Mike Woodson: “We are not a young team anymore.”
October 19, 2009 – 12:05 pm by timgunterThe Atlanta Hawks are on the verge of something great. They have been the doormat of the NBA until Mike Woodson was hired to coach this young team. With the new additions of Joe Smith, Jamal Crawford and Jason Collins, their roster isn’t one of the youngest in the league as it has been in the past. Each year this team continues to grow and their record shows. Since Woodson’s arrival, the records are as follows: ‘04-05: 13-69, ’05-06: 26-56, ’06-07: 30-52, ’07-08: 37-45, and ’08-09: 47-35.
This year the Hawks are looking to improve on a season in which they finished in the 4th seed out of the Eastern Conference and lost in the 2nd round of the playoffs. In recent years, depth has been a weakness for the Hawks but not this year. With Jamal Crawford, Jeff Teague, Zaza Pachulia and Mo Evans coming off of the bench, this team might have the most depth in the Eastern Conference. Needless to say, the city of Atlanta is expecting big things from this team and the sky is the limit.
Mike Woodson joined 790 The Zone in Atlanta to talk about whether he feels the city getting behind this team, what changes this year about this team, the way he is going to use Jamal Crawford, how Jamal plays on the defensive side of the ball, how he gets Josh Smith from shooting 3-pointers, and on Josh Smith’s maturity.
On whether he feels the city getting behind this team:
“Yes, I feel it and it should be that way. This team has been together now going on 6 years. You know we started when the team was gutted and I mean we had to grow together. It was a bumpy road along the way but I like the direction that we are headed. The guys are excited. This camp has probably been the most competitive camp that I have had since I have been here as a head coach. Having a competitive camp means that players are getting after it and trying to get better individually and as a team.”
On what changes this year about this team:
“Well I mean we are not a young team anymore. I think we did it the right way in starting them young and letting the young guys develop. I thought that his summer after our last season getting eliminated out of the playoffs against Cleveland, we had to add some veteran players. I think with the additions of Jamal and Jason Collins and Joe Smith, I think those are wonderful pickups for our team. It is now up to me to get them acclimated to what we are doing and to put it all together.”
On the way he is going to use Jamal Crawford:
“Well we just got to see how things go, but he has been in both positions as a starter as well as coming off of the bench. He has proven that he can score with the basketball. I just got to put him into positions where he can succeed. That is what it is all about in helping our team win.”
How he gets Josh Smith from shooting 3-pointers:
“Well he has grown as a player. There is no doubt and I know the media and the fans around the league. You guys think Josh Smith and I have a beef, but we really don’t. Josh and I are on the same page. We have always been on the same page. He is the player and I am the coach. I have got to try to get the most out of him. We have enough guys who can shoot threes, but there is going to be times where he is going to be called into position where has got to take 3’s. Sometimes we are going to have to live with it. Hopefully he won’t overdo it and if he does, coach might have to step in.”
On Josh Smith’s maturity:
“He has grown man and it is nice to see. I have never had to deal with young players and it is tough when you got 18 and 19 year olds. When you are trying to learn the NBA game it is frustrating from a coaching standpoint. I knew what I was getting into when I came here and they gave me the opportunity to coach this team. I thank ownership for sticking with me to continue the process and it has been a process. The process is starting to work and we are heading in the right direction.”
Mike Woodson on 790 The Zone with Pollack and Bell
Tags: #4 seed in the East, adding some veterans, Atlanta Hawks, Jamal Crawford, Josh Smith, Mike Woodson, NBA, NBA Eastern Conference, no longer a young team, We should be contenders
