AJC > Sports > Hawks > Blog > Archives > 2006 > October > 10
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Claxton comes highly recommended
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I know the consensus around here is that I have this great job. And for all the things we all disagree about here, that’s one I can’t dispute.
I spend many of my days at basketball practice or at games. And while the deadline pressure and occasional travel snafus take some of the fun out of the job, I can’t say the same about practice. There’s nothing like being able to watch practices and notice work habits and the little things that lead up to what happens on the floor come game night.
Let me also admit now to cheating a little bit. I don’t sit alone at practice and wonder what’s going on. I usually sit next to a visiting coach, a Hawks executive or staffer or someone else with an extensive background in basketball. My favorite practice partner is former Hawks star and current TV analyst Steve Smith, who knows plenty about the game and playing it at the highest level.
I’m constantly picking his brain for insights about what he knows about players, Hawks and others, and what the impressions are of coaches and players on other teams about the Hawks. He knows someone on every team in the league and can’t show up to any arena without being greeted by dozens of people; everyone from ushers to team presidents and in between. And despite his [Michigan State] Spartan roots, I’ve come to value his opinion about all things when it pertains to basketball because Smitty shoots straight about everything. He never holds his tongue and gives you his honest assessment of guys, whether they are friends of his or not.
That’s why a recent conversation we had was particularly interesting.
Remembering that he played on that Spurs championship team with Speedy Claxton (who got his cast off Tuesday and appears to be on schedule for a return right about the start of the regular season), I asked what he remembered about Speedy’s game and how effective he thought he’d be running the show for the Hawks?
Smitty (don’t bother calling him Steve if you ever run into him) said, and I’m paraphrasing here, that “Speedy and Stephen Jackson won that championship for us, they gave us that edge we needed to handle Jersey.” Strong words and ones that I couldn’t let pass without further explanation.
Claxton was playing behind Tony Parker then, when the fantastic Frenchmen was having his troubles with Jason Kidd. Smitty said that Speedy’s fearlessness in playing Kidd, on both ends of the floor, made a huge difference in the series. I know that’s a concern of many; that Speedy is undersized and will struggle to defend bigger point guards. Smitty’s not convinced that’s as big an issue. Not with Speedy’s quickness and relentless attitude.
Smitty is convinced Claxton is the difference maker the Hawks needed at the point, and coupled with Tyronn Lue a player that gives the Hawks a nasty (albeit short) 1-2 punch at a position they’ve struggled at in the past two years.
We’ll have to wait a while longer to see it in action. But I’m willing to buy the hype about Speedy if Smitty is selling it.
