EIGHT-MAN ROTATION
Pos	Player	Key Stat	Skinny
PG	Gary Payton	8.7 APG	Losing tortures him, so can he be dealt?
SG	Brent Barry	.396 FG %	Tailor-made for Western Conference
SF	Ruben Patterson	2.7 PPG	Defensive stopper to share time here
PF	Vin Baker	6.2 RPG	Was worst season of career aberration?
C	Horace Grant	8.9 PPG	He's not a center, but can grab boards
SG	Vernon Maxwell	80 threes	Volatile but deadly when he's hitting
C	Greg Foster	2.0 RPG	What can you say? He's Greg Foster
PG	Jelani McCoy	.737 FG %	Shot blocker should be starting center

		The Sonics are in for a difficult season. They have made so many changes, not just in playoffs but to the coaching staff. The coaching personality and the style of play have changed, and none of this has come together for them. Gary Payton is a great player, but he can't do it himself. Vin Baker had a disappointing year last year. He didn't appear to be in great shape playing for the U.S. team. Baker needs to be at his best. The Sonics are kind of fragmented. To think that two years ago they won 61 games, it's an alarming decline. Horace Grant will not substantially change the Sonics, nor did he do it in Orlando. And he's older now. Making the playoffs would be a huge accomplishment, but I don't think they can because they no longer have the talent. It will be a tough year for their players, coaches, fans because they are accustomed to winning in Seattle. The ultra-competitive Payton will try to do too much in an effort to get his team to win. He will post big numbers, but I don't think his team will win.

Actually, team president Wally Walker guaranteed a playoff berth after shipping out 10 players from last year's 25-25 team. The less-than-bold prediction amounts to a one-game improvement considering the Sonics barely missed the playoffs in 1999.

A major overhaul (just five players returned) was necessary. If anything, it improved the team's mix of veteran leadership and youth.

"The thing I like is we're not sitting here saying we're rebuilding and shipping everybody out," Sonics coach Paul Westphal says. "We think we have good veterans to be able to not call ourselves in the rebuilding mode. When you have (Gary) Payton and (Vin) Baker and (Horace) Grant and (Vernon) Maxwell, Brent Barry and Greg Foster, that's not a team that is saying, 'We give up. We're going to shoot for the lottery and build in the draft.' We're looking for some contributions from some second-year players, but we haven't torn everything apart."

Overall, with Payton and Baker, the team has a formidable inside-out combination to win games. Baker, who is coming off his worst NBA season, apparently has beaten his weight problem, and the team is betting its chances (and a seven-year, $86 million contract) that Baker will return to his All-Star form of two years ago. And the Sonics know what to expect from Payton, who is a proven star in the league.

But this team will run and gun more, taking advantage of the NBA rules changes and the team's added athleticism. Still, there are more questions right now than answers.

"I don't know how good we'll be -- there are questions, legitimate questions," Westphal says. "More than anything, the West is unbelievably tough. At the same time, I like our team. We're going to be fun. I'm not putting out any predictions one way or another. But I'm not putting a ceiling on what the team could do."

Player to watch

Baker Before last season, Vin Baker had never really disappointed. A proven scorer and rebounder with the ability to pass the ball and block a shot, Baker's first year in Seattle featured a .542 field goal percentage and 19 points a game. Last year Baker was overweight and never recovered, even embarrassed himself at times, especially shooting .450 from the line. Baker's in shape, so look for "normal" numbers again.

Point guard
Payton's famous phrase at the start of training camp is, "I can get in shape in two minutes." The wiry Payton never seems to get out of shape and again will be one of the top players in the league at this position. He'll have more freedom on offense, not having to handle the ball as much as in the past, which will allow him to punish opponents more with his strong post-up moves and his ability to penetrate and score in traffic.

Young, quick Shammond Williams will see a lot of action behind Payton, and he should even see some time playing alongside the veteran. The downside to Williams is his 6-1 frame.

To cover that, the team has sharpshooters in Fred Vinson and NBA journeyman Emanual Davis, who are both at least four inches taller than Williams. But neither of those players performs with Williams' moxie, and no member of the trio is anywhere near Payton in ability.

Shooting guard
Trading for Barry and signing free agent Maxwell were moves designed to take advantage of the NBA rules changes, since the Sonics are committed to being a run-and-gun team. In effect, Barry and Maxwell can both handle the basketball and create their own shot. Barry's athleticism and Maxwell's experience and penchant for making big shots cater to the Sonics' desire to take some of the scoring pressure off Payton. Westphal actually prefers not to label positions, and he will often use a three-guard lineup on the floor.

Barry will be the starter because of his athleticism and finishing ability on the break. Plus, he has more than $20 million left on his contract, compared to Maxwell's two-year, $3.1 million deal.

Small forward
Seattle has been less concerned with this position, and it shows by who will fill the shoes of the departed Detlef Schrempf. Although Ruben Patterson and Rashard Lewis have good NBA futures, they are unproven second-year players. That makes this the most vulnerable position on the floor. Patterson will start, mainly because of his defensive ability.

Patterson gives the Sonics qualities they hadn't had at this position in some time: athleticism and grit. The best part of Patterson's game is his penchant for doing the dirty work. He is an excellent one-on-one defender and is always vying for rebounds because of his explosive leaping ability.

Neither Patterson nor Lewis is a perfect answer at the position, and Westphal may decide to go big with second-year seven-footer Vladimir Stepania, who is quick and skilled enough to give most opposing 3s trouble.

Power forward
Baker signed a big contract, but what wasn't figured into the deal was the pressure on him to produce the way he did in his first four years. Coming off his worst pro season, Baker will have all eyes on him after his weight ballooned to 280 pounds last year, making him far less explosive down low.

He is a player who usually relies on his quickness around the basket to perform well against most power forwards, which is why the Sonics insisted on eight contract clauses to ensure Baker plays closer to 260 pounds. So far Baker's said all the right things and has employed a workout schedule dedicated to losing weight. But the jury is out on him for the entire season. The assumption is that if the Sonics return to the playoffs, Baker will have played well enough to get them there.

Second-year man Jelani McCoy will serve as the backup, giving the team its only real shot-blocking presence.

Center
The Sonics are excited about getting the veteran Grant for the pivot. Yes, Grant is 6-10 and a natural power forward, but he's ready and willing to take on the task of defending any opposing center. Look for Grant to be a catalyst with the Sonics' trapping, pressure defense. He has a lot of NBA mileage on his body, but he's still in great physical condition. Plus, he can make the mid-range jump shot when left open.

That's the same type of situation backup Greg Foster hopes to exploit. Foster, a wiry 6-11, is a solid outside shooter. The fact the team lacks a true, dominant center will hurt when games slow down and opposing offenses execute in halfcourt situations.

Coaching
Westphal struggled last year with implementing a new offense and managing veterans, but things should be easier this year since he has the kind of players he wants now.

That the roster has so many young players is no coincidence, either. Westphal is a teacher who likes youthful exuberance and energy. He wants to run and sometimes experiment without having his decisions questioned. While the Sonics will be a run-and-gun team on offense, there will also be defense played, much like the pressure that made the Sonics feared earlier this decade.