"It was a nasty gash," Smith said Thursday. "It was bad. I could see all the way through there. It was split open, like somebody took some scissors and just cut it right open. But it looked a lot worse than it really is. I've got to keep it wrapped up for the next 10 days and then I'm good to go."

Smith said he suffered through an assortment of bumps and bruises during his summer workouts but nothing as serious as tearing up his hand.

"I'm hopeful that I've got all this injury stuff out of my system right now while the summer is still going on," Smith said with a smile. "I'm trying to play 82 games plus the playoffs this season. The good thing for me is that I'm already in great shape. So it's not like the next 10 days were going to make or break me from a conditioning standpoint. I'm around 230 (pounds) right now and feeling good, so I'll be ready to get into the mix on the first day of camp."

--Hawks swingman Mo Evans looks more like an NFL defensive end these days than he does an NBA swingman.

Evans bulked up, he says, without actually gaining any weight.

"I lifted a lot of weights to build up my endurance so I can be a lot more physical when I'm guarding guys like Dwayne Wade and Kobe Bryant," Evans said. "Those guys don't like to be touched. They'll see the difference and notice it when we're out there on the floor and they can't get their way physically.

"I didn't gain any weight. I basically just hardened up. I made myself more solid, so this year I won't go into camp at 225 and finish camp at 215. I worked every day so I can maintain a solid 220 with all the running I'll have to do. And I did it all summer and kept a meticulous check and I've been steady at 220 to 225. It's about maintaining this now."

QUOTE TO NOTE: "Everybody will come through here before we get started for camp. That's the same way we've done it every year since I've been in the league." -- Hawks F Josh Smith, on the attendance being taken during involuntary workouts on the Hawks' practice court.