Happy to leave a deteriorating situation with the Clippers, Chris Wilcox joined the Sonics here Wednesday, eager to prove he can finally live up to the potential that made him the No. 8 overall pick in the 2002 draft.

But Wilcox, traded for Vladimir Radmanovic on Tuesday, left a mixed impression on at least one former teammate ? Elton Brand, who started ahead of him. Brand told The Long Beach Telegram on Tuesday that the 6-foot-10 Wilcox didn't always put in the effort he could have.

"He gave his best at times, but maybe not all the time," Brand was quoted as saying. "He did work hard, and I've seen him work hard in practice and do things that were unbelievable with his athleticism. I just hope he gets a chance to express that to the rest of the NBA."

"People are going to say what they want to say because I'm not playing," Wilcox said. "If they came to practice, they'd see I work hard every day. If they don't see that, it's on them."

When told the criticism came from Brand, who saw him every day, Wilcox said, "OK, I'm not there any more. They'll see me here, in Seattle."