RELATED CONTENT

Training Camp Homepage Radmanovic Returns to Practice Sonics News Archive

Bob Weiss

"We really looked kinda tired and flat," said Weiss. "We just didn't look as energetic as I've seen at times. I thought we started out with a lot of energy but then it dissipated pretty quickly, which kind of led me to believe we might be a little bit tired."

"I thought we started out with a lot of energy but then it dissipated pretty quickly, which kind of led me to believe we might be a little bit tired." Sam Forencich/NBAE/Getty

While the natural tendency is to wonder whether the Sonics are in game condition, Weiss doesn't see that as a problem. The Sonics have demonstrated during camp that they are in good shape.

"Sometimes it's not conditioning," Weiss explained. "Sometimes you've been working so hard you don't have anything left in the gas tank. For the most part, I think they're in good shape. There's a couple of guys that still do need conditioning, but I saw guys I know are in good shape and I know have been working very hard not look like they had a lot of energy out there. That's why today we covered a lot of things, but I didn't run them up and down very much."

The lack of energy might also have reflected nervousness on the part of the young players who played most of the minutes for the Sonics after halftime. Four rookies played a combined 50 minutes, while young Robert Swift made his first career start at center. The Sonics should also benefit from having their home crowd behind them tomorrow night when they continue preseason play by hosting the Phoenix Suns at KeyArena (7:30 p.m., KJR 950 AM, ).

The Sonics also had some issues with the pressure in the backcourt applied by the Portland backcourt, something that shouldn't be a long-term concern.

"I knew they were going to use it, but I was more concerned with preparing for other things," said Weiss. "I didn't have it would have as big an effect on us as it did. So we worked on that today, how to handle a trap."

To the extent there is blame to be handed out in a preseason game, Weiss put it on himself for not working against the trap before the game.

I told the players in the locker room, 'We didn't handle the trap. I put that on me, because I didn't prepare you to handle the trap yet,'" Weiss aid. "You've got to pick out and prioritize what you want to do in one week's time. I would expect that next time we see it, we'd be much more prepared to handle it."

Mission Accomplished

If there was one main positive the Sonics could take from their preseason opener, it was holding the Blazers to just 31.0% shooting from the field.

"Our major goal from the beginning of this training camp has been defensive field-goal percentage," said Weiss. "We did very well with that."

Last year, the Sonics allowed opponents to shoot 45.9% from the field, putting them in the NBA's bottom six. Weiss has consistently emphasized reducing that number since being hired in July, and the Sonics primary focus during camp has been on defense.

How much lower do the Sonics want to go?

"I want it to be less than it was last year, and however much less? Surprise me," joked Weiss.

"I want it a couple of points under 46 if we can do it, but to set a number? You just go out and play basketball the right way, trust each other, help each other, help the helper and those things take care of themselves."

The Sonics will get a tougher test of their defense tomorrow, when they face the Suns. Last year, Phoenix ranked second in the NBA by shooting 47.7% from the field. Weiss will be looking for improvement against the Suns.

"We did a lot of things well defensively, but we're not there yet," he said.

Forward/center Danny Fortson, who missed Wednesday's game because of turf toe, is expected back in the lineup tomorrow. Center Mikki Moore, who played 17 minutes against the Blazers, likely won't see action. Moore has been bothered by chondromalacia in his left knee, and with the difficulty of getting all the players on the roster into the game anyway, Weiss doesn't want to take any chances at this point.