ATLANTA (NBA.com exclusive) --  If the Wizards learned anything Friday night, it was that an off-season roster shakeup, a healthy Gilbert Arenas, a new coach and one win on the road do not combine to guarantee that they're an upper-echelon team.

Conversely, the Hawks found more evidence that they're deeper than last season, and in a 100-89 win in Philips Arena they also showed signs that they might be capable of playing the sustained defense that will be required if they're to threaten in the East.

Three days after a surprising win at Dallas, the Wizards looked better than the team that went 6-35 away from home in 2008-'09, but not yet in the same league as the Hawks.

Washington began to go off kilter when guard Mike Miller, traded along with Randy Foye to the Wizards from the Timberwolves in the off season, picked up his third foul just 1:11 into the second quarter. He had five rebounds by then, and more importantly the Wizards had some offensive rhythm.

But it vanished, and a three-point deficit turned into a 58-44 halftime lead for the Hawks as Washington began hacking when Atlanta attacked the rim.

"When you get out-scored at the line by 17 (31 of 34 free throws for Atlanta; 14 of 22 for the Wizards), it's going to hurt you," said Washington coach Flip Saunders. "When we jumped out to a 10-point lead in the first quarter, it looked like it was going to be an easy one tonight.

"They began to take control of the game in the second quarter when they locked in defensively."

Arenas did not have the same vibe he had while going for 29 points against the Mavericks. He scored a team-high 23, but needed 22 shots to get there (making nine).

That was by the Hawks' design.

Atlanta held Washington to 44.3 percent shooting from the field (including 5-13 from beyond the arc) and collectively harassed Arenas -- through whom much of Washington's offense runs -- into seven turnovers.

"Joe [Johnson] really came in after the [Pacers] game and told everybody that we've got to defend better to become a good team," said Atlanta forward Marvin Williams. "I think guys really came out tonight and made a conscious effort to defend."

The Hawks also seemed plenty conscious of their options.

On a night when three-time All-Star guard Johnson made just five of 16 shots for 17 points and starting point guard Mike Bibby scored but six, it hardly fazed Atlanta.

Newcomer Jamal Crawford came off the bench earlier than on Wednesday (when he scored just 3 points in 11:32 of action against Indiana), scoring 15 of his 16 points in the first half.

"I told him I was going to bring him in early," Atlanta coach Mike Woodson said of Crawford, who played more than 24 minutes off the bench. "I wanted him to know I hadn't forgotten about him. This is a little new for me, having such a deep team.

"We've got enough players that we can spread it around. There are going to be nights when Jamal is going to lead us in scoring . . . but again, you win in this league on the defensive end."

Forward Josh Smith led Atlanta with 20 points and registered two blocks to become the youngest player in NBA history to reach 900 career swats. Smith achieved the feat in at the age of 23 years, 329 days, surpassing the old record held by Shaquille O'Neal (24 years, 286 days).

Washington closed to 93-86 on an Arenas 3-pointer with 2:36 to go, but then Josh Smith drove from the right corner and lofted a lefty hook as part of a three-point play.

Horford soon blocked a Miller shot at the other end, and that was that.

It was a nice sendoff for the Hawks, who head west now for four games in six days, beginning Sunday against the Lakers.

"They're the world champions, and we've just got to go with the mindset that we have to be better on the road this year so it starts with L.A." Woodson said. "We've got to go try to get a win."