Hawks players gathered early in preparation for camp
September was a busy month at the Hawks practice facility.
Fourteen players under contract arrived in Atlanta to work out together a full month before the start of training camp. Only Thabo Sefolosha, who experienced visa problems, was not in attendance. The native of Switzerland, a free agent signee, said he would have been there if not for the travel difficulty.
It was time well spent, giving players and coaches a leg up on the upcoming season in building chemistry.
“I’m really, really excited and proud of our group that they would all make that commitment to our group and that commitment to preparing for camp,” coach Mike Budenholzer said. “ … It’s probably more and more players, and to a certain degree more and more teams, are creating that kind of environment where players can prepare and come to the first day of camp in better shape and better basketball condition. It was a really strong statement by our group for everybody to be there and to be working like they were in September.”
Pero Antic, who spent the summer in his native Macedonia, Greece and France, made it a point to return to the United States.
“Everybody wanted to get better,” Antic said. “We all felt how close we were to getting past the first round (of the playoffs). Everybody still had that fire in them. It was a big, competitive September, believe me.”
About the Author
Chris Vivlamore is the sports editor at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He has served as reporter and editor at the AJC since 2003.
