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Johan Petro

Petro said he felt, "Good. A little tired because I had two days off, but I was in shape. I was okay."

"All you have to do, basically, is wait and see if it comes back on its own. It just went back on its own." Eliot J. Schechter/Getty Images

Last November, Petro first experienced an irregular heartbeat when the Sonics were in Los Angeles preparing to face the Lakers. He missed that night's game, but had no further problems the remainder of the season. This time, as then, Petro's heartbeat returned to normal on its own. He saw a cardiologist yesterday.

"They just saw how the heartbeat was," said Petro. "They said it was irregular. All you have to do, basically, is wait and see if it comes back on its own. If not, they'll put me on medication for slowing it down. Actually, we didn't do all that; it just went back on its own."

Heart conditions have made news in the NBA in recent seasons. Petro's countryman and close friend Ronny Turiaf underwent open-heart surgery in July 2005 to repair an enlarged aortic root, but has returned to play normally. Washington center Etan Thomas underwent an open-heart surgery just last week to repair valve leakage. Tragically, Atlanta center Jason Collier passed away at age 28 in October 2005; an autopsy revealed that Collier had an enlarged heart.

Petro's condition, fortunately, is not as serious.

"People out there live with it," he explained. "It's not good for me because I play basketball and I have to be in shape all the time, but it's nothing to be concerned about."

When he first had an irregular heartbeat last year, Petro was worried, but he was reassured by an explanation from the doctors he saw.

"Actually, when they show you, you're like, 'Oh, that's it,' because you don't know what it is," said Petro. "I have to explain it to everybody - it's not that scary. You say heart and they think, 'Oh, you might die,' but nothing like that."

Last year, there was speculation that the irregular heartbeat was brought about in part by anxiety Petro was feeling about his role on the team. Robert Swift's torn ACL left Petro as the only experienced true center on the roster, but he struggled in the season opener and was criticized by the coaching staff. Conditions are very different now, but anxiety could play a role.

"Stress, caffeine, fatigue - all that can help the heart beat like that," said Petro, who is not a coffee drinker. "So yeah, if you think about it, it can be a cause."

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Whatever the explanation, Petro hopes to put the irregular heartbeat behind him and focus on carving out a role in the crowded Sonics frontcourt. With Swift back, the addition of veteran Kurt Thomas and Mouhamed Sene more ready to contribute, Petro is now one of four players vying for minutes at center - not counting Nick Collison, who ultimately started at the position a year ago but has returned to power forward this season.

Petro has been part of Head Coach P.J. Carlesimo's rotation in each of the first three preseason games, averaging 23.3 minutes. Fouls have been a major issue, as Petro fouled out of each of the first two exhibitions, but Petro's production on the glass has to be encouraging. He has averaged 6.7 rebounds per game and 11.4 per 40 minutes - way up from the 8.9 per 40 minutes he averaged last season.

"I feel good about camp," said Petro. "I feel good about the games too, because it's very important, the preseason games. I feel more comfortable with the way P.J. coaches and my teammates. More and more comfortable on the court, so (now) work. Work, work, work."