Defend-Rebound-Hustle
Since Keving Garnett has joined the Celtics they have established a reputation of defense, intensity and rebounding. From the opening tip the Hawks outhustled Boston for loose balls and were tougher when competing for rebounds. In fact, Boston set a season-low for rebounds (29) and a season-high for rebounds allowed (47).

Weathering the Storm
The cold and sloppy stretch in the second quarter could have lingered into the second half and effected the outcome of the game. Seven turnovers in the quarter, and the momentum established early was completely lost. Then, in the second half, Atlanta tightened up (only three turnovers) and the Jamal, Joe and Mike all found their rythm. The team weathered the storm and found a way to win in a hostile environment.

New Guys Step Up
Jamal Crawford had 16 of his 18 points in the second half and seemed to be able to get his pull-up jumper off anytime he wanted. Joe Smith also made big contributions scoring two big baskets and drawing an offensive foul from Sheed early in the fourth quarter.

The Hawks were more than happy with the offensive output against the Pacers on opening night. 120 points in a win looked like a game from the 1980′s. The fans certainly loved it.  The question is can the Hawks play defense earlier in tonight’s game against the Wizards, like they did at the end of the Indiana victory.

Joe Smith thinks so.  The Hawks big man says “the Wizards love to run but can execute their half court offense well. Wednesday was a high scoring game for us, but we saw what they did in Dallas the other night, we need to play 48 minutes of defense against these guys.”

Al Horford concurs. “A little bit more focus and energy defensive end is needed tonight. Washington is a really good team and we can’t wait until the fourth quarter to play d with them.”

I must admit that the style of play was exciting to watch against the Pacers, but winning games with defense is what will beat better more experienced teams. Let’s see if the D is fired up early tonight.  It should be a good one on a Friday night at the Highlight Factory. 

 Hometeam’s Keys to Victory

• Hawks want to challenge three point shots tonight
• Not give up easy put-backs for Washington’s big men
• Play team defense against Gilbert Arenas

We know frontcourt depth is a priority, and yet we also know that with Al Horford, Josh Smith, and Zaza Pachulia in the fold, there aren’t a ton of leftover minutes laying around. That being the case, I think you’d be hard-pressed to find someone willing to take on a back-up role who brings all the things to the table that Joe Smith does. Namely:

- He can shoot. Joe Smith is a reliable perimeter shooter, which is something the Hawks have been missing in the frontcourt for awhile now. That’s not meant as a slight against the returning players, but I think we can all agree that Al, Josh, and Zaza all do their best work close to the basket. Joe can do work down low as well, but I think Coach Woodson will enjoy having him at his disposal for his pick-and-pop capabilities.

- He knows his role. One thing Rick Sund talks about in discussing the success of last year was the Hawks’ roster being more accepting of their roles than in the past. With minutes scarce, you want to know that anyone you bring in isn’t going to start chafing about playing time and potentially cause chemistry issues in the locker room. Joe Smith knows that at this stage in his career he is not going to be asked to log 30+ minutes every night, and at the risk of speaking for him, I daresay I think he’s ok with that.

- He’s versatile. Hey, you can’t be a Hawk if you can’t play multiple positions, right? At 6-10, Smith is capable of filling in at both the center and power forward spots, and I imagine he’ll end up having to play some of both as the season progresses. You’d love to think that everyone on the team will be available for 82 games, but it’s unlikely. Injuries aside, Joe will fit right in with the Hawks big men and allow Coach Woodson to consider a multitude of frontcourt combinations.

- He’s a veteran. Though the Hawks have been to the postseason the past two years, they still have a bit of the reputation of youth – that is to say, their confidence seems to wax and wane at times during the season and they struggle to maintain intensity. Joe Smith has been in the league 14 years, and he’s played on some pretty good teams in that span. I feel confident that his presence in the locker room will come in handy several times over the course of the 82 games (and more?) to come.

If there is any downside to this signing, it’s that the similarity of names (Joe Johnson, Joe Smith, Josh Smith) on the Hawks roster will potentially make discussing them very confusing. I’m sure we’ll manage though – at least until this guy decides to take up hoops.

Let us know what you think about the newest member of the squad in the comments!

UPDATE: Joe Smith talks about joining the Hawks