Defense is the starting point for Sonics

Point-guard controversy? What point-guard controversy?

Backup Earl Watson won't contribute to the speculation surrounding the Sonics' starting lineup, although it's clear he came to training camp with one thing in mind.

"He came here with a purpose, and that's to do everything he can to get into the starting lineup," coach Bob Hill said.

To do so would mean leapfrogging incumbent Luke Ridnour, who according to teammates, coaches and witnesses, played defense like a man possessed during the morning drills of Tuesday's two-a-day practices.

"Those guys are obviously competing," Ray Allen said. "And competition is always a good thing."

Hill is intent on improving the Sonics' defense, which ranked last in the NBA last season, and he believes the point guard spearheads that effort.

"It all begins with him," the Sonics coach said. "Our frame of reference immediately would tell you that Earl is better at it than Luke. But Luke is capable, and we have to get him doing that better than he did a year ago."

Watson said he came to camp intent on "being aggressive and being physical."

"The Sonics got a label for being a team that doesn't play defense, so I'm trying to have some type of input in changing that," he said. "That label has been there since GP [Gary Payton] left. Defense is a mindset. I talked to coach about that.

"Dallas had the same mindset and they kept the same players, and all they did was Avery Johnson just emphasized it, and before you know it they were defending. The same thing can happen here."

Watson, who set the UCLA record for career starts with 129, has been a backup during his six-year NBA career. He started a career-high 14 games in each of the 2003-04 and '04-05 seasons in Memphis.

"More than starting, it's important for me to win games," he said. "That's the honest truth. Losing bothers me almost to a point where I get sick. Literally.

"I told the coaching staff I don't want them to give me anything. I've never been given anything in my life. Let me earn it if it's there for me to get."

Note

• Former Sonics player and coach Lenny Wilkens and Storm coach Anne Donovan will be honored at a team ceremony and will lead a children's basketball clinic at 10:45 a.m. Saturday at Green Lake Park.