<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'></p> ATLANTA - The Atlanta Hawks cleared the first hurdle to ending the NBA's longest playoff drought - they're all healthy for the start of training camp Tuesday.</p> This is an improvement from last year.</p> One year ago, they were battling injury problems from the first day of camp through the last game of the season, when the Hawks missed the playoffs for the eighth straight year.</p> Point guard Speedy Claxton couldn't help but notice the team's good health as players gathered on Monday.</p> "It feels good to have everybody back and healthy," Claxton said. "Hopefully, everybody will be healthy at the end of the season and we won't have to deal with what we did last year."</p> Claxton missed 36 games after signing a four-year, $25.5 million deal. He broke his hand before training camp and then hurt his left knee only three games into the season. The knee bothered him all season.</p> Claxton had surgery to clean out the knee in June. He has full clearance for Tuesday's first practice.</div></p> The Canadian Press</p>
