As we wind down to the playoffs, Casualnova and I will be going through each prospective free agent this offseason on the roster, and getting everyone's thoughts on them. This is in terms of value to the team, likelihood that they'll be a Sonic next season and where else they could end up. Damien Wilkins will be an unrestricted free agent. Strengths: He is tough, and he plays with heart. Wilkins sat on the pine and bided his time all season, and when he was given the chance to play, he repaid the faith shown in him by management. He is a good perimeter defender, he is athletic and fast, and he has the confidence to involve himself in the offense. Weaknesses: His shooting is very patchy. While he had some big shots, he also took and missed a lot of perimeter jumpers, which is really not his game at this level. His offensive game was very inconsistent when he got minutes, but that would be more towards adjusting to NBA level basketball than anything else. Can he create his own shot sufficiently to earn minutes? Importance to the team: Nothing. Right now he is among the better 12th men in the league, and has shown the ability and potential to contribute when called upon. However, at the end of the day he is a swingman without any stand-out feature to his game. A good defensive player, but not good enough to be relied upon specifically to stop an opponent. Chances he'll be back: Too hard to gauge. Right now he is down the bottom of priorities. If Vlad, Ray and Flip leave, then management will probably offer him a contract in terms of insurance, but it will depend entirely on what happens with more important free agents, and whether or not another team have been impressed enough in his short time on the court to add him for depth. Possible Interest: Just about anyone could. Charlotte might offer him a minimum deal, but the chance to play 20 minutes per game, while a team like Portland (who he scored 21 against) who need to completely revamp their roster, may show some interest. Prediction: The Bobcats will see him as a cheap, but promising player, and offer him a short deal. Despite Rush, Bogans and Wallace (and possibly Marvin Williams) in place, Damien will take his chances at getting minutes and an opportunity.
I personally see Damien sticking around for next season. At least 3 of our free agents are going to be gone next year and I think that Damien would feel more comfortable playing in a system he knows. He is grateful to the organization for giving him a roster spot, keeping him on the roster despite the fact that he lived on the injured list, and then giving him significant minutes down the stretch of the season. I don't think that there is much interest around the league b/c I don't think that too many general managers could justify giving an undrafted rookie free agent a lucrative deal. Marquis Daniels got a 40 million dollar contract extension. How do you think Cuban feels when Marquis can barely get into Dallas rotation, or the fact that he shipped out the league's MVP partly due to that signing? Bring D Wilkins back for the minimum, guarantee a couple of years, and see if he'll take it. If he doesn't Sund should tell him to "Walk on By."
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Iron Shiek:</div><div class="quote_post"> I don't think that there is much interest around the league b/c I don't think that too many general managers could justify giving an undrafted rookie free agent a lucrative deal.</div> It's a fair call and I agree - I'm not suggesting he will get offered any big money, I just think if a team looking to rebuild offers him the chance at a regular rotation spot, he should take it. Whether that's Seattle I don't know.
If Damien continues to work on his game he could turn into a nice player. But you can say that about a lot of guys, I guess.
