Kevin Pelton, SUPERSONICS.COM | Oct. 29, 2004
Two years after finishing the season with five centers on the roster, the Seattle SuperSonics have thinned things out considerably. Despite drafting
Robert Swift out of Bakersfield HS with their first-round pick this June, the Sonics are down to three true centers. Given the difficulty establishing a rotation in the middle the last two seasons, that qualifies as good news.
While Sonics Coach Nate McMillan has yet to officially declare his starting lineup, it seems inevitable that Vitaly Potapenko will be in the middle come next Wednesday in Los Angeles. Potapenko finished last season by starting 38 of the last 40 games, and has had a good training camp and preseason after arriving in Seattle in good shape.
Potapenko reported to camp in better shape than last year.
Jeff Reinking/NBAE/Getty
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In five preseason games, four of them starts, Potapenko is averaging 9.0 points and 2.8 rebounds while shooting 54.8% from the field.
Mateen Cleaves, released yesterday, was the only other Sonics player to shoot above 50% from the field while attempting at least 10 shots during the preseason.
A career 47.7% shooter, Potapenko had been less accurate in 2001-02 while with the Celtics and during his first year and a half in Seattle. Over the second half of last season, however, Potapenko regained his touch, shooting an even 50.0% from the field. Only 22 NBA regulars shot 50% or better last season.
Potapenko's ability to knock down the free-throw line jumper helped out his high-scoring teammates. When Potapenko was on the court with the Sonics shooting lineup of Vladimir Radmanovic, Rashard Lewis, Ray Allen and Brent Barry, double-teams would inevitably come off of him, and Potapenko made defenses pay. According to 82games.com, Potapenko shot 45.2% on jump shots last season, a quality mark. By contrast, now-departed Predrag Drobnjak shot just 37.8% on jumpers two years ago, when he was considered one of the league's better shooting centers (Drobnjak did hit more threes).
On defense, the Sonics consider Potapenko to be their best post defender. He moved into the starting lineup at center after smothering Elton Brand defensively. The Clippers forward scored 14 points in the first quarter, but was held to 12 the rest of the game by Potapenko. Against quicker centers, Potapenko did struggle at times, and by dropping weight this off-season he should be better able to match up with them this year.
The one area where the Sonics would like to see improvement from Potapenko this season is on the glass. After averaging better than 12 rebounds per 48 minutes throughout his time with the Celtics, Potapenko saw that average drop to 9.8 per 48 minutes last season. While the Sonics will pair him with a number of good rebounders at power forward this season, Potapenko has the ability to contribute more. The good news is that Potapenko's added quickness should help him, while the Sonics trapping less on defense will keep him in position to box out.
James is a fine shot-blocker.
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Behind Potapenko is
Jerome James, who also came into camp in good shape. James is far and away the Sonics best shot blocker, swatting 2.9 shots per 48 minutes last season. With James on the court, the Sonics were a significantly better defensive team, cutting their points allowed per 100 possessions
by 5.5. The downside defensively is that James has a tendency to be too aggressive and commit fouls, something that's not helped by his reputation as foul-prone, making him a target for referees. James averaged a foul every 5.5 minutes.
On offense, James ranked second on the Sonics by shooting 49.8%. When left open in the paint, he is more than capable of finishing with authority, and he is a good post threat when he takes his time and is patient. At the same time, James in the post is still not one of the Sonics first options as compared to Allen and Lewis on the perimeter, a fact that James sometimes struggles to recognize.
Even more so than Potapenko, the Sonics new defensive philosophy should benefit James. At 7-1, 272, James is not built to defend players on the perimeter after switches. He belongs near the basket, swatting back smaller players' shot attempts, and he should spend more time in that role this season. Playing nearer the basket should also help James boost his rebounding after it sagged last season from 13.5 per 48 minutes to 11.2.
With the Sonics getting a look at young Swift, James has seen only limited action during the preseason. He has connected on six of his eight shot attempts, but pulled down just six rebounds in 62 minutes.
Swift has shown his potential during the preseason.
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As for Swift, that look has confirmed that he has the potential to be a contributor, and possibly within the near future.
"He basically has the coaches and people involved buzzing that in the future he's going to be a really solid center," McMillan said recently.
Swift leads the Sonics during the preseason with four blocks and 2.49 blocks per 48 minutes, showing the potential to be a force in the lane when he adds strength and the experience to know when to go for a block and when to be patient. On offense, Swift is still learning. He's gotten good looks, but some of them haven't fallen, leading to 38.5% shooting from the field.
Entering training camp, the expectation was that Swift would spend the vast majority of the season on the bench, but McMillan left the door open for him to seize playing time. While it's difficult to say for certain, Swift may have done that. Don't expect Swift to average 20 minutes a game any time soon, but spot duty is not out of the question, especially in matchups that favor the rookie.
In addition to the three centers on the roster, power forwards Nick Collison and Danny Fortson will also see action in the middle in small lineups.
"I think you'll see those guys there some; it depends on the team, but yeah, I expect those guys to play some five this year," McMillan said.
"If you want speed, you go with Nick. You still have enough size in there to defend the five, but you have quickness and the ability to stretch that five with a shooter. And Danny, you may want to just put a big body in there against a low-post center or someone like that."
Fortson played center frequently last season in Dallas, so he's no stranger to defending bigger - check that; taller - players. He would provide the Sonics more rebounding when he's in the middle, while Collison is more of an offensive threat.
