A quick review of the West’s playoff teams indicates that is indeed the case. The Los Angeles Lakers made it with Robert Horry, Mark Madsen and Samaki Walker splitting time at the four – having Shaquille O’Neal at center probably had something to do with that – but the rest of the list is a Who’s Who of West power forwards. Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Garnett, Amare Stoudemire, Rasheed Wallace, Chris Webber, Tim Duncan and Karl Malone. Even many of the non-playoff teams in the West were loaded at the four, like Golden State with Troy Murphy, the Clippers with Elton Brand and Memphis with Pau Gasol.

While the Sonics got rebounding and defense from Reggie Evans, and offensive production from Vladimir Radmanovic, they lacked a power forward who could be counted on to play 30 minutes a night and bring it at both ends, as McMillan referenced. As a result, he concluded, “We have people internally that we can groom into becoming that guy, or we may have to go out and try to get that person — whether it's through free agency, trade or the draft.”

Fortuitously for the Sonics, this year’s draft class appears to be deepest at the power forward position. At least three and perhaps four power forwards should go in the lottery, starting with a freshman who electrified the ACC and continuing with a young European and a pair of battle-tested collegians who can score in the post.

While the order of the lottery remains a giant mess less than a week before the draft, the Sonics can be confident that at least one and maybe two of the top power forwards will drop to them. Which of them is the right fit? Well, that’s what the draft process is for. The Sonics are known to have worked out several of the top power forward prospects, and may have found amongst them the player who they feel can complement Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis for the foreseeable future. It’s almost a foregone conclusion that, barring a trade, the Sonics use at least one of their picks on one of the players on this list.

Chris Bosh
(NBA.com profile)
The numbers: 15.6 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 1.2 apg, 2.2 bpg, 56.0% fg, 47.8% three (Georgia Tech)
The measurements: 6-11, 210
The skinny: Bosh is the rarest of young early entrants after one year at Georgia Tech . . . he actually has the stats to back up his hype. Not only did Bosh lead the ACC in field goal percentage (Antawn Jamison was the only other freshman to do that) and blocks, he was second in rebounding and eighth in scoring. Oh yeah, he also shot nearly 50% from the three-point line. Rarely do guys with those kinds of numbers have the scouts drooling too, but Bosh does. At a long-armed 6-11, there’s little doubt Bosh will become a premier shot-blocker at the NBA level, and he owns terrific athleticism and leaping ability as well. Bosh will definitely need to put on some weight to bang down low in the NBA, but that and avoiding the pitfalls of the transition to the NBA are the only things separating him from not just stardom but superstardom. He’s that good.
Sonics outlook: No way Bosh gets to 12, but don’t rule out the Sonics trading up in an effort to get him.

Mike Sweetney
(NBA.com profile)
The numbers: 22.8 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 1.9 apg, 3.2 bpg, 54.7% fg (Georgetown)
The measurements: 6-8, 260
The skinny: Due to apparent voter myopia and a lack of national coverage, Sweetney didn’t make any of the three All-American teams, but one could make a legitimate argument he was the best player in college basketball last year, at least statistically. Sweetney ranked in the NCAA’s top ten in both scoring (ninth) and blocks (ninth) and just missed it in rebounding (15th). He shot a solid percentage, and padded it by getting to the free-throw line nearly 10 times a night, making a solid 73.8% from the charity stripe. Sweetney did it despite facing constant double-teams on a Georgetown team that was not particularly strong around him. The Hoyas’ lack of success is the only thing that can be held against Sweetney’s season, but he did put the team on his back for an appearance in the NIT final. Sweetney’s 6-8 height may scare off NBA teams, but he’s similar in size to Brand, has a short neck like him, has a big wingspan and plays bigger. If he gets the blocks and the boards, does anyone care what’s listed in the program under height?
Sonics outlook: Sweetney is one of the handful of players most likely to be wearing a Sonics uniform Thursday. He may not make it to them and they may prefer Collison, but if neither of those scenarios happens, Sweetney’s likely the guy.

Nick Collison
(NBA.com profile)
The numbers: 18.5 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1.8 bpg, 55.4% fg (Kansas)
The measurements: 6-9, 255
The skinny: A starter throughout his Kansas career, Collison just kept getting better and better, culminating in last season’s Big 12 Player of the Year, All-American performance. Collison is an underrated post scorer, can take it out on the perimeter, is a strong rebounder, handles the ball well for a big man, blocks some shots, and is a career 56.2% shooter. So why is everyone so down on him? Collison himself says he believes it's because people were able to find weaknesses during his four years of college . . . but none are readily apparent from the stat line. The argument that Collison’s upside is limited is pretty unjustifiable looking at his college improvement. Clearly, a player like Bosh has more potential – that’s why he’s going top five in all likelihood – but who else does? Sweetney has better college stats and is a year younger, but that’s a positive for Sweetney, not a negative for Collison.
Sonics outlook: The Sonics are believed to like Collison, and probably won’t pass on him at 12 if he’s still around.

Maciej Lampe
(NBA.com profile)
The numbers: 18.6 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 1.4 apg, 55.5% fg, 44.2% three (Spain)
The measurements: 6-11, 240
The skinny: Lampe has spent the last two seasons under contract to Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid, but has primarily played for its minor-league teams as part of his development process. Lampe dominated at the minor-league level last season, but he still seems to be a ways a way from making a major NBA contribution at age 18. His future development is extremely difficult to predict, but Lampe is very talented and has good athleticism at his height. Few players in the draft are more difficult to predict in terms of where they might go. Lampe has been rumored as high as Miami with the fifth pick, and as low as the 13th pick.
Sonics outlook: Probably won’t be available to the Sonics, but even if he is, they seem to prefer college power forwards closer to contributing.

