QandA with DeShawn Stevenson

[macdaddy]

http://blogs.ajc.com/hawks/2012/10/04/atlanta-hawks-q-and-a-with-deshawn-stevenson/?cxntfid=blogs_hawks

Good stuff here. I've always like the guy. "I play better on playoff teams". What a hilarious quote. Unless he's lost a step i wouldn't be surprised if we see a lot of teague/stevenson/josh/al/zaza lineups.

Vivlamore reporting before Thursday’s practice.

Here is a brief interview I did with veteran guard DeShawn Stevenson who came over from the Nets in the Joe Johnson trade. He was part of the Mavericks’ NBA championship team in 2011.

Q. What were your thoughts about being traded to the Hawks?

A. I thought it was a good situation. I play better on playoff teams. I think this is a great playoff-caliber team. We’ve got great pieces. Me coming here, I was very excited. I think we have a lot of talent on this team and can do something good.

Q. When the trade happened, did you immediately start breaking down the roster to see where you would fit in?

A. Not really because I’m a veteran. It’s 82 games. You can be hot, you cannot be hot and at the end of the season be hot again. It’s all about being physically and mentally ready. I know this team. I’ve been in the league for 13 years. It’s always been a talented team and they need guy to go out there and be a defensive presence.

Q. A defensive stopper, is that what they told you your role would be?

A. I think that is my role. That’s why I’ve been in the league so long. I’ve always been blessed to know my role and go out there and do the things I do. Everybody knows, defense is one of those things.

Q. Coach Drew has expressed that as much as this will be an up-tempo team, you’ll need to defend as a unit. I assume you agree with that?

A. We are going to have to, especially in the East with LeBron, D-Wade, Paul Pierce, Mello, all those guys. The East is pretty stacked. For us to go out there we always have to stop somebody.

Q. You’ll have to defend some of those bigger guys. How to you attack that?

A. I think I did that in Dallas. Me and Shawn Marion would switch up. Sometimes it was Shawn Marion guarding the big guys, sometimes it was me. I was blessed over there where [Mavs coach] Rick Carlisle put me in that situation. I just go out there and do the things I know I can do.

Q. What are your impressions of how far this team can go this season?

A. It’s too early but I think we are going to make a lot of people surprised. We’ve got a lot of key guys, a lot of shooters, lock-up defenders. Josh [smith] and I can switch out. We’ve got a lot of pieces. We’ve got to see if we can play with each other though.

Q. Have you ever been on a team with this many shooters?

A. Dallas.