The statistical line was indistinguishable from any other little-used, obscure reserve in the NBA: two points, three rebounds in nine minutes. But the name attached to the numbers, Leon Smith, indicated the significance of his debut for the Hawks Thursday against Chicago.

The mere appearance of the 6-foot-11 center in the NBA is an accomplishment for a player who became a case study for all the supposed ills of skipping college.

The low point for the former Chicago high-school star ? selected in the 1999 draft by the Spurs before being traded to Dallas ? came after he attempted suicide more than two years ago by ingesting 200 aspirins.

By signing a 10-day contract with Atlanta last week, Smith has resumed his hoop dreams. "I feel thankful to all the folks that helped me get back to where I am now," said Smith, once recruited to attend Illinois by Lon Kruger, now his coach with Atlanta.

"A guy has to be responsible for what he does at some point in his life. I chose to start now."

But Smith's story may not have a Hollywood ending because questions remains about whether he is mentally ready to play in the NBA, or anywhere for that matter.

Shortly after the Mavericks acquired Smith, they learned their mistake of ignoring his troubled history of bouncing from foster home to foster home since age 5.

The Hawks realize the risks involved in dealing with the 250-pound center with a 7-foot-7 wingspan.

Before signing with Atlanta, Smith had flourished on the court with the Gary Steelheads, a Continental Basketball Association franchise based in Indiana. In 24 games, Smith averaged 18 points and a league-best 15.6 rebounds.

But based on Smith's past, it seemed like only a matter of time before he wore out his welcome in Gary. Before joining the Steelheads, Smith played for a CBA team in Sioux Falls, S.D.

After four games, he was traded to Gary following a scrap with a teammate. Last year, Smith couldn't stick with the St. Louis Swarm of the Internation Basketball League and failed at a tryout with the Harlem Globetrotters.

After Smith's suicide attempt in 1999, he was arrested twice in cases involving his former girlfriend before spending a month in a Dallas psychiatric facility. "We've talked to his coaches and his counselors, and we believe Leon deserves a chance," said Atlanta General Manager Pete Babcock.

"He appears to have turned his life around, and we'll see if he can handle the pressures of the NBA."

But Babcock added that Atlanta's interest in Smith went beyond redemption. "We do feel he has the skills from everything we've heard and seen. He's the most talented player in the CBA."

The Hawks can sign Smith to another 10-day contract Tuesday. After that, league rules force Atlanta to decide whether to keep him for the rest of the season.

The Orlando Magic doesn't believe that Smith's talent is worth the troubles. Orlando also considered offering Smith a contract before backing out after a scout scrutinized his behavior over two games.

"We have no way of knowing if he's overcome his problem but I doubt it," said Magic General Manager John Gabriel.

"He's the kind of player ... who (is) best when you get him on the rebound. His first cup of coffee probably won't be the last for him."

Smith was drafted by the Spurs with the 29th ? and final ? pick in the first round of the 1999 draft. After Dallas traded for Smith, the organization wanted him to play in Europe for a year instead of languishing on the bench.

But Smith refused, and his NBA career started out ominously when Smith was kicked out of his first practice by Mavericks assistant Donnie Walsh for being lazy and not following instructions.

As a first-round pick, Smith garnered a guaranteed contract worth $4.44 million over three years. In February 2000, Smith reached a buyout agreement with the Mavericks, which paid him $100,000 annually over 10 years.

"I think it's time for someone else to give him an opportunity," Mavericks assistant coach Donnie Nelson said. "We did. It's not his abilities that make me apprehensive. It's the other things."