Brian Cook
(NBA.com profile)
The numbers: 20.0 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 2.0 apg, 47.9% fg (Illinois)
The measurements: 6-10, 240
The skinny: As a senior, Cook shook off the label of underachiever to win the Player of the Year award in a weakened Big Ten and have an excellent senior season. Like Collison, Cook can play inside and out, but he’s probably more comfortable on the perimeter. He spent more time down low last season, nearly doubling his free throws attempted to 205, a big reason his scoring average jumped from 13.5 ppg. His rebounding is less inspiring for the power forward position, and Cook still fights questions about his desire that can be an NBA death sentence. The best sign about his prospects in the draft is his invitation to the NBA’s ‘green room’, an honor usually accorded to those taken in the lottery or just outside it.
Sonics outlook: Cook is probably behind the other college power forwards on the Sonics draft board, and doesn’t seem to be a good fit for the team’s needs.

Sofoklis Schortsanitis
(NBA.com profile)
The numbers: 11.0 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 0.8 apg, 58.3% fg (Greece)
The measurements: 6-9, 255
The skinny: Though Schortsanitis has been an NBA prospect for nearly a year, there is still much uncertainty about the Greek teenager known as “Baby Shaq”. The biggest issue with Schortsanitis has long been his size. First, that was height, as rumors persisted that Schortsanitis was shorter – possibly significantly so – than his listed 6-9. Now, the question is the veracity of Schortsanitis’ listed 255 weight. Reportedly, he weighed in at 314 pounds recently, which would take him from Baby Shaq to “Baby Robert Traylor”. In another year, that still might not have been enough to drop Schortsanitis out of the lottery, but with the depth at the power forward position in this year’s draft, it looks like that’s what will happen this year.
Sonics outlook: Even at the new weight, Schortsanitis is worth considering with the Sonics picks, but, as noted, they seem to prefer the college guys.

Zarko Cabarkapa
(NBA.com profile)
The numbers: 14.6 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 1.5 apg, 68.3% fg, 39.0% three (Serbia & Montenegro)
The measurements: 6-11, 235
The skinny: A hot prospect a few months ago, Cabarkapa has cooled of late. Part of that is due to his stopping working out for NBA teams after only a handful of workouts, leading to speculation that a team – reportedly the Suns – had promised him that he would be taken fairly high. However, Cabarkapa resumed workouts last week. Like Cook, he was a surprise invite to the “green room”, indicating he shouldn’t go much later than Phoenix’s 17th pick and could, in fact, go higher than that. Inevitably, as a tall jump-shooting European forward, Cabarkapa has been compared to Nowitzki. Don’t believe that hype, but if he lives up to his potential, Cabarkapa could be an excellent NBA player.
Sonics outlook: Cabarkapa will probably go lower than the Sonics picks, though he could be a darkhorse lottery candidate.

David West
(NBA.com profile)
The numbers: 20.1 ppg, 11.8 rpg, 3.2 apg, 1.6 bpg, 51.3% fg (Xavier)
The measurements: 6-9, 240
The skinny: A star in the A-10, a first-team All-American and winner of the AP’s Player of the Year award, West has had to stare down a pair of major concerns in the draft. The first, naturally, is his height. West has been listed at 6-8 or 6-9, leading to worry that he is a tweener. However, he did measure in at a solid 6-9 ¼ at the Chicago pre-draft camp, better than Sweetney and less than an inch from Collison. The measurement hasn’t seemed to stop his slide, and now the more pertinent question may be just how good West really is. He was playing in a mid-major conference, after all, and has reportedly been unimpressive in workouts. Odds remain that a team interested in instant contributions in reserve from its pick will give West a look late in the first round.
Sonics outlook: Unlikely to go as high as the Sonics picks.

Jerome Beasley
(NBA.com profile)
The numbers: 11.2 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 2.6 apg, 2.1 bpg, 49.3% fg (Arizona State)
The measurements: 6-10, 241
The skinny: Possibly the most obscure prospect in the draft, Beasley played his college ball at Division II North Dakota. A native of California, Beasley went to North Dakota from Midland JC and broke out, finishing third in Div. II in scoring and winning Div. II Player of the Year. Beasley helped his NBA stock by playing well at the Portsmouth pre-draft tournament, averaging 14 points and 8.3 rebounds and winning tournament MVP. That’s gotten him to the top of the second round in some mock drafts. Despite NBA power forward size, Beasley is reportedly a good shooter with range.
Sonics outlook: Even if Beasley’s available at 41, the Sonics will probably have already filled their power forward need by then.

Mario Austin
(NBA.com profile)
The numbers: 15.5 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 1.2 apg, 53.4% three (Mississippi State)
The measurements: 6-9, 260
The skinny: Austin emerged as a top prospect during his excellent sophomore season, averaging 16 points per game while shooting an excellent 55.7% from the field. Austin missed the first six games of last season as the NCAA looked into his high-school transcript, and after his return he was not as good as his sophomore season. His field goal percentage and his scoring average both dropped. Austin’s size is also a bit of a concern. Officially, he’s listed at 6-9, but could be a little smaller, making him undersized for the position. Additionally, Austin’s rebounding is nothing special. He can make shots, however, and that could make him a solid pickup in the second round for sometime.
Sonics outlook: Like Beasley, a poor fit for the Sonics.