Williams aches to help vs. Orlando

Marvin Williams had to watch the Hawks’ season opener on television, miles away from the action and his teammates’ tone-setting 99-85 victory over the Orlando Magic.

Williams was serving a one-game suspension for a flagrant foul incurred during the Hawks’ playoff series against Boston, but he says it was, without a doubt, one of his team’s best games this season.

So the idea of missing the rematch tonight at Philips Arena makes his stomach turn.

That’s why he’s likely to take the floor with the starters with a sleeve on his left shoulder, the one that kept him out of Saturday’s home win over Houston and kept him off the practice floor the past two days.

“They said I have scuffing in my labrum or something,” Williams said after practice Tuesday. “They said if I was a baseball player they’d be concerned. But it only bothers me when I have to raise my arm behind me … I’m not too concerned about it.

“But it was exciting to me to see my guys play like that in the opener, and not even being down there was a killer. So I’m extra amped to get out there [tonight] and be in the mix of what should be a crazy intense game for everybody.”

The Hawks (22-11) need Williams in the mix on offense and defense if they’re going to have a chance to duplicate their performance from the season opener.

The Magic boast a frontcourt of Atlanta native and All-Star center Dwight Howard and two 6-foot-10 forwards in Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis, both of whom should garner All-Star consideration this season.

In Williams and Josh Smith, the Hawks boast a similarly dynamic and talented set of forwards.

But while Smith has improved lately, averaging 21.4 points and shooting 58 percent from the floor in his past five games, Williams is trying to regain his November form, when he shot 47.4 percent from beyond the 3-point line and averaged 14.2 points.

Williams has made four of his past 14 shots (29 percent) from long range, and while he has played exceptional defense against a parade of some of the league’s most explosive small forwards, the Hawks’ offense is missing some of the spark he provided early.

“We’re definitely more dangerous when he’s outside making 3-pointers because that keeps the floor spread and defenses have to respect it,” Hawks captain and All-Star Joe Johnson said. “That opens the floor for me to operate a little bit more, and it also makes some room for Al [Horford] and Josh to go to work inside as well.

“We’ve got to make sure to stay on Marv about taking shots when he has good looks, because when you get in a situation where you’re not making shots like you want to, it gets a little mind-boggling. It’s tough when you know you’ve been working on it and it’s just not falling.”

In the meantime, Hawks coach Mike Woodson is pleased with the all-around play of Williams, who is averaging 13.5 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists.

“We’ve got to get him back healthy and ready to play,” Woodson said. “He’s a big part of what we’re doing, and that’s why we’ve been successful. His mind-set has to be to get his shoulder right and get to playing the way we need him playing.”

Williams is convinced the Hawks’ ability to climb the standings in spite of injuries or dips in individual production is a testament to the team-first attitude that rules the locker room.

“We did it when Josh was out, and we’re going to continue to do it all season,” Williams said. “Whenever someone is struggling or hurt, guys will be there to pick him up.”

NEXT FOR HAWKS

> vs. Magic, 7 p.m. today, SPSO; 790 AM