While Danny Forton's time in Seattle has been anything but smooth sailing, his recent stint on the sidelines showed that the Sonics still need him just as he needs the Sonics.

After grabbing 20 rebounds against the Sonics on Dec. 13, Chicago's Ben Wallace said the Seattle players would back down after a hard screen.

The Sonics had no enforcers. A major ingredient for most winning NBA teams is an inside presence, and enforcers ensure opposing players don't prance into the key for easy baskets or clear out under the basket for easy rebounds.

Fortson said he had watched the Sonics' just-completed road trip, where Wallace, Cleveland's Anderson Varejao and Detroit's Jason Maxiell each dominated inside and grabbed rebounds without resistance. And that bothered him.

"I'm a competitor, man," he said. "I want to be out there with those boys, be helpful to the team. It's kind of hard to get around me. I didn't like sitting on the bench. I wanted to be out there and make my presence felt."