2000-01 In Review: Last season, Calvin Booth lived the dream of every 12th man catching serious pine time on every NBA bench. At the trade deadline, Booth was nominally a throw in for Dallas in their trade for Juwan Howard (though Don Nelson did call Booth key to the deal). After playing little in Washington, Booth suddenly found himself a key contributor to the Mavs' playoff run, even starting down the stretch. In game five of the Mavericks' first round playoff series against Utah, Booth went from nobody to hero, with a strong fourth quarter capped by the game winning shot. Oh, yes, Booth also did this all in the year before he earned restricted free agency.

Previous NBA Career: In his first NBA season, Booth played but 11 games for Washington, spending the majority of the season on the injured list. In limited action, he did show his main talent, blocking an impressive 1.3 shots in only 13 minutes per game. His offense, however, was horrendous, as he shot less than 35% from the field.

Shooting/Scoring: Booth is not a serious offensive threat. His post-up game is entirely non-existant, and he has not been asked to play with his back to the basket during his NBA career. Booth's primary offensive contribution is a solid jumper from the 12-15 foot area. He is a decent free throw shooter for a big man, shooting around 70% throughout the last two seasons. If Booth is anything but the number five option for your team offensively, it is not a good sign. Grade: D

Floor Game: Booth handles the ball fairly well for a big man, averaging a solid 0.8 assists per game. However, his one turnover average needs to come down based on the limited amount he handles the ball. If ever faced with a double team, Booth would probably do a fine job of getting the ball to the open man, but that's not a concern with his offensive deficincies. He sets solid screens and runs the floor well. Grade: C-

Rebounding: Booth is a good rebounder for an NBA center, though he would seem to have the tools to do an even better job. Last season, he averaged 4.5 rebounds per game -- in starters minutes, he'd easily grab eight or nine boards per night. He also does a good job on the offensive glass for a player who spends as little time inside as he does, and improved in this regard in the postseason, showing even more potential. Grade: B

Defense: Booth's calling card is his shot blocking ability, as mentioned before. Despite his rather limited minutes, he finished 12th in the NBA with 2.02 blocks per game. More impressively, Booth lead the league in blocks per 48 minutes with 5.71, just ahead of teammate Shawn Bradley. With his long arms and decent quickness, Booth could be a phenomenal weapon in a zone defense. There are some concerns with Booth's d, however. He is not particularly bulky, and can struggle at times with post defense against stronger players. Booth has added weight since college, and continued development would make him an extremely good defensive player. Another concern is fouls -- Booth averaged one every six and a half minutes last season -- though it should not be a real problem unless he is counted on to play 35 minutes a night, which is unlikely. Grade: B+

Intangibles: All available evidence points to Booth being a solid citizen and a hard worker. He did not get down during his time in Washington. Additionally, Booth appears to be an intelligent person off the court. I only wish I could write this more frequently. Grade: A

Overall: As mentioned in the opening, Booth picked a fantastic time to show off his skills to the NBA. Nevertheless, few teams went after him in free agency after Dallas owner Mark Cuban made it clear that he would match any offer to Booth that he could (early Bird rights allowed the Mavs to go over the cap to match an offer up to about 4.5 million). The Seattle Sonics, however, were undeterred, as they possessed cap space enough to go over that mark and make Booth's deal essentially unmatchable. After Ruben Patterson defected to Portland, the Sonics had enough cap room, and signed Booth to an offer sheet on August 1. 15 days later the offer sheet became a contract and Booth became a Sonic. Yes, he is a shot blocking specialist who was drafted in the second round by Washington and is not an offensive threat. However, he is not Jim McIlvaine, as much as the Seattle media and fans have feared. If Booth is viewed as the answer to the Sonics' problems, he will undoubtedly be a disappointment. If he is viewed as another piece in the Sonics puzzle, a decent starter who needs better players around him, than Booth has a chance to carve out a nice career in Seattle. Next season, look for numbers around 25-30 minutes, 6-7 points, 8-9 rebounds, and 4-5 blocks per ballgame. Grade: B-

December 1 Update: It's almost impossible to judge Booth's play, because he has yet to be fully healthy. Just two days before the season's open, Booth sprained an ankle in an open Sonic practice. The effects still linger, and he's missed a total of eight games. Booth had a fantastic game in his return to Dallas, scoring 24 points. Outside of that, his offense has been iffy. Booth has been fantastic -- 22 of 22 -- at the line. His defense and rebounding appear to have been severely affected by the injury, and he also seems to be having a hard time adjusting to the Sonic system. It should come around soon enough, however, and he has shown flashes.

January 1 Update: The month of December likely carries an X on it in Booth's calendar. He began the year with awful performances against Minnesota, Detroit, and Miami, in which he racked up more personal fouls than points or rebounds. Soon thereafter, he went on the injured list with tendinitis in his ankle a lingering effect of the sprain. Booth is expected to return at the start of the month, though he's unlikely to regain his starting job, and his effectiveness is anyone's guess.

February 1 Update: On the day he was expected to be activated from the injured list, January 3, Booth instead was found to have made little progress in his recovery from ankle tendinitis. He was placed in an immobilizing cast and lost to the Sonics for at least a month in a half. As the month closes, it's still unkown when Booth will finally be able to provide the Sonics the starting center they so need.

March 1 Update: Another lost month for Booth, as it became even more apparent that he might not return at all this season; by month's end, he still had not returned to practice, and the prospects for the rest of the season are not good.

April 1 Update: Consider the season officially lost for Booth, who went under the knife during the month of March, officially ending his first year as a Sonic.