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QUOTABLE ... “I’m just here to get myself ready for the season, because I know it’s going to be important for me to come out of the gate strong and in shape.” - James

Position: Center
Height: 7-1
Weight: 272

2002-03 Stats
G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	FG%	FT%	3P%
51	15.0	5.4	4.2	0.4	.478	.587	.000

Role:
Backup center. Though Jerome James entered training camp as the starting center, he was beaten out for that role by Calvin Booth. Not starting really shouldn’t have much impact on how many minutes James plays, as he and Booth should share playing time almost equally.

Outlook:
It was an up-and-down month of October for James. He struggled mightily at times during the preseason with both fouls and turnovers, fouling out in just 13 minutes in the team’s preseason opener and committing 29 total fouls in just 122 minutes. Nonetheless, James’ overall numbers look pretty good after he closed preseason play with a flourish, scoring 15 points against Golden State. James shot 54.5% from the field and averaged 6.0 points and 1.6 blocks. The best news is that James is healthy. The last two years, he has been injured during the month of November, hurting his ability to find an early-season groove. Now that he’s in better shape, James should be able to avoid injury.

James lost the starting role in large part because he was more successful during preseason play as a reserve. Foul trouble isn’t as problematic for James when he comes off the bench, and he worked well with backup point guard Luke Ridnour, who set him up for many of those 15 points against the Warriors. Still, if James plays smart and consistently, he could regain the starting spot midway through the season. To do that, James will have to tone down his play a bit to avoid the turnovers and fouls that have plagued him.

The Sonics don’t want James to lose too much of his aggressiveness, however. That’s what allows him to be one of the league’s best shot-blockers, even if James’ low minutes totals have hidden this fact, and a quality rebounder. James has the size and ability to be the Sonics top post scorer, and should get this opportunity as well this season. He needs to slow things down and make good decisions in the post. If James does these things, he can be the best center the Sonics have had since new special assignments coach Jack Sikma. The impact of that on the team’s performance is difficult to overstate.