<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Wilkins has set his own example this fall. As in Chicago and the summer league, he's continued to shine during preseason action. Wilkins averaged 9.5 points in seven preseason games, scoring 17 points against both San Antonio and Phoenix and earning a reputation, in the words of McMillan, whose level of play goes up at game time - a gamer, in traditional parlance. As a result, a week ago, Wilkins heard the words he'd longed to hear - he had made the team. "When I first found out, Nate told me the deductions that they had made from the roster, he was talking all that line, so I didn't know where the conversation was going," Wilkins said the following day. "I was just sitting there listening. Then he said, 'We're going to keep you.' "I said, 'Okay.' I was trying to be cool about it, not act like I was too excited, but he just didn't know how I was feeling inside. That was a very proud moment, a release. It was like I lost 100 pounds because I felt like so much weight was lifted off of me at that point. "I'm just grateful to this organization and this team for giving me the opportunity. I've just got to continue to go out and work as hard as I can and prove to them that I deserve to be here." </div> http://aol.nba.com/sonics/news/wilkins041104.html
He's a rook? For some reason I thought he'd been in the CBA or overseas. Well props to him for working hard and staying positive. I'm starting to think these undrafted guys and 2nd rounders are what makes a team successful. They have to learn now to play in a system, play defense and do little things just to make the team; get enough players on the same page that can do these things tend to win. Of course you need 2 superstars nowadays, either right out of high school or what not, the guys with unbelievable natural talent. But surrounding them with headcases and guys who have their own sense of entitlement is a bad formula. Look at our friends about 3hrs down I-5S for a prime example.
