Hawks trio shapes up mentally, physically

[DrReality]

Hawks trio shapes up mentally, physically

Mo Evans, Marvin Williams, Josh Smith spend summer toning up, psyching up for 2009 By SEKOU SMITH

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Mo Evans reshaped his body. Marvin Williams healed his. And Josh Smith lost a little bit of his.

.With five months between the end of last season and the start of a new one (training camp opens Sept. 29), there was plenty of time to dig into a summer project.

For those Hawks, that included physical and mental work. A closer look, in their own words, at what they worked on:

Mo Evans

The veteran shooting guard said he weighs 225 pounds but looks noticeably bigger in his upper body.

“I wanted to spend my time strengthening my core, so I could prevent injuries and stay healthy. I haven’t had a history of injuries in my career, knock on wood, but I just felt like that was a great place to start for this season.

“I lifted a lot of weights to build up my endurance so I can be a lot more physical when I’m guarding guys like Dwyane Wade and Kobe Bryant. Those guys don’t like to be touched. They’ll see the difference and notice it when we’re out there on the floor and they can’t get their way physically.

“I didn’t gain any weight. I basically just hardened up. I made myself more solid, so this year I won’t go into camp at 225 and finish camp at 215. I worked every day so I can maintain a solid 220 with all the running I’ll have to do. And I did it all summer and kept a meticulous check, and I’ve been steady at 220 to 225. It’s about maintaining this now.”

Josh Smith

Smith was 245 pounds of solid muscle early in the summer but has shed weight since then, mostly by accident, but his summer work was as much philosophical as it was physical.

“I wasn’t trying to lose it. I didn’t do it on purpose. But earlier in the summer I started working out twice a day and the weight just came off. I’m down to 230 now, and I really need to put five more pounds of muscle back on.

“I wanted to work more on my decision-making than anything. I handle the ball so much on the fast break and in transition that I wanted to make sure I’m thinking the game the way I need to be. I also worked on my handles and knocking down that mid-range jumper. I’m really not worried about the 3-point ball right now. We have so many guys on this team that can make that shot.

“I don’t have any business being out there this season with Joe Johnson, Mike Bibby, Jamal Crawford, Marvin, Mo and [Jeff] Teague all doing work out there. I have to focus on working in the cracks and making sure that people respect my mid-range game. And if they don’t, we have to make them pay for not respecting it.”

Marvin Williams

In an effort to avoid the injuries that plagued him last season, Williams said his summer was spent healing and refurbishing skills he worked on last year.

“The biggest thing for me was getting healthy. I had to heal up. I had to let my wrist heal, my back heal. Of course, I went to work on all my skills, handling the ball and my shooting, but the biggest thing for me was getting my body back healthy.

“I was up at 8 every morning and in the gym by 9. I was running hills and pulling the sled, working on my explosiveness and endurance both. Then it was on the weights after that until 11:30. You’re working every day to get faster and stronger.

“After lunch I’m on the floor getting up shots for a good hour and then playing for a couple hours. You have to grind like that all summer. You have to do it. You’d be foolish to come into camp out of shape. And that’s anybody’s camp.

Edited September 13, 2009 by DrReality

[MaceCase]

I have to focus on working in the cracks and making sure that people respect my mid-range game. And if they don’t, we have to make them pay for not respecting it.”

I trully hope he's more focused on the cracks rather than the midrange, he was actually worse shooting from there than he was from 3. Although it would be fantastic for Josh to have a reliable midrange shot I'm a bit skeptical about the whole development. Of course him losing 15 pounds could also mean that he will be even more reluctant to go inside meaning, like it or not, we will be seeing plenty of him hoisting up midrange shots this season. Baby steps I guess........

I'm interested to see Mo come in, he probably looks like Cory Maggette. Hopefully he can score and rebound like him too......but with his own defense though!

[Uuus]

Hawks trio shapes up mentally, physically

Mo Evans, Marvin Williams, Josh Smith spend summer toning up, psyching up for 2009 By SEKOU SMITH

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Mo Evans reshaped his body. Marvin Williams healed his. And Josh Smith lost a little bit of his.

.With five months between the end of last season and the start of a new one (training camp opens Sept. 29), there was plenty of time to dig into a summer project.

