Smith a slam dunk as Hawks' rookie on the rise

<p>Josh Smith is emerging as the Atlanta Hawks' rookie on the rise, but there are times his coach has to bring him back down to earth.</p><p>One such occasion brought an impromptu halt to a Hawks practice this week.</p><p>"Josh Smith, you don't take this game seriously and I'll tell you why," said Hawks coach Mike Woodson before demonstrating a lesson on defensive positioning.</p><p>The extra attention from Woodson does not mean Smith is in the coach's doghouse.</p><p>Instead, Smith is the only member of the Hawks' four-man rookie class who is currently a starter. Woodson says Smith is the first-year player who has impressed him the most.</p><p>The 6-foot-9 Smith's above-the-rim game has made him a fan favorite and exactly what the last-place Hawks most desperately need _ a selling point for ticket-buyers. It doesn't hurt that Smith, 19, is an Atlanta native who played at McEachern High School before spending his senior season at prep basketball power Oak Hill Academy in Virginia.</p><p>Smith commands attention _ from fans at games and on nightly TV highlight shows _ with his flair for powerful dunks and blocked shots.</p><p>"I'm getting a little reputation," Smith said.</p><p>Smith could expand on his national emergence if he is included in the NBA's All-Star Slam Dunk Contest, but Woodson has a defense-first philosophy and is reluctant for the rookie to place too much emphasis on the parts of the game he already has mastered.</p><p>"Here's a 19-year-old kid who's kind of happy-go-lucky, getting a little notoriety," Woodson said. "I'm not trying to bust his bubble or anything like that, because I want him to do well. If he does well, we do well. That's what it's all about. But I want him to learn this game the right way. And he's got a long way to go."</p><p>The raw skills, including Smith's leaping ability, are hard to miss.</p><p>Smith blocked 10 shots at Dallas on Dec. 18, still the high mark for the NBA this season. He became the youngest player in league history to block 10 or more shots.</p><p>Among NBA rookies, Smith ranks in the top 10 with his averages of 7.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.62 blocked shots per game.</p><p>He also ranks among the rookie leaders in highlight-worthy dunks. It's a mixed blessing, Woodson says.</p><p>"Everybody looks at the dunks," Woodson said. "He's very athletic and he's a talented kid and he does stand out when he does some of these acrobat things over the top of people. It's a beautiful thing to see.</p><p>"But there's more than just dunking the ball, and he's got to learn how to handle the ball. He's got to learn how to defend, on the ball, away from the ball. There's just a lot to this game. And I don't want him to think he's conquered it, because you never conquer this game. He's got to continue to learn and work."</p><p>The statistics indicate Smith already has disproved the NBA draft-day prediction made by ESPN analyst Jay Bilas, who said Smith was the draft pick "most likely to be a bust."</p><p>"The best I think I can do is make people bite their words," Smith said. "I'm just trying to play hard and make people regret what they said about me."</p><p>Bilas questioned Smith's work ethic, and Woodson had similar concerns when he first saw the rookie practice.</p><p>"I thought he was like dead man walking when we first got him," Woodson said, adding "Now you see him running up and down the floor."</p><p>Smith's father, Walter Smith, says his soft-spoken son was motivated by the Bilas' comments.</p><p>"Josh is low-key, but when you say negative things about him, he's going to prove you wrong the best he can," said Walter Smith, who cheers at home games from his courtside seats with his wife, Paulette.</p><p>Walter Smith said "it's a dream come true" to be able to watch his son play in the NBA in his hometown, and he said Woodson, with his emphasis on fundamentals, has been a good choice to coach the rebuilding team.</p><p>Fellow rookie Josh Childress says Smith's biggest improvements have been his decision-making and his work ethic. "That has no only elevated him but elevated our team," Childress said.</p><p>Childress, the sixth pick overall, was the Hawks' first pick in last summer's draft. Smith was taken at No. 17.</p><p>Childress and Smith have joined guards Royal Ivey and Donta Smith as the four rookies who are the foundation of the Hawks' rebuilding project. Donta Smith is the only one of the four who has not started a game.</p><p>The play of Josh Smith and Childress cut into the playing time of veteran shooting guard Jon Barry, who was traded to Houston on Dec. 23 for Tyronn Lue, who has taken over as the starting point guard.</p><p>Ultimately, Childress may be a more natural fit at shooting guard than Josh Smith, who has not made a 3-pointer this season and has the size, rebounding and shot-blocking skills to play inside.</p><p>"I've progressed well," Smith said. "I still have a long way to go but I'm still getting taught every day, learning new things."</p><p>Meanwhile, Smith can expect more personal attention from Woodson.</p><p>"I tell him it's when the coach stops talking to you that you should be worried," Woodson said. "He probably feels like I'm picking on him some. ... I feel like he has a chance to be a good player in our league, a damn good player."</p>

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