I’m excited to post an exclusive interview with Josh Smith that Alex Labidou was able to do for the inaugural Hoops Addict magazine. In this interview Smith talks about his expectations for the Hawks this season and explains the now infamous “tape dunk” from the All-Star game last year. This interview and screen shot while provide you with a glimpse into what the magazine will look like. I feel like I’ve been hyping up the magazine for months and I wanted to give all the readers of this site a chance to see what all the fuss is about.

Make sure you check back here on October 30th to download the entire magazine for free as a PDF file.

Josh Smith: Soaring To New Heights
By Alex Labidou

Even though his potential might be as boundless as his vertical leap, Josh Smith wants to show everyone that he is more than just a high flying shot blocking dunk machine. This year Smith is on a mission to prove to the NBA and its fans that he and his Atlanta Hawks are a lot more talented than most observers predict them to be.A notorious slow starter, during the final weeks of the 2005-2006 season the 6’9 240 pound small forward, who hails from Atlanta, Georgia, showed his capability to be an all around weapon. He averaged 15 points, 7.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 3.1 blocks per game after the All-Star break. While he has always been known as a menacing presence on the defensive side of the ball, the fact that Smith has been averaging consistent offensive numbers in the second half of the season proves that Smith will be one of the league’s most improved players coming into the 2006-2007 season.Smith agrees with this assessment and promises to be one of the league’s premier all around players going into this season.“Just my all around game, my whole approach and focus to the game. I worked on both my strengths and my weakness to even it out a little bit,” said Smith. “People are going to see that I’ve have really worked on my game.”

Even more astonishing about his development is his improvement as a shooter. Prior to the All-Star break, Smith had taken and missed 6 three point shots. After the break he had taken 100 and made 34, a respectable 34 percent from downtown especially considering that no one thought that Smith’s long range shooting development would take place as rapidly as it did last season.

Despite having his share of critics during his tenure as the Hawks General Manager there is no denying that Billy Knight has significantly upgraded the Hawks roster over the past two seasons. Last season, Knight added versatile perimeter player Joe Johnson, blue collar center Zaza Pachulia and two talented rookies: light out shooting point guard Salim Stoudamire and another dynamic forward in Marvin Williams. Those players along with fellow Knight draftees Smith and Josh Childress have come together to form an young exciting core of players.

This season, Knight has added more grit and veteran experience to enhance the Hawks’ young talent in point guard Speedy Claxton, who has won a title in San Antonio as the backup to Tony Parker, and power forward/center Sheldon Williams, who was a four year meat and potatoes player for Coach K on the Duke Blue Devils. Don’t forget about center Lorenzo Wright, who returns to Atlanta for a second tour of duty after playing several years for the Memphis Grizzles and provides more size and shot blocking for the Hawks.

The one thing that stands out about the Hawks, albeit it’s youth, is it’s versatility. Last season, up tempo offensives dominated the league and the Hawks stand to be the benefactors of the NBA’s newfound preference to run and gun.

“Speedy improves us a lot offensively,” Smith said. “Running the floor, getting the ball out, out letting it. We’re going to be an up-tempo team so we need a point guard that can distribute the ball and run the floor and Speedy gives us that look.”

Almost all of the players on the roster can play at least two positions and Smith believes that along with the maturation of the players and Mike Woodson as a coach will make the Hawks a formidable opponent in the Eastern Conference this season.

“We want to go to the playoffs this year… If we work hard and do the right things, I think that this team can take us to the playoffs,” said Smith. “I think everyone starts the season with the same mindset: playoff basketball. I think that if you keep that mindset right and start the season off in the right direction, winning our first couple of games. I think it’ll put a spark behind us and carry us throughout the season.”

Despite their overall win and loss record last season, Smith believes that the team stepped up their game and showed a lot of promise due to two things: the addition of Johnson and the uncertainty regarding Woodson’s job status.

“Coach Woodson is a great coach. He’s still learning because this is his first head coaching job and we’re learning too because we’re young. So when we heard that [his job might be on the line], we turned it up a little bit just so that he could secure his job for this upcoming season. This year we plan to keep playing hard, so that he can keep his job.”

In Johnson, Smith admitted that the veteran guard has really impressed and influenced him with his overall talent and work ethic.

“He’s the typical guy you want to model your game after, because looking at him he has the total package. He can create off the dribble for himself, he’s an excellent passer, a good scorer and he plays defense,” said Smith. “I think he’s really good person for someone to look at in improving their game. A lot of people didn’t really know him like that in Atlanta before he came, then he came and they are getting every bit of their money’s worth watching him play.”

Never lacking in composure or maturity, it’s easy to forget that Smith was drafted out of Oak Hill Academy High School in 2003 and is still not old enough to legally drink. The 20 year old admits that, at times, the hectic life of NBA player can make high school seem like a distant memory but attributes his stability to his father Pete Smith, his agents and advisors.

“I was blessed in a situation where I didn’t have to go anywhere, I am at home playing. A lot of people think that’s pressure but I feel more relaxed being at home than any where else,” said Smith. “Probably the hardest challenge is saying no to people. People that you love and have been there for you and that you’ve been there during your entire life. They ask you for something and you got to say no sometimes and that’s hard.”

As his star continues to shine brighter, Smith has decided that his exciting period as a contender for the NBA dunk champion has come to an end.

“I am trying to elevate my game to the next level. That’s showing everyone that I can do more than just dunking,” said Smith. “I want to one day get on the same status of a Tracy McGrady, Kobe Bryant, or LeBron James.”

Smith, however, didn’t shy away about explaining what turned out to be a series of confusing events between that would derail him from repeating as dunk champion. According to his account, his friend was supposed to put the marking tape right above the free throw line as Smith was going to give his own version of the free throw line dunk. Once the miscommunication happened and due to the limited time each contestant has to get off his dunk, Smith performed his dunk that wasn’t to the expectations of his crowd. With that said, Smith felt that the dunk contest was exciting without him competing in the final rounds even if the deserving champion in his opinion didn’t win the title.

“It was an exciting dunk contest but everyone knows who won that dunk contest…I feel like Andre [Iguodala] should have won. He was more consistent and it take didn’t him that many times to finish his dunks. I still take my off hat for Nate for completing those dunks. Most of his dunks were difficult especially at his height,” said Smith.

There is no disputing that the Hawks remain dark horses for a playoff spot in the NBA’s Eastern Conference, especially considering that they remain one of the youngest teams in the NBA. With youth, however, comes an exuberance and strong desire to compete. A desire to prove to the best that they belong. If Smith can help lead this team by his resounding energy and maturation, he might help in leading this franchise out of the doldrums of irrelevance and back into the prominence of playoff competition.

If he succeeds, it will be the greatest height he’s ever leaped.