Swift shows off his athleticism against the Suns. Jeff Reinking/NBAE/Getty

SUPERSONICS.COM: Nearing the start of your rookie season, do you feel ready for regular-season NBA games?
Robert Swift: Yeah, honestly, I do. The coaches have worked with me for almost four months, non-stop. I'm just ready to go, see what it's like and what I can do to help the team.

Have you thought about the possibility of being in the rotation to start the season?
Swift: A little bit. If that were to happen, I feel hopefully I can handle it. I'm ready.

Would you have to approach the game any differently if that was the case as opposed to just developing your skills in practice?
Swift: Not really, because both scenarios mean you've got to work hard. Working hard never changes, giving 100% every day, every night. That's just something you have to do. You can't do anything less than that.

Something you probably didn't experience in high school - road trips. How have those been so far?
Swift: Last road trip was the first five-day road trip, so it was definitely interesting. You hear veterans talk about how sometimes you don't know what day of the week it is, and this is the first time I experienced that - really not knowing what day it is, just when you play and when you fly.

Did having the flu make that more difficult?
Swift: A little bit, yeah. I just did the same thing I did the last few road trips - sleep, go through practices and shootarounds as hard as I can and rest and sleep in the downtime.

Are you feeling more comfortable on the court as you add experience?
Swift: A little bit, a little bit more every night, I think, definitely.

Have there been moments where you've thought to yourself, 'Hey, I'm out here playing in an NBA game,' or anything like that?
Swift: Not really. It was (strange) when I first got here, playing, but playing against other teams it hasn't really been the case.

Is that a case where practice has prepared you for the games?
Swift: Definitely.

Today, you were consistently finishing first amongst the big guys in sprints. Is that important to you?
Swift: Not really first, but I run as hard as I can. If I come in first, I come in first; it's just run as hard as I can.

Who are your close friends on the team?
Swift: I don't know - pretty much all the guys on the team. I don't know what they'd say about me, but I like all of them.

An important question - what's your shoe size?
Swift: 19.

A little bit behind Jerome James, then.
Swift: Not that much. He wears 21s, right? [22, actually.] I'm still growing. I don't know if he is or not.