It's going to be interesting to see how quickly they can adapt to it, I'll say that much. They are definitely still in the learning stages. It's funny, you'd think that playing faster would be easier, since it requires more of the natural athleticism that most NBA athletes possess, but it's actually pretty difficult to do it well. Still, there is no doubt that the up tempo pace suits many of the Hawks players better than a slower, half-court game, so it's definitely worth a shot to see how much they can push it.

I spoke to Josh Childress about it after practice, as he figures to benefit from the new playing style more than most of his teammates. As a guy who gets a lot of his baskets off lay-ups in transition and by flying around the basket in general, I can see Chills adding several points to his average just by beating his man down the court or being a trailer on the break.

Don't forget tomorrow is your chance to get your first look at the Hawks with the open practice at Philips Arena. Doors open at 11:45 am, so make sure to come by and check it out. I won't be able to make it as I will be out of town at a wedding, but if anyone is there and wants to provide their commentary, feel free to email your thoughts to me at hawks.mailbag@atlantaspirit.com  I may even post your comments (or photos)!

Here are some pictures from today, and you will hopefully notice a jump in quality over previous pics as I was using a much better camera today. Once I learn how to use it better, they should get even better...