Thunder notebook: Carlesimo likely to go with 9-man rotation
Thunder notebook: Carlesimo likely to go with 9-man rotation

Published: September 26, 2008

Thunder center Mouhamed Sene is ahead of schedule in his recovery from microfracture surgery on his right knee, a procedure he had done in April after doctors originally were scheduled to repair a lateral meniscus tear.

Sene was expected to be sidelined until at least Christmas, and although he will not be healthy enough to participate in training camp or the preseason, he could return to practice in the first month of the regular season. The team remains cautious, however, of pushing him too hard and risking a setback.

"He's way, way ahead,” said Thunder coach P.J. Carlesimo. "His rehab has gone extremely well. He worked real hard with our therapist up in Seattle, and even when he was back in Africa, we had one of the assistant strength coaches over there.

"I don't know the timetable for when he's going to start practicing with us. But he's moving good, running well but just not ready to go on the basketball floor yet.”

•Start 'em or sit 'em : Between Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, Earl Watson, Russell Westbrook, Chris Wilcox, Desmond Mason, Joe Smith and Nick Collison, the Thunder has eight players who either expect to start or are capable starters.

The final decision rests with Carlesimo, who said his main priority is doing what's best for the team even if it hurts a few feelings.

"Very seldom does your best five players make up your starting lineup,” Carlesimo said. "The minutes are bigger for me. But it's easy for coaches to say that. It matters to players.

"A lot of players will tell you, ‘I don't care if I start or come off the bench.' But that's not true. Everybody wants to start. Everybody wants to have the recognition that comes along with being a starter. It's not about getting your name called or anything like that. It's the starters who usually play bigger minutes and often times the starters who finish the game.”

•Rotation watch : Carlesimo said he'll likely use a nine-man rotation this season.

"Guys will play their way in or out, but I would say nine,” Carlesimo said. "Eight is really nice, but over the course of the year it's unrealistic. Ten gets hard to do in terms of juggling guys.”

Carlesimo said the team's final two preseason games against Phoenix and the Los Angeles Lakers on Oct. 23 and 24 will be indicators of the regular season rotation.

•Price joins Hawks : Enid native Mark Price has joined the Atlanta Hawks as a shooting consultant. Price spent last season as the shooting consultant for the Memphis Grizzlies.

Price, a four-time NBA All-Star, averaged 18.3 points, 8.1 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 1.4 steals in his 722-game NBA career. He is the all-time leader in free-throw percentage at 90.4 percent.

By Darnell Mayberry

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