ESPN.com - Hawks have talent, now need chemistry

ESPN.com: NBA Training Camp 2002

Monday, September 30, 2002
Hawks have talent, now need chemistry

By Jeffrey Denberg
Special to ESPN.com

	HAWKS TRAINING CAMP GUIDE
	Location Oct. 1, 5-7: Philips Arena, Atlanta Ga. Oct. 2-4: University of South Carolina; Columbia, S.C. Preseason schedule (all times ET) Oct. 8: Orlando, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 10: at Orlando, 7 p.m. Oct. 12: at Indiana, 9 p.m. Oct. 17: Miami, 8:30 p.m. Oct. 19: Indiana, 8:30 p.m. Oct. 22: at New Orleans, 9 p.m. Oct. 25: New Orleans, 7:30 p.m. Team roster \| Depth chart \| Offseason moves

Camp question
The Hawks have been a work in progress since they were blitzed by the Knicks in the second round of the 1999 playoffs. Their 33 victories last season were the most in two previous seasons under Lon Kruger and the final year of Lenny Wilkens' tenure. Now there's enough talent to create some intriguing possibilities. The question is whether Kruger can pull it all together in 30 days with three new faces and six more who are coming off serious injury. The betting locally is that the Hawks have finally become a healthy team and they now have the mix of offense and defense to become a factor in the East playoff race. In fact, Kruger guarantees a postseason berth. But they have to play the games, right?

Camp project
The Hawks must refine their backcourt rotation, and that means effectively replacing promising youngster DerMarr Johnson who suffered four broken cervical vertebrae in a one-car accident in September. Although Johnson should be able to resume his career in a year, the Hawks need to find out whether defensive whiz Ira Newble will be an effective replacement for the long haul. Newbill started 37 games last season, averaging eight points as a mid-season signee. The alternatives? Dion Glover, who has a history of fractures in his feet and has shown no defensive will, and Jason Terry as a part-time answer. But the Hawks are committed to Terry as their point guard, although he remains a work in progress.

FANTASY GAMES KEY CAMPER

Who to watch: Is he a point guard or a shooting guard? Fantasy owners need to know what Jason Terry is, and the answer should come in training camp. When it comes to assists, Terry has never delivered, so from a fantasy sense he's considered a two-guard. However, with Big Dog giving him a major finisher to pass to, Terry could dish six assists a game and be more a fantasy factor. Or he could play next to Dan Dickau.
— Eric Karabell

Camp comeback
Theo Ratliff has been a Hawk for a season and a half. He was the key figure for them in the Dikembe Mutombo trade in February 2001, but he has appeared in just three games. That explains the Hawks' miseries of last season. Ratliff has recovered from surgery to repair a torn hip socket and has gone through an extensive rehab program to reconfigure the tilt of his pelvis, which therapists insist contributed directly to his frequent injuries. Keep in mind, Ratliff has played only 110 games in three years, a broken scaphoid bone in his right wrist contributing to his previous absences and leading to the Sixers trade. If Ratliff returns as the mobile, lively defender of two years ago, the Hawks can be very good.

Camp controversy
The pecking order is in place on this team. The question is whether some of the key ingredients can produce the desired results. Foremost is Terry, who became the only answer at point guard last season when veteran Emanual Davis suffered a broken hand on Jan. 11 to end his season. Terry has always carried the reputation of "shooting point," but that won't do on a team that has 20-point scoring forwards in Shareef Abdur-Rahim and newly acquired Glenn Robinson. Last season, the Hawks expected Toni Kukoc to deliver the ball, but Kukoc was injured much of the time and shipped to Milwaukee in the Robinson trade. It's up to Terry to be more diligent because his 5.6 points assists a game (he averaged 19.3 points) won't get it done for a team that wants to make a serious run.

Jeffrey Denberg, who covers the NBA for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, is a regular contributor to ESPN.com.