Q&A with Hawks coach Larry Drew

Larry Drew, who was introduced Monday as the Hawks' newest head coach, took some time after the introduction to answer some questions.

Drew, a former NBA player and a veteran assistant coach, spoke of his philosophies about offense and defense, impending free agent Joe Johnson and the label "players coach."

Q. Players say you were a “players coach” as an assistant. Do you think that can continue now that you are in charge?

A. I think so. I just know playing as long as I played, and all the things I've gone through as a player and as a coach, I know how it is in those dog days, when you go through stretches where you feel like you can't win a game. You go through stretches of tough love on the road. I think there is a certain mentality that a player has during that time, and as a coach you've got to know how to pull it out of them at that point. Having gone through it, I think I have something to give in that situation.

Q. You say you had an open line of communication as an assistant coach. Will you be able to maintain that as the head coach?

A. I think so. Any time you have a good, working relationship with your players, I think it is something special. I am a guy who, in my experience and seeing how different coaches and different players [interact], a player when he is respected, he will play for you. Not to say our players haven't been [respected], but that's something I am a big stickler about. I really believe that if you have to be forceful to a guy, there is a way to do it without embarrassing him or putting him in a bad situation.

In all my years here, all my relationships with the players have been pretty special. It is not a thing where I am trying to do anything different. I just know how to treat people and what I've done over the years even before I got to Atlanta, it's worked. And I will continue that.

Q. Have you reached out to Joe Johnson [who is an impending free agent]?

A. Not after I got the job. I left him a message [over the weekend]. I know he has been all over the country. I respect the position he is in. I know he is [swamped] with a lot of phone calls. When he can get back to me, he will. I left him a voice mail after I got the job. I spoke to him prior to getting the job. We did had a phone conversation and it was positive.

Q. So he sounded like he would be happy if you got the job?

A. He sounded very, very supportive. He had some nice and kind things to say.

Q. Have you talked to Joe about your philosophy on getting the ball out of his hands and moving it around and, if so, what was his reaction?

A. I did not. It was too early in the process. I was mainly just trying to get my foot in the door, to be a candidate. I expressed to him I was going to push forward and try to get this position, which he said: ‘You should. You are ready for it.'

Q. Do you think he will OK with the idea of not having the ball as much?

A. I think he will. I do know Joe has played against some of this offense before, and he's not crazy about playing against it. It's constant movement. It forces you to defend multiple offensive situations within a possession. And now he is going to be on the other end of that, where people have to defend him now. I think he is going to be excited about that.

Q. Are there any teams or coaches that run an offense similar to the one you plan to implement?

A. No. This is going to be unique.

Q. Can you be more specific about what the offense will look like?

A. What it does, it forces the ball to move. That is probably the best way to explain it. Yes, teams will try to lock into it, but there are reads to it. There are triggers to it. It forces the ball to move, it forces the body to move. Now we become more effective. We become a five-man attack team. It puts all five guys in position to attack and to score.

Q. There were times when Mike Woodson wanted more ball movement, but for whatever reason it didn't get executed consistently on the floor. Will it be a challenge for you to get the players to move the ball?

A. It will always be a challenge. We have run a little variations of it, and our players love it. I don't anticipate it being a problem putting in more.

Q. During the playoffs, Al Horford mentioned that he didn't feel like guys were pushing themselves hard enough as far as defensive effort. Is that what you mean when you say you have methods for “getting them over the hump”?