AJC > Sports > Hawks > Blog > Archives > 2006 > October > 04
Wednesday, October 4, 2006
Emphasis on ‘D’ is serious
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
After just three practice sessions the tone for business in Hawksville this season has already been established.
Competitiveness -– up.
Attention to defensive detail -– way up.
Overall intensity -– way, way up.
Hawks coach Mike Woodson and his staff designed it this way. Woodson said after Wednesday morning’s workout that he’s had to do much less teaching (now that his roster only slightly resembles that of a Division I program) this year as compared to the last two.
The extra emphasis on defensive intensity shouldn’t surprise anyone. The Hawks were one of the league’s most accommodating defensive units last year, negating all the positives that usually come from putting up 102 points per game of their own.
Without the benefit of any scrimmage action thus far, it’s extra hard to tell which players have made the biggest improvements in their specific games. But if the frantic nature of the drills I’ve been allowed to watch are any indication, the scrimmages should be plenty entertaining. Guys are going to be going after each other in an effort to earn the starting jobs and minutes that are available.
And for anyone who wants to see what I’m talking about, the Hawks are holding a scrimmage open to the public Saturday at Woodward Academy in College Park. The doors open at 9 a.m. and the session runs from 10 a.m. to noon.
Since they won’t start scrimmaging until Friday at the earliest, I’m expecting Saturday’s workout to be a pretty good show.
