RELATED CONTENT

Training Camp Homepage Sonics Ask More of Ridnour Allen is Sonics Consistent Star Sonics News Archive

By all accounts, Rashard Lewis had a breakthrough seventh season in the NBA. The Seattle SuperSonics forward made his first All-Star appearance, topped 20 points per game for the first time and helped lead the Sonics to the Northwest Division Championship as a co-captain.

Still, the way his season ended left Lewis with some lingering disappointment. Late in Game 3 of the Sonics series with the San Antonio Spurs, Lewis sprained his left big toe. The painful injury left him unable to play in Games 4 and 5, and an examination prior to Game 6 found tissue damage that kept Lewis on the sidelines for the game that ended the Sonics season.

"I think the only way I can get over that is by getting back to the second round and proving that I can play in the playoffs." Scott Cunningham/NBAE/Getty

"It still sticks with me to this day," Lewis said at Media Day. "I think the only way I can get over that is by getting back to the second round and proving that I can play in the playoffs but the injuries slowed me down toward the end of last year. I don't think a lot of people realize how much my toe was hurting."

The toe injury was the last in a series of minor injuries that frustrated Lewis throughout the season. He was limited to two preseason games by plantar fasciitis which threatened his season. Later in the year, patellar tendinitis in his left knee forced him to miss two games and bothered him in several others. Lewis also missed eight games because of a contusion in his right foot that bothered him in the playoffs.

"It's just small things," said Lewis. "It's not like a real bad sprained ankle or a fracture or something, it's just little sprains that can really hold you back from being 100% and doing what you want to do."

While Lewis' toe continued to bother him much of the summer, it has not been a problem during training camp, as he is back to full health.

Lewis has had a strong camp, demonstrating his ability to score in any number of ways. He led all scorers with 29 points in the Sonics open scrimmage on Tuesday, and had 28 points in last Wednesday's preseason game against the L.A. Clippers. He's averaged 15.7 points - 23.2 per 40 minutes - on 50.7% shooting and 50.0% from 3-point range.

While Lewis' steady development from second-round pick to star culminated in last year's All-Star selection, there is still room for him to grow. In particular, the Sonics could use a better effort from Lewis on the boards. While Lewis' scoring average has gone up in all but one of his NBA seasons, his rebound average has steadily dropped since peaking at 7.0 boards per game in 2001-02. His average of 5.5 rebounds per game last season was his lowest mark as a starter.

Much of Lewis' rebounding decline can be traced to the presence of glass-cleaners Reggie Evans and Danny Fortson up front. With those players potentially seeing less action this season, it will be important for Lewis to be more of a rebounding factor if the Sonics wish to remain one of the league's best rebounding teams.

For Lewis, returning to the All-Star Game this season will have extra meaning, as the game will be played in his hometown of Houston.

Undrafted out of Georgia, Wilkins demonstrated his ability to contribute last season. Jeff Reinking/NBAE/Getty

It was Lewis' injury last spring that opened up playing time for then-rookie forward Damien Wilkins. After working hard in practice all season long, Wilkins was ready for the opportunity, and he seized on it to produce a handful of big games - 21 points at Portland on March 24, 17 points in his first start against the Blazers on April 1 - and average 6.3 points and 2.3 rebounds per game.

Wilkins again came up big for the Sonics in the playoffs, posting 15 points, six rebounds and five steals in their Game 4 victory over San Antonio. For the series against the Spurs, he averaged 7.8 points and 3.2 rebounds.

That performance earned Wilkins, a restricted free agent at season's end, a long-term deal from the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Sonics exercised their right to match the offer, keeping Wilkins in Seattle for the foreseeable future.

During training camp, Wilkins has demonstrated a more aggressive, more confident attitude. With his spot on the roster secure, Wilkins no longer has to worry about making mistakes as he did last season. This has opened him up to create offense for himself and teammates.

Wilkins' most impressive preseason performance saw him score 18 points and grab five rebounds in 30 minutes at Phoenix last Friday.

"Damien Wilkins was the only one that I felt played really well in Phoenix," Sonics Coach Bob Weiss said afterwards.

Wilkins has averaged 8.5 points and 3.3 rebounds during preseason play.

While Lewis and Wilkins will likely see most of the Sonics minutes at small forward, the team has plenty of depth at the position. Per 82games.com, Vladimir Radmanovic played nearly a quarter of his minutes at the position last season. That number is likely to go down because of Wilkins' development, but Radmanovic is still a strong option for the Sonics at small forward.

Felix

Rookie forward Noel Felix has yet to earn a spot on the roster, but the Sonics have been attempting to convert the training-camp invitee - a post player all of his career - into a small forward. Felix has displayed surprising range during practices and his limited preseason action and is clearly an NBA-caliber athlete. Felix might struggle to stay in front of smaller, quicker small forwards, but his length is an asset defensively and on the glass.