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Nick Collison Sam Forencich/NBAE/Getty Images FAST FACTS Record: 37-45 (T-11th in West) Points Scored: 97.1 (6th in NBA) Points Allowed: 97.8 (24th) Coach: Nate McMillan (fifth season with the Sonics) 2004 Schedule | 2004 Draft Picks | 2003 Stats Last season Seattle made 723 three-pointers, 122 more than second-ranked Sacramento and second alltime to the Mavericks' 735 in 1995-96. PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP With 2003-04 statistics VITALY POTAPENKO POS. PVR PPG RPG APG BPG SPG FG% FT% C 205 7.1 4.4 0.8 0.43 0.34 48.9 64.1 DANNY FORTSON POS. PVR PPG RPG APG BPG SPG FG% FT% PF 189 3.9 4.5 0.2 0.20 0.21 51.1 81.5 RAY ALLEN POS. PVR PPG RPG APG SPG FG% 3FG% FT% SG 16 23.0 5.1 4.8 1.27 44.0 39.2 90.4 ANTONIO DANIELS POS. PVR PPG RPG APG SPG FG% 3FG% FT% PG 116 8.0 2.0 4.2 0.63 47.0 36.2 84.2 RASHARD LEWIS POS. PVR PPG RPG APG BPG SPG FG% 3FG% SF 42 17.8 6.5 2.2 0.68 1.24 43.5 37.6  BENCH PVR 2003-04 Stats F VLADIMIR RADMANOVIC 124 12.0 ppg 5.3 rpg 1.04 spg 42.5 FG% 37.1 3FG% F NICK COLLISON (R) 148 18.5 ppg 10.0 rpg 2.2 apg 1.95 bpg 55.4 FG% G RONALD MURRAY 177 12.4 ppg 2.5 apg 0.99 spg 42.5 FG% 29.3 3FG% G LUKE RIDNOUR 229 5.5 ppg 1.6 rpg 2.4 apg 0.75 spg 41.4 FG% G IBO KUTLUAY (r) 241 12.9 ppg 2.7 rpg 1.1 apg 39.0 FG% 37.6 3FG%

What do you learn from a year on the sideline? That your team needs help

For Nick Collison the only experience more painful than spending his rookie season on the sideline was living with the throbbing in his left shoulder that caused his nine-month absence from the lineup. Picked 12th out of Kansas in the 2003 draft, the 6'9", 255-pound Collison was three days into his first training camp when, going up for a rebound, he felt his shoulder pop from its socket and his arm go numb. After the joint slipped again the next morning -- this time as he was reaching for a lamp at his bedside -- he feared the worst. "I've been playing since I was nine, and the most I'd been out is four games," says Collison. "I didn't want to have the surgery."

Turns out he'd have two: one to fix his left shoulder, and an arthroscopic procedure five months later to prevent a similar injury to his right. As he recovered, Collison struggled to stave off boredom. On occasion he'd accept the invitation of veteran Ray Allen (shelved for the first 25 games with a bum right ankle) to come to his home to watch the Sonics' road games on TV. Collison soon saw how open opposing teams were leaving Seattle's big men, so he spent the summer honing his shooting from 10 to 15 feet. Already a rugged scorer inside, he has a zeal for rebounding that should help a team that averaged an NBA-worst 39.3 last season and developed bad habits on D. "Nick understands situations and how to defend them," coach Nate McMillan says. "Anytime you get a young player with that type of feel for the game, his playing time is going to increase quickly."

Fully healed, Collison will battle for the starting power forward job. "I'm glad I was in this situation coming after four years in college," Collison says. "If this would've happened coming out of high school, it would have been a lot tougher." -- Andrew Lawrence