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Shelden Williams had to clear his throat just once during the introductory gathering for both him and Solomon Jones on Thursday afternoon on the Hawks' practice court at Philips Arena.
Coach Mike Woodson hopes it is the last time the rookie forward will have to do that, on the practice floor or anywhere else for a young team in need of not only talent but vocal leadership.
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"I don't want him to hesitate to speak up and make his presence felt," Woodson said of the player the Hawks selected with the fifth pick in Wednesday's NBA draft. "One of the things [Duke coach] Mike [Krzyzewski] told me is that this guy is a leader, a guy that isn't afraid to step up and be a presence, physically and vocally. And that's what we need. We need him to be an anchor for us when he's out there. And I don't mean in January or February. It has to start right away."
It was conversations with Krzyzewski before the draft that solidified the Hawks' belief that they were making the perfect pick.
Hawks assistant coach Bob Bender played at Duke and spent six seasons (1983-89) coaching on Krzyzewski's staff, so it was an easy reference call to make.
"As the day progressed," Bender said, "there was more and more talk about somebody taking him in front of us, so I called Mike to see if he had any conversations with other teams and just to see where things stood. But I also wanted to go over some things that [Woodson] was interested in as well. And two things Mike said stuck out to me."
Krzyzewski explained that Williams played with arguably the most recognizable player in college basketball the past four years, guard J.J. Redick, and never complained or demanded an opportunity to shine. He also mentioned that Williams was not only the Blue Devils' heart and soul but the ultimate communicator, a player who didn't hesitate to direct traffic on the floor and make sure his teammates were in the right positions on every possession.
"Mike even took it a step further," Bender said. "He said that on those nights when Joe [Johnson] or Josh [Smith] have great games, Shelden is going to do his job and going to do it exactly the way you want it done. Because that's who Shelden is and that's how it's always been and that's just the way it is with him."
Williams joins a team that had an average age of just 23.4 years at the end of last season. He will join a frontline rotation that, minus free agent forward Al Harrington, includes Zaza Pachulia (21), Josh Smith (21) and Marvin Williams (19). So he'll have to be prepared to play beyond his NBA years as well as his size, 6 feet 9 and 258 pounds.
"I'm going to be the same type of player I've always been," said the Hawks' newest Williams, who'll turn 23 during training camp in
October. "But whatever role coach asks me to fill is the role I'm going to play. My defensive instincts have always been there; I was taught to play the game the right way at a young age. And when I got to Duke it was just a continuation of that. And I'll do the same thing here."
Woodson knows that because of his pedigree there are things he won't have to tell Williams that he's had to tell other rookies he's dealt with during his coaching career.
"This is a seasoned guy," Woodson said, "a guy that should be ready to step in right off the bat and be ready to play. I know this because I know [Krzyzewski] and I value the things he says to the utmost. When he says you have a solid kid on and off the floor, I know he means that."
Hawks expect Shelden to be leader
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