ATHENS — Something was different about this first practice.
The Hawks’ offensive and defensive schemes won’t be overhauled after offseason roster additions. They will be tweaked. However, there was a noticeable change to the group that underwent the initial workout in preparation for the upcoming NBA season.
“Nothing changes,” said Kent Bazemore of the Hawks’ ingrained systems. “We just have a big dominant guy down the middle in Dwight (Howard). He had a large presence today around the rim. It feels good when you can throw the ball down low and watch somebody go to work.