Siler hanging on in Hawks' training camp

[DrReality]

Siler hanging on in Hawks' training campBy Sekou Smith

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Garret Siler's heart dropped when he saw Hawks team assistant Michael John Garrett walk from one side of the locker room to the other and tap two players on the shoulder.

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Was his time up?

It turns out that Siler wasn't one of the players on his way out of the Hawks' training camp that day. Frank Robinson and Aaron Miles were the first players cut. Three weeks into training camp Siler is still here, grinding his way through every single day and still hopeful that he'll make the Hawks' roster the hard way, as an undrafted rookie free agent.

For a moment, though, albeit a brief moment, the 7-foot rookie center from Augusta State thought his dream of making it was over.

"Mike was like the grim reaper that day," Siler said. "It was real scary. You knew that day if he tapped you, and you had to go back and talk to [Hawks general manager] Rick Sund, it wasn't going to be a good thing. Once that moment passed, I realized that I'm here for a reason and I just have to do work."

A recent groin injury slowed Siler a little, but otherwise "work" is exactly what he has done in camp. He has used every ounce of his massive frame (he's officially listed at a generous 305 pounds in the Hawks' preseason media guide) to make his presence felt around the basket. He has also made an impression on Hawks coach Mike Woodson, who understands that players Siler's size don't come along every day.

"I just think the fact that he's such a big body, it makes him intriguing, especially when you consider he hasn't been playing basketball that long," Woodson said. "I know as coaches, we always feel like we can take a player like that and help mold him into a more finished product as a player. He's one of those projects that if you work with him for a few years, you feel like you can really make him into something."

Whether Siler has done enough to make a case for a spot on the regular-season roster remains to be seen. He's still a long shot, but he has at least a little more time to turn heads, Woodson said, because there won't be any more cuts until after Monday's game against Washington.

"All I can do is keep working," Siler said. "I'm doing any and everything I can."

Mo and the minutes

Talk about making the most of every minute.

Hawks swingman Mo Evans did exactly that in his preseason debut in Wednesday's win in Memphis. Evans led the Hawks with 27 points in 26 minutes off the bench, shaking off the rust to shock the Grizzlies while also reminding his teammates and coaches that he's capable of such feats on any given night.

"Coach said he wanted to see what my conditioning was like. And I think I passed the test," Evans said with a smile. "Seriously, I was lucky to get into a good rhythm, and Coach let me play a little bit, and it just kind of took off the from there."

That Evans could come off the bench cold like that and turn in that kind of effort on offense speaks volumes about the Hawks' improved depth.

"I think that's what people underestimate most about our team and ultimately about me," Evans said. "I can come out and score the ball and be effective on the court. Everywhere I've gone I've been the backup or starter at shooting guard or small forward, where you obviously have to be capable offensively.

"Last year [Flip Murray's] offensive game really overshadowed mine because we put him in a lot of those [isolation] situations. And we'll probably put Jamal [Crawford] in more of those situations this year, so there are going to a lot of nights when I don't get to showcase that part of my game. But I still have to be ready if my number is called."

Play time is over

With only three exhibition games remaining, Woodson said the time for play time is over. Starting with Monday's home game against Washington, he said he'll extend his starter's minutes from 20 to as many as 27 to help iron out the rotation.

"It's time to buckle down a little bit and get really serious about what we're doing," Woodson said. "We don't have any time to waste."

[DrReality]

Makes me feel hopeful about him but the odds still seem kind of slim.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Other than being a big body, he really hasn't done anything to justify him making the team, judging by his play in preseason.