Dressed in casual attire, Theo Ratliff looks comfortable as he prepares for another day at the office. He stops to advise a young player, Leon Smith, chats with assistant coach Rick Mahorn and then strides easily to the inner sanctum of the Hawks' locker room.

This is another day of light work for Ratliff, who had hoped to do so much more, but finds that limited activity is all he has been able to muster for nearly a calendar year as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers and the Hawks.