INSIDE THE NBA: Smith on new path to prove himself

Hawks forward Josh Smith is ready to lead this season.

Armed with a new contract, a renewed sense of his place on his team and eager to show that last season’s playoff berth was more than just a stroke of luck, Smith is the driving force in unofficial workouts and pickup games at Philips Arena a month before training camp.

He spoke with AJC Hawks beat writer Sekou Smith after a recent workout.

Q. You recently signed a five-year, $58 million contract. Why are you in here sweating through pickup games instead of relaxing on the beach somewhere?

A. I came in [a couple of weeks back] just after I signed my contract and got one game in. This week, I’m here for good. We’ve got to start early like we started last year. We have to keep it up. We came in early last summer about this time and we ended up making the playoffs. We’ve got to do it again this year.

Q. Heading into your fifth year in the league, do you feel an increasing need to assume more of a leadership role on this team along with Joe Johnson?

A. I do. It was always about me knowing I would be here and knowing I needed to step up and be a leader. And not just me, but also Marvin Williams, Al Horford and all the other guys that have been here and know our program and what we’re about.

Q. Considering the additions and subtractions made since that Game 7 loss to Boston, is this team as good, better or worse going into training camp?

A. I think it’s a little better because the guys we added have been in the playoffs, been in situations and have been on winning teams. They’re veterans who know what it takes to win. Mo Evans played a huge role in Orlando last year. Flip Murray gives us another breakdown guard who can create off the dribble so Joe won’t have to dribble through three and four people at a time. Mo can knock down a consistent 3-point shot and gives us another offensive weapon to spread the floor. And they’re both good defenders. Randolph Morris is a big body that gives us some much needed depth inside, and I think overall these are all good additions to our team.

Q. You and Al Horford did most of your work last year within the framework of the offense as opposed to anything schemed specifically for the two of you. Are you guys yearning for more designed opportunities that cater to your abilities on the offensive end?

A. I think so. We’re both good enough post players that we can make moves and cause double teams on the block. Al showed that last year and I showed that whenever I got a chance to get the ball in the post. I think we can have an inside-out presence, even though we’re undersized, we can cause a lot of mismatches.

Q. One of the biggest knocks of your games is you take a lot of 3-pointers, a lot of ill-advised 3-pointers. … How confident are you in that part of your game now?

A. I feel comfortable. You saw me out here [today], taking and making 3-pointers and mid-range jump shots and they were going in. I feel more confident than I ever have in that part of my game. Listen, I know people are going to scrutinize my game even more now that I’ve got a new contract. They’re going to wonder if I’m all of a sudden satisfied and relaxed or am I going to keep getting better and maintain my hunger. I’m a competitor and I’m still hungry.

Q. Much was made this summer about a rumored strained relationship between you and [Hawks coach] Mike Woodson. Can you finally put that drama to rest?

A. People talk, man. They’re on the outside looking in. And we’re on the inside dealing with this. Like I said, people are going to have their opinions about me and they’re going to make their assumptions about me. And I can’t do anything about that. And I honestly don’t care to. Coach Woodson and I have a good relationship. We talked several times throughout the summer before my contract was signed. We’re good.

Q. A spin-off from those rumors about a frayed relationship with Woodson was talk of you being hard to coach and malcontent. Are you worried that those perceptions have become a reality for some people?

A. I like to win and I like to show my emotions at times, because I’m a competitor and I hate to lose. And it’s funny to me sometimes that a competitor can be miscast as someone having an attitude.

Q. Is there more pressure on this team now that you’ve made the playoffs?

A. Sure, we have something to prove. And we are a year better. But we’re one of the top 16 teams in the league and we have to show that every single night and not just every three or four nights.