Hawks guard Joe Johnson is expected to be ready for the team's opener on Wednesday despite a strained groin.

"I?m definitely where I need to be. But around this time I don?t think anybody can really say they are 100 percent," Johnson said. "There are always those little bumps and bruises that everybody deals with in this time of year and throughout the rest of the season.

"I guess if you didn?t do anything during the preseason, you might be stress free. But that?s probably the only way. Other than that, it?s just little bumps and bruises but nothing that will keep you out of a game. All you can really do is nurse it everyday and play through whatever pain you might be dealing with at the time."

Teammate Josh Smith left the team's exhibition finale with a sprained right ankle, and sat out the scrimmage portion of Sunday?s practice.

Hawks' Coach Mike Woodson called out Josh Smith by name on Tuesday during practice when giving a speech to the team about taking their game to the next level.

The speech prompted Smith to react by saying he was willing to "take all the blame."

Smith bolted for the locker room after the huddle, shattering his mouthpiece. Woodson, who was apparently smiling the entire time, cautioned his staff not to worry about the forward.

"Listen, it?s getting close to that time, and we can?t go into this thing being cool about anything," Woodson said. "We had a good run last year, and that run is over. You?ve got to build on that run. And the only way you do that is through hard work, on the floor and that carrying over into games.

"I?m not letting these guys off the hook. They can think I?m tough or whatever, but we?ve got to be ready. We?ve got to be ready."

Steve Nash turned his right ankle late in the first half of the Suns' game against Atlanta on Wednesday night and did not return, according to a report by ESPN News Services.

He was later seen walking around the locker room with no limp, just an ace bandage on his ankle.

He may be held out of Friday's game against the Nuggets at Syracuse, N.Y., as a precaution, according to Suns spokeswoman Julie Fie.

The Atlanta Hawks today requested waivers on Marcus Hubbard and Frank Robinson, according to Executive Vice President and General Manager Rick Sund. Atlanta's roster stands at 15 players.

Atlanta forward Marvin Williams left the team's preseason win against Charlotte on Monday night with a sprained thumb.

Williams departed in the first quarter, long before the Hawks defeated the Bobcats, 88-87, because of Acie Law's driving layup with 4.6 seconds to play.

Second-year center Al Horford believes that the Hawks are a stronger team this season.

"I look around [the locker room] and see what we?ve got, I think we?re in pretty good shape," Horford said. "I feel there?s no question that guys did some major work in the summer to get ready for this season. Now we have to get more solid all the way around. We?ve got things we need to improve upon like any other team."

"But if you look at us as a whole, I don?t think that anyone can argue that we?re not improved from where we were a year ago."

Horford averaged 10.1 points and 9.7 rebounds per game for Atlanta in his rookie season.

Hawks' Coach Mike Woodson wants his team to begin the 2008-09 campaign with a strong showing in the preseason this month.

"Just win baby," Woodson said with a smile Sunday. "It?s time to play, man. Some people view preseason game as something to get players in shape and get ready for the season."

"To me, it?s huge in terms of using that time to bond and get used to doing things in a winning way. I don?t think you can do it any other way. You have to play to win."

Atlanta was 7-1 in the preseason last year before ending their playoff drought and pushing the Celtics to the limit in the first round.

"Coach believes in doing it this way, and that?s going to be a shock to some of these guys that haven?t gone through training camp with him before," Joe Johnson said. "I?ve been warning Mike [Bibby] about it. I told him to be ready to go, so at least he has a little warning."

The Hawks made their first cut of the month after practice on Saturday, cutting big man Olumide Oyedeji.

The move leaves the Hawks with 17 players.