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Mateen Cleaves

"Knowing these guys, knowing the coaching staff, I do feel a lot better as opposed to coming in last year and trying to feel everybody out," said Cleaves, who was waived after spending training camp with the Sonics but re-joined the team for good on Nov. 5. "This year, from being around, I do have a better feel for them and I feel a lot more confident out there."

"A lot of times, it's just somebody believing in you and giving you the opportunity to do that." Kent Horner/NBAE/Getty

Dating back to his days at the point for the 2000 NCAA Champion Michigan State Spartans, Cleaves has been known more for his ability to distribute the basketball to teammates than put it in the hoop himself. Only once in his five NBA seasons has Cleaves averaged five points per game.

During camp, however, Cleaves has been more aggressive, and the results have been positive. After posting five points in 11 minutes - almost all in the fourth quarter - last night against the L.A. Clippers, Cleaves has scored 17 points over 39 minutes in three preseason games.

"A lot of times, it's just somebody believing in you and giving you the opportunity to do that," said Sonics Coach Bob Weiss. "I've given him a little more of a green light, and he's responded well."

This summer, when Cleaves played for the Sonics entry in the Rocky Mountain Revue Summer League, Weiss first suggested he look more for his own shot. The result was that Cleaves was the team's second-leading scorer at 11.2 points per game and shot a strong 52.6% from the field. Over the team's last four games, Cleaves averaged 15.5 points and the Sonics went 3-1.

Cleaves pointed to a comment Weiss made to someone else as key to his budding confidence.

"I overheard Coach Weiss talking with somebody during the summer," Cleaves recalled. "They were like, 'He shot the ball good.' He said, 'Well, he can shoot. He shoots well in practice all the time. You've just got to give him the chance to play.' That gave me a lot of confidence coming in to camp."

Weiss reiterated his belief in Cleaves' shooting ability after Wednesday's game, citing the shooting drills the Sonics have done after almost every practice during training camp.

"We have what we call a ladder, where we have three baskets that guys shoot at," explained Weiss. "Every game, two guys move down from the top basket and two guys move up from the #2 basket and so on, so there's a rotation; it's like a ladder in tennis. Mateen, time after time after time, has been at that winning basket. People don't realize that he actually is a good shooter. He wins a lot of shooting games."

Few NBA players understand their roles better than Cleaves, and he knows that his NBA teams - which include Detroit, Sacramento and Cleveland in addition to the Sonics - have primarily brought him in for his ability to run an offense and get the ball where it needs to go. Still, Cleaves feels he has more ability to score than he's been given credit for.

"People say, 'Can he score? He can't score. Can he beat somebody off the dribble? Can he make open jumpshots?'" said Cleaves. "I know I can. I've never looked for it, to be honest. Now, I've got my freedom. I run the team - that's what I do. But I just want to be able to knock down shots when guys are double-teamed and I'm on the floor or at least beat my man off the dribble and create a shot for somebody else."

"People all the time say, 'He's a great guy, good to be around, good locker room guy.' I don't get offended, but in the back of my mind I'm saying, 'I can play too.'" Jeff Reinking/NBAE/Getty

Cleaves will never be a big-time scorer at the NBA level, but during camp he's shown more than enough ability to put the ball in the basket to keep defenses honest, hitting outside jumpers and getting to the basket. Against the Clippers, he finished two drives with slithering layups in traffic, and he's gotten to the free-throw line eight times in his limited preseason action.

"The book on me is people say I can't shoot," Cleaves said. "I've got to do what I've got to do. If I've got shots, I want to knock them down. But my objective is to run the team and defend."

First and foremost, Cleaves is a leader. His relationship with college Coach Tom Izzo was so strong that Izzo gave his adopted son the middle name Mateen. Cleaves' presence in the locker room paid off for him last season when Sonics captains Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis fought to keep him on the roster. At the same time, Cleaves' personality has so dominated his perception league-wide that many fans don't realize that he is an NBA-caliber player.

"People all the time say, 'He's a great guy, good to be around, good locker room guy,'" said Cleaves. "I don't get offended, but in the back of my mind I'm saying, 'I can play too.' I don't mind. You've got to be patient. Damien (Wilkins) got a chance last year and took advantage of it. You've got to keep working hard, and when that chance comes, be ready.

"I don't get caught up in all that, trying to prove people wrong. I know I can play. If you're in the NBA, you can play. When your number's called, you're getting paid for it, be a professional when you go in."

With the Sonics guard rotation still unsettled and Weiss a fan of how he has performed, Cleaves could find his best shot in years in Seattle. However, as he battles for what will likely be one spot on the roster with impressive training-camp invitees Noel Felix and Alex Scales, Cleaves could be looking for another opportunity soon. Somewhere, he will be playing.

"I just go out to play basketball each day," he said. "I've been playing this game my whole life."