and the nephew of Dominique, an All-Star with the Atlanta Hawks. After transferring to Georgia from North Carolina State, Wilkins had an uneven college career. As a freshman, he earned ACC All-Rookie Team honors and entered the NBA Draft after his sophomore season before withdrawing and transferring. At Georgia, Wilkins' numbers were more average, as he averaged 12.4 points and 5.6 rebounds as a senior. He played his way back onto the NBA's radar at the Chicago Pre-Draft Camp, where he averaged 16.7 points per game, the second-best average in Chicago.
Wilkins played summer-league ball for both the Milwaukee Bucks (in the Minnesota Timberwolves Summer League) and for the Sonics. After averaging 8.8 points per game for the Bucks, Wilkins had a breakout Rocky Mountain Revue. He led the Sonics with averages of 15.3 points and 2.0 steals per game, shooting 34 free throws in six games. His potential - Wilkins was considered a possible first-round pick when he first entered the draft - is tantalizing, and Wilkins' ballhandling ability allows him to play either shooting guard or small forward in the NBA. His outside shooting, however, is unpolished.
5 | Galen Young
Position: Forward/guard
Height: 6-5
Weight: 209
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College: Charlotte '99
Born: October 16, 1975 (Memphis, TN)
Drafted: Second round (48th overall) by Milwaukee, 1999
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Despite not posting overwhelming numbers his senior season at Charlotte (then named UNC Charlotte), 14.7 ppg and 7.2 rpg, Young was considered a possible first-round pick because of his versatility and defensive ability. He slipped to the 48th pick of the second round, where he was taken by the Milwaukee Bucks. Young spent the 1999-00 season in the CBA with the Grand Rapids Hoops, averaging 11.6 points and 5.1 rebounds. After a year in Japan, Young played for the NBDL’s North Charleston Lowgators and helped lead the team to the first-ever NBDL Finals. In 2002-03, Young returned to the CBA, averaging 15.3 points and 8.3 rebounds for the Gary Steelheads. Last year, Young played in the Philippines for the Alaska Aces, averaging 25.4 points and a league-leading 7.3 assists per game.
That was after Young was one of the Sonics last cuts during training camp, as the team chose to go with Richie Frahm instead. Young still impressed enough that he has been invited back to camp and has a better shot to make the club. The Sonics like Young's defensive ability and could use him as a specialist if he makes the roster. However, Young has been bothered by injuries throughout camp and missed the Sonics first preseason trip because of swelling in his knee, which was X-rayed Tuesday.
