When Seattle SuperSonics rookie forward Damien Wilkins scored a career-high 21 points, more than his previous career total, to lead the Sonics to a 96-91 victory in Portland last week despite the absence of injured All-Star Rashard Lewis, he appeared to be an overnight NBA sensation. From the point of view of fans, who are allowed a peek into the world of the Sonics for 48-minute stretches only when the team takes the court, that assessment was completely accurate. Before his breakout game, Wilkins had seen only 76 minutes of action in 13 games, spending more than half the season on the injured list. What fans couldn't see behind closed doors was Wilkins working hard to make himself a better basketball player. After practices, Wilkins is regularly one of the last two or three players left on the court, working to improve his shooting touch. His competitive fire is evident every time he misses in these drills, his focus obvious in the following shot. "Those have been pretty much my game times," Wilkins said after the Sonics practiced Thursday. "I've taken it extremely seriously because I haven't been getting a whole lot of minutes early in the year. I had to take the time that I was working out and the time before the games to get some conditioning in." It would be exaggeration at best to say that those who have seen Wilkins at work - the media and the coaching staff - expected him to play the major role he has for the Sonics over the last week. But it would also be wrong to think they've been completely surprised. "I felt like he has a pro game," said Sonics Coach Nate McMillan. "His game is suited for the NBA more so than college basketball. He has NBA talent." Performance in practice is no guarantee of success in games. Some players raise the level of their games when the lights come on and the points count, while others shrink from the spotlight. Wilkins belongs to the former group. While he plays well in practice, it has been in game situations - from the Chicago Pre-Draft Camp to the Rocky Mountain Revue summer league to the pre-season to now the regular season - where he has really shined. To Wilkins, that's all because of the effort he's put in during practice. "I try not to take any possessions in practice off, try not to take any drills off, to go as hard as I can and to try to simulate game speed as much as possible," Wilkins said. "I think if you just stay constant with that kind of effort, I think when the game comes, you will be more comfortable and things will come easier than a lot of people expect them to." For most of the season, Wilkins did not get an opportunity to demonstrate his skills because of the Sonics depth on the perimeter, with Lewis and Vladimir Radmanovic ahead of him in the rotation at small forward. If the Sonics couldn't even find minutes for Ronald "Flip" Murray, where would they be able to play an undrafted rookie? Wilkins patiently waited on the sideline, enjoying the Sonics success while at the same time hoping to join in it. "Sitting on the sidelines all year long, for the most part, is something I don't think anyone wants to do as a competitor," said Wilkins. "As someone who has a lot of passion for the game, it's hard to sit over there and watch. But I think it's all about how mentally strong you are. You have to know that one day your time is coming and when it does, you've just got to be ready to seize the opportunity." The opportunity has come recently, with Wilkins activated on March 18 when Radmanovic was placed on the injured list with a stress fracture in his right fibula. Two nights later, Allen sprained his ankle and Wilkins was forced into the Sonics rotation. He played 15 solid minutes in that game against the Los Angeles Lakers, scoring two points and grabbing three rebounds, but more was yet to come. Last Thursday, with Lewis leaving the game after the first quarter because of a flare-up of patellar tendinitis, Wilkins sparked the Sonics in Portland. He scored eight points during one stretch of the second quarter, earning the right to start the second half. Then, with the Sonics trailing 91-89 with just over a minute left in the game, Wilkins took over, scoring the game's final seven points, including a go-ahead 3-pointer, to earn the Sonics a win. Over his last five games, Wilkins has averaged 10.4 points and 3.6 rebounds in 20.4 minutes of action, shooting 54.1% from the field and 50.0% from 3-point range. With Lewis again sitting out during the Sonics recent two-game road trip, Wilkins scored double-figures both games. "He's made a difference," said McMillan. "He's basically been an X-factor or contributor to two wins since the injuries. You could really say he was the difference in those two games, his scoring, his defense, his fresh legs; the energy, the scrappy play." "I really haven't surprised myself," said Wilkins. "I always felt that if my preparation was good and I was disciplined enough to stay in shape, stay sharp and continue to get in the gym early to get shots up and familiarize myself with the plays as much as I could, I knew once I got on the floor I'd be able to make something happen. It's been easier to do those type of things when you have the confidence of your teammates and your coaching staff behind you." The true measure of Wilkins' behind-the-scenes development is that Wilkins has made key contributions to a pair of Sonics victories at the defensive end of the court. Considered by the coaching staff a defensive liability at the start of the season, Wilkins has now emerged as something of a stopper. At Portland, he stole the ball from Joel Przybilla with six seconds left and the Blazers down three, sealing the win with a dunk at the other end. Then in Memphis, Wilkins forced a key turnover with 17 seconds left and the Sonics clinging to a one-point lead, tipping the ball off of Shane Battier and out of bounds to earn possession. "I've improved so much on the defensive end, it's unbelievable," said Wilkins. "Nate has been the biggest reason for that, because he's been harping on me about being a better defender since the summer. It's little things that he's been whispering in my ear for a while. I really give him a lot of credit for that, as well as Reggie Evans. Reggie has been a contributor to helping me get better on the defensive end from talking to him about little things that I can do when I'm on the court guarding people." "It's almost night and day, where he was this summer," said McMillan. "He reminded me that we had a film session about the defense. I told him that in order to make this club, he would have to become a better defender. He's done that. He's listened to all the things we've tried to teach this season and he's gone out and done that. He's doing what I want the team to do at the defensive end of the floor." That's why Damien Wilkins is no overnight sensation. --

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