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The setting is familiar for Seattle SuperSonics guard Luke Ridnour, because it was in a similar situation that he thrived at the University of Oregon. There is no player who is more important to new Sonics Coach Bob Weiss' desire to play at a faster pace than Ridnour, the third-year point guard who started all 82 games for the Sonics a year ago. To hear Weiss tell it, while the Sonics versatile perimeter-oriented roster is important to his plan to run more this season, the key is Ridnour.

"Luke is more ready for it," Weiss said simply.

He's also excited.

" We have so many guys that can get out and make things happen, I think that's where we're going to be at our best." Rocky Widner/NBAE/Getty

"I'm just excited," said Ridnour. "I think we've proven we can score. We have the wings to run. I think that can be part of our defense too, just wearing teams down. But you definitely have to be in shape.

"We have so many guys that can get out and make things happen, I think that's where we're going to be at our best - especially that first ten seconds of the clock."

It was clear as the Sonics scrimmaged full-court Wednesday for 20 minutes that Ridnour is more aggressive in the open court that he was last season, probably a direct result of having the green light to run from Weiss. Playing on the white squad with starters Ronald "Flip" Murray, Roger Powell, Nick Collison and Robert Swift, Ridnour quickly got his team in position to score. Along with Ray Allen, Vladimir Radmanovic and invitee Noel Felix, Ridnour was one of the most impressive players in the scrimmage.

While Weiss thought the Sonics were sloppy at times - in part because he put in a couple of new plays and two new defensive sets earlier in practice - he saw the Sonics effort as progress in the right direction.

"We're getting out," said Weiss. "It was a sloppy scrimmage. (John) Wooden had the thing where you play quick but don't hurry. I thought today we were kind of hurrying there at the end. But that's the first step, is to get used to running. Then the point guard's got to analyze some place between five yards in front of halfcourt and five yards over halfcourt exactly what's going to happen and start getting ready for that. We were just running up there and the ball was flying around a couple of times. But we also had a couple of really nice plays in the secondary break."

Allen, who teamed with Rick Brunson, Damien Wilkins, Radmanovic and Vitaly Potapenko on the green team, doesn't mind a few more turnovers.

"Jason Kidd throws funky passes all the time," said Allen. "He has a lot of assists, but he also has a lot of turnovers. You've got to take some chances."

"It's a happy medium," said Weiss. "A guy like Magic (Johnson), (Larry) Bird, those guys that always handled the ball, they made a lot of turnovers because they always handled the ball. If I've got a pass that, if I complete it, there's a 90% chance he's going to make the shot, then you go ahead and you try to make that pass. But it's all a judgment. There is a happy medium there. If he can get a whole lot more assists just by taking a few more chances, I'd say yes."

Like Ridnour, Allen is excited about the opportunity to run more this season.

"Getting out on the floor, I think everybody's eyes should open wide to know coach is allowing you to run up and score," Allen said. "I told the guys that played up at UConn when I played up there last month, 'It's a blessing to have a coach that wants you to throw the ball up ahead and just play, play to your talent and your abilities.' That's Bob's mentality as well."

Forward Rashard Lewis was an excused absence from practice, having returned to his hometown of Houston to attend to business. He is expected back tomorrow, or possibly even for the evening session. Forward Danny Fortson (turf toe) and center Mikki Moore (patellar chondromalacia, left knee) missed the practice, though Fortson was able to shoot. Moore is battling the same injury as Antonio Daniels had last season.

Newly re-signed Reggie Evans took his physical but did not participate in the morning session. He was expected to take the court for the first time for the evening session.

"It gives us that other energy guy, that other offensive rebounder," said Weiss. Evans joins a battle for the starting power forward spot, primarily competing with Radmanovic.

"I certainly see it (starting Evans) as a viable option," Weiss said. "Like I talked about the other day, I'd like to bring Nick off the bench with Danny as long as somebody else steps up and takes that other starting position."

Weiss explained the Sonics current mindset with regards to the option of sending players to the NBA Development League and the Sonics affiliate, the Albuquerque Thunderbirds. In particular, that relates to first-round pick Johan Petro.

"Exactly how and when we'd use that, we're not sure yet," said Weiss. "I don't think it would be for a while, because we want him here, we want him working in structure, we want him working against NBA guys. At a point sometime in the season when we're going to practice less and going to be traveling a lot maybe and he would not be getting minutes, that would be the time to send him to the D League and let him get some experience."

Weiss said the Sonics may not send Petro down at all. The team also has the option of sending an assistant coach to Albuquerque to work with Petro if they do send him down. That won't be any member of the Sonics coaching staff, but Weiss suggested it could be a possible role for Detlef Schrempf, who assisted at practice for the second straight day.