Hawks' hope ‘Nash rule' can slow Suns

By Ken Sugiura

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Hawks have a plan for defending Phoenix guard Steve Nash in Friday's Hawks-Suns game at Philips Arena.

Whether it works is another matter. Two or three years ago, coach Mike Woodson developed what the team calls "the Nash rule" to dictate how it would defend the two-time MVP on the pick-and-roll.

"He dissected people off the pick-and-roll," Woodson said Thursday. "Nobody knew how to play him, and people still don't know how to play him. We struggle to play him because he's so good at it."

Woodson wouldn't divulge the specifics of it, but said that the team now uses the Nash rule against "anybody that's a pick-and-roll player." It hasn't worked so well against Nash. In five games against the Hawks in the past three seasons, Nash has averaged 19.0 points and 10.6 assists, and Phoenix has gone 4-1 in those games. He also has averaged 4.4 turnovers, a little less than a turnover more than his overall average for the past three seasons.

The strategy appears to be more effective against some of Nash's point-guard colleagues. In five games this season involving Utah's Deron Williams, Boston's Rajon Rondo and Dallas' Jason Kidd -- the Nos. 3, 4 and 5 assist men in the NBA entering Thursday's games -- the Hawks have held them to an average of 9.2 points and 7.2 assists and gone 5-0.

Allen shares knowledge

Rookie guard Jeff Teague got a pep talk earlier this week from Boston guard Ray Allen. Before the Hawks played the Celtics in Boston on Monday, Hawks assistant coach Jim Todd introduced Allen to Teague. When Allen broke into the league with Milwaukee in 1996, among the Bucks' assistant coaches were Woodson and Todd.

Allen told Teague how much Woodson and Todd pushed him as a rookie and how he was still benefiting from that.

"Coming from an All-Star, Ray Allen, I really value that," Teague said. "He said he's been through everything I did."

Go West

Woodson was pleased with Mario West's play in his first game, a win over Washington on Wednesday. In 12 minutes, West scored five points and grabbed five rebounds. He was signed Tuesday to a 10-day contract.

"He looked great, like he never missed a beat," he said. "I know what I'm getting from him. That's why I'm not afraid to put him in the game."

Etc.

For the second consecutive day, swingman Mo Evans and forward Zaza Pachulia were not with the team Thursday. Evans' wife, Alexandra, gave birth to the couple's first child Wednesday, Reese Elizabeth. Pachulia was out with flu-like symptoms.