Depth may be an issue for the Seattle Supersonics, especially early, with the team receiving news that starting center Vitaly Potapenko fractured the ring finger of his right hand during the victory against Portland and will be sidelined for five to six weeks.

According to the Seattle Times the Sonics may also be without star forward Rashard Lewis for the opener because of plantar fasciitis in his left foot.

Jerome James, who hasn't played in four of the past five games, will start at center for Wednesday's regular-season opener in Los Angeles against the Los Angeles Clippers.

"Health for any team is very important, and losing Vitaly is a blow," McMillan said. "But like I told them, you've got to move on. Injuries are a part of the game."

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, through a report published in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, is reporting that Sonic Danny Fortson has filed a defamation lawsuit against Phoenix Suns chairman and CEO Jerry Colangelo, the New York Post and its columnist Peter Vecsey.

The suit is related to comments made by Colangelo last season towards Fortson, labelling the strong forward a "thug," as well as saying "I want him out of here."  Colangelo's characterization was televised and published in many newspapers as well as the statement.  The comments stemmed from a hard foul then-Maverick Fortson had committed against then-Sun Zarko Cabarkapa, leaving the rookie with a broken wrist.  Fortson was ejected and suspended for three games over the incident.

Vecsey is included for a Nov. 30 column he wrote in which he criticized the league's response to Fortson's foul. He called Fortson a "vacant lot," said he engaged in "attempted murder" and called him a "gangsta or a wanksta."

According to the Sun-Sentinel, Fortson seeks damages of more than $15,000 as well as the expense involved in the suit and "other relief the court may deem appropriate."

If the Seattle City Council are any guide, if the Supersonics are to have a new arena any time soon they will be finding the funding themselves according to the Tacoma News Tribune.  Several elected officials contacted by The News Tribune were strongly opposed to providing public funding for a Sonics team that is losing millions of dollars a year.

?Financially, the city is on hard times right now,? said Peter Steinbrueck, chairman of the urban development and planning committee. ?We would probably lose our jobs as electives if we took any of those ideas seriously and advocated for any of those sorts of things at a time that we are cutting back library services and basic core government services. We haven?t stopped hearing about the excesses in the other two stadiums. People still are holding that against us."

?The Sonics are hurting right now financially, I am sure. In the games, they are not performing well, and I don?t think a new stadium is going to change that, nor will it suddenly improve attendance. So I think the answer is to play better, play harder and win some games and attendance will pick up again.?

The Seattle SuperSonics released guards Mateen Cleaves and Galen Young from their training camp roster today, General Manager Rick Sund announced.

Cleaves, 27, was a first-round pick of the Detroit Pistons in 2000 out of Michigan State and is a veteran of four NBA seasons with the Pistons, the Sacramento Kings and Cleveland Cavaliers. Cleaves owns career averages of 4.2 points and 2.1 assists in 126 NBA games.

Cleaves averaged 4.4 points and 2.8 assists in five preseason games with the Sonics.

Young, 29, was trying to make his first NBA roster. The Charlotte product was waived by the Sonics last October after spending training camp with the team. Young averaged 4.5 points and 2.8 rebounds in four preseason games, but shot just 6-for-18 from the field (33.3%).

World War III was postponed until the regular season, as Ray Allen sat out the Sonics' preseason contest in San Diego versus Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Bryant himself didn't play beyond the first quarter.

The Lakers ultimately were victorious, defeating the Sonics 117-91.

In anticipation of Monday's preseason game between the Lakers and Sonics, Kobe Bryant reportedly called Ray Allen and said, "I'm gonna bust your ass."

Allen denies receiving this call, which was confirmed by a Laker source.

When asked about it, Bryant said, "Don't even put me and dude in the same breath."

"I hope he plays me hard," Allen said. "I would like to think that he's been doing that already because when I play against him, I go hard at him whether it was something that's been said in the newspaper or whatever.

"That mentality doesn't change. I know it doesn't for me, and I'm quite sure he feels the same. But if he's extra motivated then he should know that I don't care what goes on in L.A. I could(n't) care less. ... My focus is on this team right here."

With the war of words continuing, this meaningless preseason game has the look and feel of an October game between the Red Sox and Yankees.

Nate McMillian has been with the Seattle Supersonics for over 20 years and it doesn't appear likely that a certain free-agent to be will do anything to change that.  

If Sonic management has to decide between McMillian and Ray Allen, it appears increasingly likely that the coach will stay, the player will leave.  In this scenario Allen will move on and explore his options in free-agency.

Sonic forward Rashard Lewis is suffering from plantar fasciitis in his left foot.

Plantar fasciitis kept Wally Szczerbiak out the first 3 1/2 months last season as he missed 44 games. The injury bothered Mateen Cleaves for half a season in Sacramento, getting so severe he couldn't walk without limping.

The injury originates where the plantar fascia -- a band of tissue much like a tendon -- attaches to the heel. It starts with microscopic tears, which leads to inflammation and then the tissue starts degenerating.

Michael Redd will be an unrestricted free-agent at season's end, permitting any team in the league to sign him to a contract.

For the first time since before they trashed the budget in the unsuccessful run at the 2001 NBA title, the Bucks will be in good salary-cap shape for 2005. They will have money to spend in the free-agent market and would be able to afford Redd should he choose Milwaukee as a relatively permanent career destination.

Fortunately, the Bucks might not have a lot of competition for Redd's services. Not many teams would be below the cap to the point where they could pay something close to a maximum salary, depending on Redd's accomplishments this season. But even if Redd decided to move on, the Bucks would still have sizable cap room to fill the shooting guard spot.

In such a scenario, Ray Allen's return would not be a distinct possibility. Also a free agent at the end of the season, Allen has made it reasonably clear that he doesn't intend to re-sign with Seattle. Those who have had semi-recent conversations with Allen say he still misses Milwaukee, plus the major roadblock for a possible homecoming, George Karl, has been removed.  

Redd is well aware of the options that will be presented to him on July 1st.  He knows he could be a Buck for life, gone by February or playing elsewhere next season. In any case, he also knows he's going to make a lot more than the $3 million he'll earn this year.

"But when you start talking contracts and money, that's when the fun leaves," Redd said Monday. "I just want to have fun this year."

Ray Allen's vocal week continues, as he has expressed his feelings about a possible rule change regarding the three-point line.

"Don't tinker with the three-pointer," Allen said.

Allen is one of the best three-point shooters in the entire league.  He would be forced to significantly change his style of play if an alteration or elimination of the line was made.

"A couple of decades ago, we were making the same argument about the slam dunk, weren't we?" he asked. "There are lot of guys who are dunking that probably shouldn't be dunking and should work on other parts of their games, but you can't really take away that facet of the game."