More depth means more decisions By SEKOU SMITH The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published on: 10/11/06 Memphis — Who to start? Who to play? Those are questions Hawks coach Mike Woodson didn't always have the luxury of answering last season. Not with his paper-thin depth at certain positions and the Hawks' health always the foremost concern for a coaching staff managing the NBA's youngest and perhaps most incomplete roster. Heading into tonight's exhibition opener against Memphis at FedEX Forum, those same questions are the ones Woodson and his staff must answer. This being the exhibition season, their answers could be temporary in some cases. Tyronn Lue will start at point guard in place of Speedy Claxton, who remains sidelined with a fractured bone in his non-shooting hand. Lue will slide back into his more comfortable backup role when Claxton is healthy. Other positions, though, will require a bit more deliberation. Will it be Josh Smith or Shelden Williams at power forward? Smith or Marvin Williams at small forward? "As a staff we have to sit down and really figure this out," Woodson said after a practice earlier this week. "I think all these young guys are on target. This is the two Joshes' [Smith and Childress] third year and Marvin and Salim [Stoudamire's] second year, and they've all made major strides in terms of their games and how they approach the game now. Their attention spans and mental approach to the game is so much better than it was last year and when we first got them. Really, it's like night and day with these guys." Still, it's tough to make such crucial decisions with just over a week of training camp to evaluate the performances of the players involved. Both Smith, a starter last season, and Marvin Williams have made cases for starting spots with stellar efforts in drills and scrimmages. But Shelden Williams also has made an impression on the coaching staff with his knack for being in the right place at the right time on defense and his willingness to tackle the competition inside, where the Hawks are in need of the most significant help. Whatever decisions are made, there is a distinct possibility that a top-five draft pick could be coming off the bench for the second consecutive season — Marvin Williams played as a reserve last season as a 19 year-old rookie. "I don't think anybody cares where you were drafted," said Williams, who hasn't been a full-time starter since his senior year at Washington's Bremerton High. "I learned that last year. You really do have to go out there and earn your way. I went into the summer with not only the goals coach and I talked about but also my own set of goals for what I wanted to accomplish in my second year. So I've definitely approached things more focused." The collective focus, Woodson said, is the biggest change from last year to now. Whoever can maintain that focus and translate it into production on the floor during the eight-game exhibition schedule will also have the best shot at retaining a starting job when the regular season begins Nov. 1. "Only time will tell," Woodson said. "We've got to get them on the floor playing games, see how they respond to live action, and then see where they stand." THREE ON TWO The Hawks have to decide between three players for two forward positions before tonight's exhibition against Memphis. A look at the players involved and the case for and against each: JOSH SMITH, 6-9, 240, Third season ‧ The case for: Smith has started 132 of the 154 games he played the past two seasons, making him easily the most experienced option at either spot. ‧ The case against: There isn't a sound one. The only knock that can be made is that Smith isn't a "natural" power forward. SHELDEN WILLIAMS, 6-9, 250, Rookie ‧ The case for: The only natural power forward of the bunch, Williams knows his assignments and would run through a brick wall to execute them. ‧ The case against: As beneficial as he would be on defense, he could be liability on offense. Plus, he still has to prove himself in the NBA. MARVIN WILLIAMS, 6-9, 230, Second season ‧ The case for: Williams made his case the old fashioned way ... he earned it. No player on the roster has made a bigger leap from last year to now. ‧ The case against: Williams hasn't been a full-time starter since his senior year of high school, making his transition even tougher. 资料来源 http://0rz.tw/491Zj --

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