Can Wally Szczerbiak stay healthy? At age 30, the question concerning the 6-foot-7 swingman’s durability persists for the former NBA All-Star as he suits up for the first time as a Seattle SuperSonic.</p> For the past two years in the league the answer has been no.</p> Szczerbiak played in only 32 games for the Boston Celtics last season, succumbing to season-ending ankle surgery in March.</p> The year before that was better. Szczerbiak appeared in 72 games but again bowed out near the end of the season because of a cartilage injury to his left knee.</p> However, after a summer of rehabilitation that focused on strengthening his legs and regaining his signature shooting stroke by playing in the New York summer league, Szczerbiak believes he can return to his All-Star form.</p> “I feel great, knock on wood,” he said. “I’ve had a couple tough years with surgeries the last two seasons. So something I’ve got to do is stay healthy. And when I stay healthy I can really be a good player in this league. So that’s going to be my focus this year.”</p> Szczerbiak came to Seattle in the draft-day deal that sent Ray Allen to the Celtics for rookie Jeff Green, Delonte West and the New York native. But Szczerbiak wasn’t just a throw-in to make the salaries work. Seattle general manager Sam Presti sought to have Szczerbiak included in the deal because he likes Szczerbiak’s competitiveness and scoring efficiency.</p> Szczerbiak said he was a little surprised to hear the trade rumors on draft day while watching the draft on TV from his New York home. He got a call from Presti about an hour into the draft confirming that he had been traded.</p> “We were pretty shocked,” Szczerbiak said. “We weren’t expecting it. I thought and pretty much everyone in my camp thought that because of the injuries that there pretty much wasn’t going to be much of a chance that I would get traded.</p> “But this day and age you never know in sports. We were prepared for it. We’re excited about it and we’re looking forward to a fresh start in Seattle.”</p> The highest-paid Sonic this season – he will earn nearly $12 million in the second-to-last year of a $63 million deal that comes off the books in 2009 – Szczerbiak is expected to bring a veteran presence to a young team. Whether he will start remains undetermined, as Szczerbiak is in the midst of an intense competition for playing time at the shooting guard or small forward positions with rookies Kevin Durant and Jeff Green and holdovers Damien Wilkins and Mickael Gelabale.</p> Szczerbiak has shown he can still shoot and get up and down the floor during the first week of camp. Sonics coach P.J. Carlesimo said he is pleased with what he has seen from Szczerbiak.</p> “I’m just looking forward to coming in and trying to lead by example,” Szczerbiak said. “I’ve always tried to be pretty professional. Get my work done. Be on time and work hard every time I step out on the floor. And do what the coach and the organization asks of me.”</p> Szczerbiak also has been a helpful addition to the locker room, setting an example for youngsters Durant and Green. The rookie from Texas and Szczerbiak are usually free-throw-shooting partners at the end of practice.</p> “I’ve gotten to know them and I think they’re really hard-working, humble kids,” Szczerbiak said of the two rookies. “And I think that’s refreshing in this day and age. I think they are going to be very good.</p> “They obviously have a lot of talent. They obviously have been very successful at the collegiate level. And I think that’s going to carry over to the NBA.”</p> If Szczerbiak stays healthy, he’ll be an effective player for the Sonics this season, taking some of the scoring pressure off Durant.</p> While in Minnesota he made the All-Star team in 2002. And Szczerbiak has a career scoring average of 15.6 points a contest and a shooting percentage of 50 percent from the floor and 40 percent from the 3-point line.</p> Now he must put the questions about his aging legs to rest.</p> “At this point, my focus is to play every game this year,” Szczerbiak said. “That’s my goal, and to just to stay healthy. I feel like when I stay healthy I can really help the team and contribute.”</p> Sonics Camp Log</p> Durant gets warm welcome</p> Let the love affair with Kevin Durant begin.</p> The Seattle SuperSonics rookie was showered with applause Saturday night in his local unveiling at Seattle Pacific University’s Royal Brougham Pavilion. Durant, 19, received a standing ovation from more than 2,000 fans in attendance.</p> And he didn’t disappoint, draining several deep jumpers and finishing strong at the basket. Durant, who finished with 15 points, was mobbed by fans seeking autographs afterward.</p> “Clearly (for fans) to see Kevin, to see Jeff (Green) and to see Delonte (West), I think that was really good,” coach P.J. Carlesimo said. “I think at certain times everybody did something good. But for them to see the new guys was really nice.”</p> Green enjoyed being in front of the fans.</p> “It felt great,” Green said. “It was our first chance to get up and down and scrimmage in front of people and give the Sonics fans what they can see this upcoming season.”</p> Added Carlesimo: “Today was a home run. I’ve been involved in a lot of these and we were just happy nobody got hurt.”</p> Need for speed indulged</p> The Sonics made a noticeable effort in the scrimmage to push the ball up the floor after made and missed baskets.</p> “We’re going to try and play at this pace,” Carlesimo said. “It’s not easy to play at this pace all of the time and to be a good defensive team. That’s not an easy combination. Nor is it easy to play man and to play zone. But we want to try and do that. We want to try and play at a quick pace. And we definitely want to be a good defensive team.”</p> Both teams also played a mix of zone and man-to-man defense.</p> The white team, consisting of Luke Ridnour, West, Robert Swift, Nick Collison, Green and Jermaine Jackson, won the first scrimmage, 24-14. Ridnour led the white team with 11 points. He also seemed to establish a rapport with Green, finding the rookie forward twice for alley-oops.</p> The green team, made up of Durant, Earl Watson, Damien Wilkins, Chris Wilcox, Johan Petro, Mouhamed Sene and Mickael Gelabale, played better the second scrimmage. But West drained a long jumper with less than 30 seconds left to give the white team an 18-17 lead. Jumpers by Durant and Watson at the end of the game came up short.</p> Injury update</p> The Sonics got a couple of guys out of the training room, with 13 players going through drills at the open practice. But veterans Wally Szczerbiak (left knee swelling) and Kurt Thomas (left thigh bruise) sat out and watched from the sideline.</p> Wilcox, Swift, Gelabale and West, all of whom sat out practice Friday, had healed enough to go through full contact Saturday.</p> Swift had sat out the previous two days because of tendinitis in his rehabilitated right knee. But he seemed to be moving well Saturday, blocking Wilkins’ shot underneath the basket and finishing with a turnaround jumper on the baseline. “I was trying to push it as hard as I can to get back as much as I can,” Swift said. “But at the same time, I know I have to be smart about it. So I’m compromising by taking some time off.”</p> Szczerbiak shooting to regain form</p> </p>
I think with rid and earl a fast paced offense is a better idea. I dont think they are capable enough to run half court sets. I think Wally will surprise a few folks this Year1</p>
