<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ajc.com)</div><div class='quotemain'><span class="template"><div class="breadcrumb"> ajc.com > Sports > Hawks </div> <p class="labelhead">INSIDE THE NBA</p> <span class="headline">Working summer for Hawks' Smith</span> <span class="byline">By SEKOU SMITH</span><span class="source">The Atlanta Journal-Constitution</span> <span class="date">Published on: 08/12/07</span> <span class="body"> Fourth-year Hawks forward Josh Smith has spent all but one of his 21 years living in his beloved Atlanta.</p><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" width="175" align="left"><tbody><tr><td><div align="center"></div><div class="photocredit">Mikki K. Harris/AJC</div><div align="center">(ENLARGE)</div></td></tr><tr><td class="caption">Hawks forward Josh Smith got away from Atlanta this offseason to work on specific parts of his game in Houston. </td></tr><tr><td><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="1" width="170" bgcolor="#cccccc"><tbody><tr><td><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="9" width="168" bgcolor="#ffffff"><tbody><tr><td class="body"> <span class="cxnhdln"><span class="cxnlistheader">RELATED STORIES</span> <ul>[*] Working summer for Hawks' Smith [*] Oden, Portland in Hawks preseason plans [*] Young NBA players chosen to help U.S. national team[/list] </span> <span class="cxnmore">More Hawks coverage</span> </td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table> But as the Hawks' 2006-07 season wound down Smith realized that he needed a break. He needed somewhere else to regroup, recover and regenerate himself in time for the start of training camp Oct. 2.</p> So he bolted for Houston, where one of his agents, Brian Dyke, lives and helped him set up an offseason program.</p> Private workouts with a Hall of Famer, Calvin Murphy, and another sure-fire Hall of Famer, Hakeem Olajuwon, are just a part of what Smith's been up to since you saw him last.</p> Smith spoke with AJC Hawks beat writer Sekou Smith about his summer and several other matters as his summer winds down.</p> Q. Why Houston and not some other place? Los Angeles and Las Vegas seem to the new hot spots for NBA guys in the offseason.</p> A. I just wanted to get away and try something new, something that worked for me. For three years I've been working out in Atlanta in the offseason, and I just wanted to get away from Atlanta and [get] my focus right. Being here [in Houston] gives me a chance to try my best to stay focused on myself and be consistent. It's actually good for me. I don't know a lot of people out here and I can get around and do my own things and concentrate on my business.</p> Q. Was there something specific, in the way of a distraction, which made you try a new wrinkle this summer, or was it simply time for a change?</p> A. It's just something different, you know. But I like it. My dad has come out here and been here for a week at a time, just see how I'm doing, work out with me a little bit and even cook a little. But like I said, it was too many distractions in Atlanta. I wanted to get away and try and focus and be more ready for this upcoming season. One of my main things is I want to be more consistent.</p> Q. In what areas?</p> A. I wanted to be more consistent on my jump shot and my handle, and pretty much everything. Off the dribble stuff. Coming off screens. All the different things I'm going to be faced with during the season are things I wanted to work on, and I need to be ready.</p> Q. Did you devise a specific workout plan or talk to somebody that tried this isolated approach and decide to go with it or did you come up with this approach on your own?</p> A. I talked to different veterans and other guys throughout the whole season to get some ideas about when I should start back working out. You don't want to start working out too early or too late because you don't want to come back to training camp out of shape. You want to be ready to go when camp starts. And for the most part I've been working out by myself. Jamon Gordon and Eddie Griffin have been workout partners at times, but for the most part it's been just me. And that's the way I wanted it. I just wanted to get that individual attention and get my game better and be able to critique everything I do so I could try my best to perfect my game.</p> Q. So how did Calvin Murphy and Hakeem Olajuwon get involved?</p> A. Brian has known Hakeem for a while, and he just asked him if he could work me out. Brian already had a relationship with Calvin Murphy, so that's how that happened as well. I'll be honest, I really didn't know that much about Calvin Murphy before I got here. I mean, I knew he was a Hall of Famer and everything. I'll tell you what, he can still shoot the ball. And Hakeem, he's still light on his feet. He could still play some if he wanted to. The thing I like about both of those guys is that they're so humble. After all they've accomplished, they're just humble, down-to-earth guys.</p> Q. What specifically have you learned from them that you'll be able to use right now?</p> A. I'd be a fool to tell you all that [laughing]. They didn't teach me so I could tell everybody else about it. And if you want to know what I learned from [Olajuwon] just watch me play. But in general, [Murphy] just told me to take the stuff that I'm learning and put it to use in the game. He told me to be confident, that you can't ever back down. And you can't let yourself get down during those stretches when you're not playing well. One of the main things [Murphy] said was don't change your stroke, even if you're going through a tough shooting stretch. Don't change your shot ever. When you hear that from a Hall of Famer, it hits home.</p> Q. Should people expect to see a totally different Josh Smith than the one they've known?</p> A. I think that people are going to be surprised at how well my body and my game will look when I first come in. I wanted to stay at a certain size, a weight I was comfortable with. And I'm feeling more comfortable with my game offensively and defensively, than I ever have before. I'm at 235 [pounds] right now and I was like 245 or 240 part of last year and then I went down to 235. But I think that's all a part of your confidence. And when you have that in this game, I think the sky is the limit for you.</p> Q. With all the movement that's gone on in the Eastern Conference since the draft, do you think the roster you have right now is capable of making the top eight and fighting for a playoff berth?</p> A. I think if we come together and everybody knows what their role is and they abide by their roles we'll be there. If we do that and play together and play hard every night, I think we can slide in there and make the playoffs. But we have to be a team, a brotherhood. We have to all be joined together to do what we're trying to do.</p> Q. You've had your issues with [Hawks coach] Mike Woodson in the past. Have all those things been cleared up and are you certain that your working relationship is in good order for the start of the season?</p> A. I think it's fine. Woody and I are fine. I'm coming into training camp not worried about anything. I know I'm going to be more focused. Woody and I have talked through all our differences, and it just won't be an issue for the upcoming season. But I want to win so bad that I won't let anything stand in the way of that. Nothing gets in the way of winning.</p> </span></span> <div id="informRelatedLink"> <div> <span class="inform_label">More on ajc.com</span> <ul><li class="inform_list">Hawks start season at home vs. Mavs<li class="inform_list">Checking in<li class="inform_list">Oden, Portland in Hawks preseason plans<li class="inform_list">Penny and Shaq reunite[/list] </div></div><div id="informRelatedLink"></div></div><div id="informRelatedLink"> </div>
I can't wait to see Josh Smith play again! </p> It's so exciting becuase he always blocks shots and dunks. On e of the most exciting player to watch. IMO</p>
