Robert Swift, the Sonics 12th pick out of Bakersfield High School has been demonstrating that he can hang with the big kids.

Swift who at 7 feet and a mere 243 pounds, just started lifting weights his senior year of high school, and by his appearance, lacking the strength to compete with NBA centers, and is already drawing comparisons to Jermaine O?Neal in terms of the number of years it will take to develop into a NBA star (O'Neal averaged fewer than 14 minutes each of his first four seasons in the league).

"He doesn't back down at all," (Sonic Forward Nick Collison) said. "He's a pretty strong kid, actually. He looks thin, but he's pretty strong.