Stoudamire adjusts attitude Reflection brings him different approach By ANDRE' L. SHANNON The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published on: 07/14/06 Some people take losses hard. Salim Stoudamire takes them a little further. "Honestly, there were days when I wanted to come up in here and fight somebody because we were losing so much," Stoudamire said. "That's just me being competitive and wanting to win." It didn't help that the Hawks only won 26 games during his rookie season. Now, in the summer after his first professional season, the 23-year-old says he has changed. "I realized my demeanor did affect the players around me," Stoudamire said. "If I'm positive, it's going to wear off on other people, and if I'm looking like I'm not then they're going to get a sense that I'm not happy. I sat back this summer and thought about that, and now I have a different approach." Stoudamire got the reputation as a player with an attitude while at Arizona. During his senior season, he was suspended by coach Lute Olson for behavior that disrupted the team. It was that attitude, coupled with his size (6-feet-1), which might have caused his stock to drop in the 2005 draft. That didn't bother the Hawks though. They took him with the 31st pick. "We tried to trade up to get him," Hawks general manager, Billy Knight said after the draft. "We really feel he was the best shooter in college basketball. Anywhere on the floor he's a threat, and he'll bring that element to our team. He hit so many game-winning shots for his college team, so we know he'll take those shots." It didn't exactly play out that way. Coach Mike Woodson wanted Stoudamire to be more versatile and play both guard positions. A role he wasn't used to. "When we drafted him, we knew he could put the ball in the hole, but he has to learn to play the one [point guard]," Woodson said. " This summer he's got to go out and try to convert to a one and still be able to make shots." The change in position wasn't the only problem Stoudamire faced. His relationship with Woodson also was an issue. "We had our little ups and downs. I think all teams do," Woodson said. "I don't air our in-house things in the paper. I think Salim knows exactly what I'm about, and I know what he's about. He's a very competitive kid that wants to play and win, and I'm a very competitive coach that wants to coach and win. I have no problems with Salim." Stoudamire served a two-game suspension last year for reasons not disclosed by the team. Reports said it was due to a near-physical confrontation Stoudamire and Woodson had after a game against Seattle. Both denied that. Marvin Williams, the player the Hawks drafted before Stoudamire, said Stoudamire's attitude is mostly misunderstood. "He's competitive and sometimes he gets down on himself and really hard on himself, and people perceive that as him having a bad attitude," Williams said. "He's not that kind of person at all." Stoudamire averaged 20.3 minutes and 9.7 points per game last season. A right elbow injury ended his season after 61 games. However the injury wasn't all bad, he said. "I'm about 95 percent right now," Stoudamire said. "I can bend it all the way, but straightening it is something I have to work on. The injury did give me a chance to analyze the team to see where I could fit in and what I could bring to the table." 資料來源 http://www.ajc.com/hawks/content/sports/hawks/stories/0714hawks.html --

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