By Michael Foulger / Yukon, Oklahoma

Another NBA season arrives in Seattle. Gary Payton, however grumpy, is back and stepping up as a leader. VIn Baker and Shammond Williams are gone, and replaced by Kenny Anderson, Joe Forte and Vitaly Potapenko. Lets break down the team by position.

Center—Jerome James signed a lucrative contract to remain a Sonic. Coming off a decent year, James, the Sonics' only true center at 7-1, is a young guy the team hopes will keep improving. Also at center, coming off a season-ending injury, is Calvin Booth. Booth signed as a free agent last year, but injuries have kept him from showing what he can do. Word around camp is that he is healthy and ready to compete with James for the starting job. Booth could also see time at power forward. Coming into camp as an invitee is 7+ Center Eric Chenowith. Most say he will not make the final roster.

Power Forward—With the departure of Baker, the PF spot is the biggest question mark of the season for Seattle. Second year man Vladimir Radmanovic is the favorite to start, though his lack of bulk worries some. Radmanovic showed great ability filling in for the injured Vin Baker last year. Vlade should fit in nicely in Nate McMillan’s style of offense. He’s a great perimeter shooter, and his defense and rebounding should improve at the 4. Backing up Radmanovic is Predrag Drobnjak. Drobnjak played with Seattle last year and showed some decent talent. He will give the Sonics size and scoring at the 4 and 5 positions off the bench. His defense and rebounding need to improve, but with his size, it should not be a huge problem. Vitaly Potapenko, who came over in the Baker deal, will be a good defensive player at PF/C when he is healthy. Potapenko is a hustler with great energy, though his offense needs improving. Invited to camp are Reggie Evans and Kei Madison, both having chances of making the team. Reggie Evans was considered by some to be a lottery pick, but at 6-9, his size turned a lot of teams away. This could prove to be a great steal by the Sonics.

Small Forward—Though it took a while, Rashard Lewis resigned with Seattle, to the tune of 7 years, about $60 million. Resigning Rashard was the main focus of the off-season by the Sonics, and bringing him back keeps the talented Seattle youth together for a long time. He is, no doubt, the starter at SF, and will give the Sonics a second scoring option. Behind Lewis is former NBDL player Ansu Sesay. Sesay signed with the Sonics midway through last season, playing well enough to get a 2 year contract extension. Sesay is a good young player who could develop quite nicely. Desmond Mason could also see some time at SF this year.

Shooting Guard—Let the battle begin. Desmond Mason has improved so much over the summer that Nate McMillan is torn between starters at the 2-guard. The starter last year, Brent Barry, had a career season, and is still the favorite to start at this point. The chemistry between Payton and Barry in the backcourt worked extremely well last year. Desmond Mason, a newlywed, looks better than ever. The word around camp is that Mase has developed a consistent jump shot in the off season, the only real lacking skill from last year. A high-flyer, Mason plays great defense, and with the addition of a good jump shot, will be unstoppable whether he starts or comes off the bench. Another player coming over from Boston, second year guard Joseph Forte will see some time at SG. Forte is a good young prospect that only needs playtime to show what he can do. He has a great offensive game and should do well for the Sonics in the long run. A training camp standout from Arizona, Miles Simon is almost a lock to make the team. He has impressed coaches in camp. Another possible steal for Seattle, Simon would make it easier for Mason to get some time at the SF spot and would be a consistent scoring option off the bench.

Point Guard—Everyone knows who the starting PG for the Sonics is. The incumbent veteran, Gary Payton, is back for yet another year in Seattle. This year is a little different though. Payton, upset about not getting a contract extension, skipped some practices and angered management. But, as always, The Glove came to camp and has shown why he is one of, if not the, best Point Guard in the league, playing like he did last year, and the many before that, fabulous. Coming off the bench, though unhappy about it, is Kenny Anderson. Anderson started for the Boston Celtics last year and was a standout PG. Look for him to come off the bench and execute dangerous pick-and-rolls, and provide Seattle with a second “pure PG”.

With the additions made in Seattle during the off-season, and the subtraction of Vin Baker, this could be an interesting year for Sonic fans. If the Sonics get good production from their big men, and the drama at PG does not affect team chemistry, the Sonics could once again be playoff bound. If nothing else, this season will be a fun ride.