<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">SPOKANE ? As the Seattle SuperSonics? exhibition season came to a close, coach Bob Weiss decided on a starting power forward and then unveiled him in a 96-85 preseason finale victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night before 6,761 fans at the Spokane Arena. Regardless of who is starting at center, Weiss said he will start Reggie Evans at power forward. Evans, who started 79 games last season, beat out Vladimir Radmanovic for the starting spot. ?I talked with Vlade, and when he starts with Ray (Allen) and Rashard (Lewis), they are going to get the majority of the shots,? Weiss said. ?So we are wasting minutes out there where (Radmanovic) is not getting any looks, or as many as we?d like him to get. ?I am going to go back to the rotation we used last year, Reggie?s energy in the beginning of the game, and bring Vlade off the bench.? It also appears that the Sonics will have Vitaly Potapenko available at center for Wednesday?s season opener against the Los Angeles Clippers at KeyArena, assuming there are no further setbacks with his strained left hamstring. Potapenko said he has been sprinting regularly lately to work on his conditioning with no ill effects on the hamstring. He missed the entire preseason. ?It feels good, I should be ready to go,? Potapenko said. Both Potapenko and Weiss said the 10th-year Ukranian could have played against the Blazers on Friday, but Weiss did not want to push it. ?You don?t want to throw a guy out there without a couple practices,? Weiss said. ?Even though he has been around (practice), we haven?t run any sets. You always want to get one practice in before you put him out there.? Weiss said the team will practice for the next four days with Potapenko working out at center with the starting lineup, getting his timing down with his teammates. Even if Potapenko can?t go and Johan Petro starts, Weiss said he will start Evans. </div> News Tribune.
As it should be at PF. I was kind of hoping to see Johan start the season though. It looks more and more like he, and not Swift, is the future at center. I know it's not the best thing, but I was hoping to give Johan the trial by fire.
Even if Potapenko starts on opening night (which it sounds like he will) I think Petro will probably still see some playing time. Maybe only 10-12 minutes but that is still a solid start I think
