[外電] Captain-less Hawks find officer cand …
Captain-less Hawks find officer candidates
By SEKOU SMITH
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 10/15/06
Marvin Williams noticed the first day of training camp. Josh Smith and
Josh Childress noticed it, too.
Joe Johnson returned from his offseason with more than just a chiseled
physique, courtesy of a rigorous summer training regimen designed to
help him cope with the demands of playing on the U.S. National team.
He came back from his first season with the Hawks a more vocal
and outspoken leader, joining veteran point guard Tyronn Lue as
the steady hands of a team that needed veterans to step up and
provide guidance both on and off the court for a cadre of young
talent.
"I think it all starts with Joe and T. Lue," said second-year
Hawks forward Marvin Williams, one of two 20-year-old starters
for the Hawks; Josh Smith is the other. "Those guys came into
camp and set the tone and all the young guys are following."
That wasn't the case a year ago or the year before. In each of
the past two seasons the Hawks had the necessary parts, solid
vets with leadership qualities and capabilities. But there was
a disconnect between the message and the supposed recipients the
last two years that seems to have been cured this season.
Another issue, and one that has rarely been discussed, is that in
each of the past two seasons one of the Hawks' captains has been
a veteran playing in a contract year — Antoine Walker two years
ago and Al Harrington last season.
Whoever the team captains are this season, they haven't officially
been chosen yet but both Johnson and Lue are obvious candidates,
everyone knows they're a part of the Hawks' long-term plan. That
wasn't the case with either Walker or Harrington, both of whom
were eventually traded.
"I don't think it's fair to knock either of those guys," Josh
Smith said. "They were leaders in their own way. And they were
good for us. I think all of us learned some good things from
Antoine and Al. All of us young guys are a year or two older and
wiser than we were then, and that has a lot to do with the change
people might see."
Williams agreed.
"A lot of the change is just guys growing up," he said. "I think
everybody's goal is the same this year as well. We want to make a
run at the playoffs. We want to make the playoffs. And when
everybody has the same goal things just run a whole lot smoother."
A closer look at the Hawks' two veteran leaders
Joe Johnson
6-7, 230 pounds
‧ Experience: Sixth NBA season
‧ Age: 25
‧ How he became a Hawks player: Obtained in a sign-and-trade
deal from the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Boris Diaw and two
conditional draft picks on Aug. 19, 2005.
‧ Signed through: 2009-10 season
‧ Leadership style: He led by example last season, his first as
a Hawks captain. But he's made it a point to be more vocal this
season.
‧ Breakdown: It's cliche, but when your best player really is
your hardest worker, everyone else has to follow. Johnson's the
heart and soul of this Hawks team and will serve in that capacity
for the foreseeable future. His tireless work ethic seems to
rubbing off on several of his younger teammates. He has a well
earned reputation as one of the quietest players in the league.
But just as he's gotten more comfortable in his position as the
Hawks best and highest-paid player, his teammates have gotten
more comfortable getting in line behind him. And Johnson is the
perfect straight man for the crazy antics of Lue.
‧ Johnson on leadership: "The main thing for any team is
accepting roles. We all have to do that. So I don't only want
to lead by example. When something needs to be said, I'm going
to be there to say it. When we've got a big lead I want to make
sure we don't let up. I want these guys to know that when we get
our chances we have to pounce on people. When we get up on
somebody we have to try and bury them and stop waiting until the
fourth quarter to try and turn it on. That's something [Hawks
coach Mike Woodson] has been preaching and he's right. But it
has to come from more than just him and our coaching staff. This
is a league that's built on peer pressure, both good and bad. And
that's really how you learn in this league."
Tyronn Lue
6-0, 177 pounds
‧ Experience: Ninth NBA season
‧ Age: 29
‧ How he became a Hawks player: Acquired in a trade with Houston
for Jon Barry on Dec. 23, 2004 and re-signed with the Hawks as a
free agent on Aug. 23, 2005.
‧ Signed through: 2007-08 season
‧ Leadership style: Extremely vocal with heavy doses of comedy
mixed in. He also leaned from two of the best in Shaquille O'Neal
and Michael Jordan.
‧ Breakdown: Lue is the pulse of this Hawks team and easily its
most dynamic personality. Step foot inside the locker room before
or after a practice or game and it's likely his voice you'll hear.
Whether he's telling a story on cracking jokes, his teammates are
always listening to him. And since no one in the organization has
more championship experience (Lue won two rings with the Lakers),
they ought to listen. He's playfully nicknamed himself "The Show"
this preseason, and has taken to talking him about himself in the
third person extensively — mostly in an effort to keep the mood
in the locker room loose. But Lue is all business when it matters
most.
‧ Lue on leadership: "It's really about our young guys. And
they've grown a lot. They had a [heck of] a summer. And we needed
that, because as they go so goes the team. Joe is going to do Joe.
He's going to be there every night handling business. But the
evolution of this team depends on these younger guys. And it's up
to us veterans to make sure they have a chance to reach their full
potential by helping educate them on the way they need to carry
themselves on and off the court. Just like we learned it from the
vets when we were in their shoes, we have to give it back now.
You have to always remember this is a business and that we're
here to work. But you can laugh at work and you can enjoy it.
And that's where I come in."
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