Both add valuable experience to the Hawks' roster, but this hardly compares to the signing Phoenix made after its dismal 2003-04 season. The Suns lured All-Star guard Steve Nash away from Dallas; he won the MVP after leading one of the biggest turnarounds in NBA history.

Evans wasn't even drafted out of college, and the Hawks are his sixth team in six well-traveled seasons (not counting a stint in Europe). Murray was waived last season by Detroit and joins his sixth team in seven years.

"They talked to me about being one of the veteran leaders on the team," the 29-year-old Murray said. "They want me to work with the younger guys, teach 'em the game, teach 'em the things they need to do to win."

Indeed, Atlanta had the youngest starting unit in the league a year ago, and the signs of that inexperience were easy to spot. Some nights, the Hawks looked like future champions. Other nights, they would've struggled to beat an AAU team.

Things began to turn after Bibby was acquired from Sacramento to stabilize the point guard position. He's joined in the backcourt by Johnson, the team's top scoring threat and its only major free-agent signing in recent years.

The front line was assembled solely through the draft, and the Hawks had to dole out some big bucks to keep it together after Smith signed an offer sheet with the Memphis Grizzlies. They could be in the same position after this season with Marvin Williams, who's eligible to become a restricted free agent.

Then there's Horford, who often finds himself matched against bigger, stronger centers but makes up for it with grit and passion. He was the Hawks' emotional leader during the playoffs, not backing down to anyone and even trading barbs with Celtics star Paul Pierce.

Woodson said his main goal heading into training camp is improving the defense. The Hawks had no trouble running-and-gunning with other teams, but they also surrendered 100 points a game.

"We were a better team when Bibby came over as far as passing the ball and scoring points," the coach said. "But we also gave up a lot of points. You can't give up a ton of points and win consistently."

Atlanta put plenty of focus on conditioning during the offseason, looking to follow through on Woodson's goal of having a roster capable of playing hard at both ends of the court.

"I really admire Boston and what they did last season," he said. "They set the tone right from the jump and carried it all the way through the regular season and the playoffs. Yeah, they had three all-stars who can score with the ball. But their team defense was tremendous."

The Hawks are eager to see if they can reach that level.

"People thought we were a fluke last year," Smith said. "We've got to prove ourselves all over again."