Thabo Sefolosha makes preseason debut against Spurs

Atlanta Hawks forward Thabo Sefolosha made his preseason debut Wednesday night against the San Antonio Spurs. Sefolosha checked into the game midway through the first quarter and finished with five points and three rebounds in eight minutes of action. He was 2-4 from the field and 1-2 from three-point range.

"I thought Thabo was good, active and kind of the Thabo we've seen," head coach Mike Budenholzer said following the game. "I think it's going to take him some time to work back into just being in shape, feeling comfortable and confident. It was great for him to play in a real game in this atmosphere in a preseason-type situation. We'll just hopefully keep building."

Perhaps the best news for the Hawks and for Sefolosha was that he seemed to be moving well and there were no visible signs of last April's injury. He indicated earlier this week that he is still not 100 percent, but was hoping to be ready for the Hawks when they open the regular season.

"I didn't play heavy minutes but at the same time it was good to have a feel for it and be out there," Sefolosha said. "The leg felt pretty good tonight and I'll see how it feels tomorrow and keep building from there."

Sefolosha seems like a good bet to eventually move into Atlanta's starting lineup once he is fully recovered. He will be called upon to play a big part in replacing DeMarre Carroll as the team's top wing defender. Kent Bazemore has been the starter at small forward for all three preseason games.