Sonics take Bruins' Westbrook in first round

By TIM BOOTH | AP Sports Writer • Published June 26, 2008

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SEATTLE — With UCLA’s Russell Westbrook playing on the West Coast, Seattle SuperSonics general manager Sam Presti got plenty of chances to evaluate the Bruins’ guard.

Presti liked what he saw.

Westbrook was taken by the Sonics with the No. 4 pick in Thursday night’s NBA draft, as Presti decided improving the Seattle backcourt was the next step in his remodel of the franchise’s oncourt product.

“I’m very, very excited. I’ve been working so hard to put myself in the best position possible,” Westbrook said in a conference call from New York. “I worked so hard (and) I tried to do my best in the workouts and it’s paid off.”

On the same day the Sonics trial with the city of Seattle over where the team will play the 2008-09 season concluded with closing arguments, Presti tried to get a little bit of focus out of the courtroom and back on the basketball court.

Highly regarded for his perimeter defense, quickness and massive wingspan, Westbrook made a rapid assent up many draft boards. He left UCLA after his sophomore season, a season where he averaged 12.7 points and started 34 games for the Bruins, helping them reach the Final Four.

Seattle was rumored to be trying to move out of the fourth spot for much of the day Thursday. Presti ultimately decided to hold firm with his pick.

“I felt that I might go four. But you never know because of trades and other things,” Westbrook said. “I was just sitting there waiting for my name to get called.”

Westbrook’s defensive ability may have been the tipping point ahead of Arizona’s Jerryd Bayless and Indiana’s Eric Gordon. Westbrook was the Pac-10 defensive player of the year as a sophomore and will join a Sonics’ unit that was the fourth-worst defensive team in the NBA last season, part of a franchise worst 20-62 campaign. The perimeter defense of guards Earl Watson and Luke Ridnour was often an issue.

Westbrook is the highest UCLA draft pick since Baron Davis was taken third overall in the 1999 draft. He is also familiar with Watson, a former UCLA standout, who Westbrook has worked out against during the offseason in Los Angeles.

“Earl was a real good guy. I know coming to the Sonics, Earl will teach me some things,” Westbrook said.

Seattle took 18-year-old Serge Ibaka from the Congo with the 24th pick. The 6-foot-10 Ibaka is likely to remain overseas for a few years, but Seattle will retain control over his NBA rights.

The Sonics also had four second-round selections in the draft.