Kevin Pelton, SUPERSONICS.COM | October 18, 2005
The Seattle SuperSonics exhibition game against the Houston Rockets in Laredo, Tex. Tuesday wasn't decided until the final minutes, Houston going on a 26-9 run against a group of Sonics reserves to claim the 93-85 win. The big story, however, came not at the end of the game but the beginning. Rookie
Johan Petro, just 19 and having played only two exhibition games in his NBA career, got the start for the Sonics at center.
"It was just time to take a look at him," said Sonics Coach 
Bob Weiss. "He had done fine in the scrimmages, so I wanted to give him a look. We went with Johan and were pleasantly surprised. The guy plays like he belongs out there - there's no fear, no apprehension. He just goes out and runs, plays hard."
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"He is a lot further along than I thought he'd be. If he keeps improving like this, he will be on the floor a little bit."
Jeff Reinking/NBAE/Getty
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In 21 minutes of action, Petro had four points, five rebounds, a steal and a blocked shot. In 43 total preseason minutes thus far, he's rejected four shots and grabbed eight rebounds. But it's not Petro's statistics so much as how good he's looked on the court that has made him one of the most pleasant surprises of the preseason so far.
"He is a lot further along than I thought he'd be," said Weiss. "I didn't think he had a chance of being on the floor this year, but the way he's played the last couple of days, nothing is in stone. If he keeps improving like this, he will be on the floor a little bit."
During Rocky Mountain Revue play, Petro saw little action as the backup to the Sonics 2004 first-round pick, fellow center 
Robert Swift. While he demonstrated the ability to block shots, Petro struggled with the adjustment to the American game and committed fouls in bunches - 31 in 71 minutes in all.
The difference between how Petro performed in Salt Lake City and how he's done thus far during training camp has been dramatic.
"Unbelievable leaps and bounds," said Sonics Director of Basketball Operations Dave Pendergraft. "I think our coaches have done a masterful job with him. He's slowing down, he's seeing the game, whereas in the summer everything was so quick and so new. He stayed in foul trouble. He wasn't able to play basketball. He could practice, but he couldn't play. He wasn't quite ready for that. Now, he's able to go out and play the game. Once you're able to play, that's where you start improving.
"I think the improvement and watching him play every day is like watching a plant grow - bigger and bigger and bigger."
Particularly, Petro has cut down on fouls, allowing him to stay on the court for lengthier stretches. He has seven fouls in 43 preseason minutes, including just two in his longest outing against the Rockets.
"I thought as a starter he'd end up with three quick fouls last night," said Weiss. "Of course, Yao (Ming) wasn't there, so that helped a lot, but (Dikembe) Mutombo's a big, strong guy too, and he didn't back down."
Petro's rapid improvement could alter the Sonics plan to send Petro down to their NBA Development League affiliate in Albuquerque at some point this season. Earlier in camp, Weiss had suggested the Sonics would likely keep Petro in Seattle to work with Sonics coaches for at least the first month of the season, but might send him down later in the year when the team is busy traveling and rarely practicing.
Pendergraft would prefer to keep Petro in Seattle altogether.
"This is me personally - I wouldn't even think about it. I'd leave him here," Pendergraft said. "Most of the minor-league organizations are organizations of tweeners. Most of the productive centers and undersized power forwards. For guys like Johan, it's hard for him to get in and play. It's not realistic for the way he'll play here. The way he's developing now, I'd be very hesitant. Not just him, but any big guy who's showing as much development as he is, at this pace."
There is no questioning Petro's physical tools. A legitimate 7-footer, Petro is also fleet of foot for his size, allowing him to defend on the perimeter, and a good leaper. Perhaps his most impressive tool is an ample wingspan that could make him one of the league's best shot-blockers in his prime. It is these skills that drew the Sonics to Petro before this year's draft.
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"His body reminds me of (Hakeem) Olajuwon, where he's got that quickness - that type of body."
Kent Horner/NBAE/Getty
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"All of my projections were that he would go higher than where we were picking," said Pendergraft, who cited a game late last season in the French League as where Petro stood out to him. "His agent, Sam Goldfeder, is a good friend of mine. We were persistent in saying, 'Since we don't really know where he's going to end up - he shows up all over the board on mock drafts - let's bring him in for a workout.' Finally, we were able to get him in, and you could tell, for a 7-footer, he has unbelievable motor skills. You can look at him and say, 'One day, he might be able to play both frontcourt positions.'"
Weiss compares Petro's physical tools to those of a future Hall of Famer.
"His body reminds me of (Hakeem) Olajuwon, where he's got that quickness - that type of body. He doesn’t have that kind of offensive game, but he's got that kind of body," Weiss said. "That's kind of who he reminds me a little bit of."
"He's got a lot of attributes that you can't really teach - a real good body, he's active and he's quick to the ball," said Sonics forward 
Nick Collison. "He's got good anticipation for blocking shots, rebounding. Those are things you don't really teach - they're feel. He's struggled in making decisions with the ball sometimes, but that's something he'll learn. As a 19-year-old rookie, a lot of players struggle with that sort of thing, especially post players."
Experience remains the key for Petro. At times in practice, his aggressiveness has gotten the better of him, leading to fouls and goaltending calls. Still, he has impressed his teammates.
"I'll tell you what, he's gotten a lot better since day one of camp, that's for sure," said 
Danny Fortson. "I think everyone can agree to that. For a kid who's only 19, born in 1986, that's pretty amazing. He's a tough guy. He's a lot more physical than I thought he was. That's good for a big man.
"Him and Robert, man, they're the twin towers of the future. These are guys that if they develop the right way, the way they should, could be pretty scary down low in the future."
