With the All-Star game just around the corner, signalling the half way mark of the NBA schedule, many people have begun to reflect on the first half to analyze what the Sonics have done well and what has not gone well to get a better idea what changes need to be made to improve the team. The most common criticism of the Sonics has been their interior defence, Seattle’s rebounding and shot blocking being a woeful 28th and 26th in the league, respectively.

Fans of the Sonics have been begging for size to help make up for a front line accused of being, at times, unmotivated, (Baker, Lewis) and overly foul prone, (Long, James). Even management has come out and said that rebounding is a concern for the team and that it is one that they would consider acquiring people to solve, indicating a solution cannot be found within the confines of our current roster.

Now that the NBA season has reached its halfway break, the league is slowing to a halt to allow for the weekend festivities. For some players it is a chance to exhibit their star abilities and a chance to give something back to their fans. For the majority of players however, the All-Star weekend is a welcome chance to rest and recuperate before tackling the home stretch of the season. Hopefully, this break will be just what Seattle needs to discover they do have an answer for the teams need for size. Somewhere hiding in the shadows, deep in the bowls of Key Arena, is Seattle’s lost forgotten big man, Calvin Booth.

During the All-Star break, while Steve Francis is stealing the spotlight in the dunk competition, or perhaps while Dikembe Mutombo is hoisting up a three point attempt, Calvin Booth will be at his doctor’s office having his foot examined after finally being able to remove it from an immobilizing boot. After discovering the results from the examination hopefully Booth will be able to rejoin the team, news which will easily be the highlight of my personal All-Star weekend experience.

Booth came to Seattle in the summer amidst high hopes from the Sonics front office and disillusioned speculation from Sonics faithful who have been let down by management assurances before. Booth’s run as a Supersonic got off to a tremulous start but showed promise in a strong performance against his former club, the Dallas Mavericks, on November 20 in which Booth scored 24 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists in 29 minutes of play. From there though the season came to a standstill for Booth, after only 15 games, due to a sprained ankle. He had tried playing through the pain but developed tendinitis and was forced to the Sonics injury reserve list.

Now, it seems that after only 15 performances, almost all of which were hampered by Calvin’s struggling with injuries, some Sonics fans are ready to completely write Booth off as another failed project of the Wally Walker regime. This willingness to disregard Booth and look to management to make a deal which will bring better defensive toughness and presence into the organization is, however, a little premature. The truth of the matter is that we have yet to see Calvin Booth at 100% in a Sonics uniform.

Calvin Booth has a lot to offer the Sonics, a team sorely lacking in the categories that Booth specializes in. During his stay in both Dallas and Washington, Booth proved himself to be a valuable bench performer averaging over 2 blocks a game and close to 5 rebounds a night; numbers higher than his games thus far with the Sonics, showing exactly how much his nagging ankle was effecting his play from the beginning of the year. With Booth back to full strength, and receiving more minutes than in either Dallas or Washington, Seattle should be able to expect improvement.

The impact on the Sonics as a whole will be more dramatic than these numbers might reveal at first. Booth can help the team by alleviating pressure on Baker to rebound and by giving the Sonics a real shot blocking presence down low. This means perimeter defenders can stay closer to their assignments, a defensive deficiency that has killed the Sonics with three point shooters around the league. Booth’s presence will also help the Sonics on the offensive end. Baker will be able to roam outside for his shot while Booth maintains an inside threat to spread the floor. True, Calvin’s strengths are not specifically as an offensive threat, but he is still a big body that can post up against the NBA’s less formidable defences, shoots a career .741 FT%, and will give Seattle some desperately needed second chance opportunities.

So assuming the news from Booth’s physicians after the All-Star weekend is promising, and he will soon be back on the court, what does this mean for the rest of the year? The timing could not be better for Seattle as they are in need of a strong push to finish the year and ensure a trip to the post-season. Some breathing room in a front line that has been the biggest weakness all season could go a long way towards Seattle overcoming that final hurdle and getting back to the playoffs.

Fans are demanding a rebounder who can supply a physical quality, through size and toughness, to our front line, and that is exactly what Calvin Booth will be. It is understandable for Sonics fans to remain skeptical, with the sour taste of Jim McIlvaine still haunting Sonics faithful, although as of yet Booth has not even had the opportunity to succeed as a Sonic, let alone to attempt and fail.

This season aside however, Booth is the team’s long-term answer for the centre position. Management has made it clear from day one with Booth that they had faith in him, and were expecting great things from him down the road. Some might scoff at the idea of Booth ever being a key player, but he seems to have all the tools and the confidence of not only Walker, but also the GM’s and management of both his previous stopovers in his NBA career. When healthy, Calvin Booth will mean a lot to this Sonics team, that is, as long as the team remembers he is a part of it.

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