A few notes to end the week, and then I'm off for the weekend:

- For anyone who was able to listen to the broadcast of the Hawks-Bobcats game yesterday on Hawks.com, you have to be particularly pleased with the way rookies Al Horford and Acie Law played. Both got plenty of crunch time minutes in the Hawks 104-98 win, and by all accounts both held their own and then some. From what I hear, Horford was pretty much imposing his will in the 4th quarter on both ends of the court.

- I spoke to Hawks coach Mike Woodson today about the team's 5-1 start to the preseason, and he seemed very upbeat about the way things are going. It's always hard to judge how much emphasis to place on games that don't count in the standings, but even still you have to be happy with the way things are going. Yesterday's win, while preseason, was over Charlotte's full squad playing meaningful minutes (minus Primoz Brezec, a decent player but not a game changer), and came without Joe Johnson, who had a planned rest day. I expect Charlotte to be a better team this season, so beating them on the road is no small feat.

- I also sat with Mario West for a couple minutes, as the former Georgia Tech player continues to make it harder and harder for this coaching staff to let him go when camp is over. Quickly becoming a fan favorite at Philips Arena, West has a chance to cast himself in the Royal Ivey role if the team decides to keep him around. With 14 guaranteed contracts on the roster as is, the odds are still against him, but the energy and hustle he brings to the table have certainly not gone unnoticed.

- ESPN is breaking down 30 questions for 30 teams for fantasy purposes, and today they profiled the Hawks. Their question? Which Hawks forward (besides Josh Smith) has the best chance of breaking out this season? Read the whole thing to see what they have to say, but for my money, I'm looking for Al Horford to be a 17-and-8 guy by midseason at worst. Minutes will be hard to come by at first, but the more he shines, the harder it will be for the coaching staff to keep him off the floor.

- We had our fantasy draft yesterday, and I will have much more on this next week, but I nabbed Shawn Marion, Yao Ming, Ray Allen, Josh Howard, and Mo Williams to be the anchors for the Wilkins' Warriors squad. I feel good about their chances...

Have a good weekend!