For those Hawks, that included physical and mental work. A closer look, in their own words, at what they worked on:

Mo Evans

The veteran shooting guard said he weighs 225 pounds but looks noticeably bigger in his upper body.

“I wanted to spend my time strengthening my core, so I could prevent injuries and stay healthy. I haven’t had a history of injuries in my career, knock on wood, but I just felt like that was a great place to start for this season.

“I lifted a lot of weights to build up my endurance so I can be a lot more physical when I’m guarding guys like Dwyane Wade and Kobe Bryant. Those guys don’t like to be touched. They’ll see the difference and notice it when we’re out there on the floor and they can’t get their way physically.

“I didn’t gain any weight. I basically just hardened up. I made myself more solid, so this year I won’t go into camp at 225 and finish camp at 215. I worked every day so I can maintain a solid 220 with all the running I’ll have to do. And I did it all summer and kept a meticulous check, and I’ve been steady at 220 to 225. It’s about maintaining this now.”

Josh Smith

Smith was 245 pounds of solid muscle early in the summer but has shed weight since then, mostly by accident, but his summer work was as much philosophical as it was physical.

“I wasn’t trying to lose it. I didn’t do it on purpose. But earlier in the summer I started working out twice a day and the weight just came off. I’m down to 230 now, and I really need to put five more pounds of muscle back on.

“I wanted to work more on my decision-making than anything. I handle the ball so much on the fast break and in transition that I wanted to make sure I’m thinking the game the way I need to be. I also worked on my handles and knocking down that mid-range jumper. I’m really not worried about the 3-point ball right now. We have so many guys on this team that can make that shot.

“I don’t have any business being out there this season with Joe Johnson, Mike Bibby, Jamal Crawford, Marvin, Mo and [Jeff] Teague all doing work out there. I have to focus on working in the cracks and making sure that people respect my mid-range game. And if they don’t, we have to make them pay for not respecting it.”

Marvin Williams

In an effort to avoid the injuries that plagued him last season, Williams said his summer was spent healing and refurbishing skills he worked on last year.

“The biggest thing for me was getting healthy. I had to heal up. I had to let my wrist heal, my back heal. Of course, I went to work on all my skills, handling the ball and my shooting, but the biggest thing for me was getting my body back healthy.

“I was up at 8 every morning and in the gym by 9. I was running hills and pulling the sled, working on my explosiveness and endurance both. Then it was on the weights after that until 11:30. You’re working every day to get faster and stronger.

“After lunch I’m on the floor getting up shots for a good hour and then playing for a couple hours. You have to grind like that all summer. You have to do it. You’d be foolish to come into camp out of shape. And that’s anybody’s camp.

A lot of people around here clown Marvin Williams and his love/dedication for the game of basketball. They bring up him playing video games or watching SpongeBob instead of working on his game. The 2 lines above don't sound like they're coming from a guy who isn't serious about improving his game.

Here's another quote from him that was in the AJC the other day:

"Plus, I feel like basketball players are made in the summer time. That’s when people are relaxing and doing whatever. The guys that put in the work in the summer time, that’s when it really shows in the season. Because the truth is you don’t really have time to work on your individual game as much as you’d like to during the season."

That sounds a lot like the mentality of another UNC alum, one who was just inaugurated into the Hall of Fame this weekend. I'm not saying Marvin is anywhere near MJ's level or anything, but he's not a passionless, immature child or anything either, like many Marvin haters on this board make him out to be. He's a professional who's improved his game every year and I'm really glad we were able to resign him. I'm anxious to see what he's added to his skill repertoire this summer.

[DrReality]

If he is not injured . . . . . I think MW has a big year.

[lethalweapon3]

So MoDiesel's our designated KobeStopper, eh? M'kay. He can foul 'em 5 pounds harder on their way past him to the hoop, I suppose...

For all of Josh's SMH-provoking actions on-the-court, his off-court media comments are almost always a joy. Says all the good things season-ticket buyers want to hear from him. Could this be the season where the Smoove-talker's actions finally begin speaking louder than his words?

~lw3

[Admin]

Great to hear about Mo and about Marvin although I wish that we'd hear about Marvin working on his core like Mo did.

Smoove unintentionally losing 15 lbs? How does a man making millions not have a personal trainer/nutritionist to prevent things like that? Definitely glad to hear that he's looking to work the mid-range game though.

[ATLNY7]

Good to hear hawks players improving their game.