Top 10 Atlanta Hawks

Image Courtesy of Bing

Before the Chicago Bulls came into existence I rooted for the then St. Louis Hawks. I didn't have access to TV so I listened to their games on KMOX. Some of these top 10 picks are from that era. I think these picks are fairly objective, though it's possible that I might be a little prejudiced towards those guys I listened to on the radio. Having said that, I resisted the urge to put that old St. Louis point guard, Lenny Wilkins, on this list.

10: Zelmo Beaty Big Z bridged the transition from St. Louis to Atlanta. In 7 seasons with the Hawks Z averaged 17 points and 11 rebounds. While the league was smaller then, there were some notable centers for Z to contend with. Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell and Nate Thurmond come to mind. Beaty had a nice mid range jump shot, shooting 46.6% from the field and 71.8% from the line. Zelmo had a nice run with the Hawks before moving on to more good years in the ABA.

9: Kevin Willis Kevin provided a strong presence on the boards, as well as playing strong interior defense. For his 11 seasons in the NBA, Willis averaged 9.7 rebounds, but his numbers were higher the last three seasons with the Hawks, averaging about 13 rebounds per game during that stretch. He also averaged 14.1 ppg. while shooting 50.3% from the field and 69.5 from the free throw line. Kevin was a solid performer for over a decade and comes in at number nine on this list.

8: Joe Johnson Joe's line for 7 years with the Hawks was 21-4-5. Joe was a six time all star with the Hawks. While not a great percentage shooter, Johnson was good at the free throw line and a three point threat. Johnson hit his high water point during the 2006-07 season when he scored 25 ppg. Johnson prevails over Doc Rivers and Steve Smith to pick up a slot on the Hawks top 10.

7: Cliff Hagen Hagen is a golden oldie pick, having started his 10 year run in the 1956-57 season. Hagen's line for those 10 seasons was 18-7-3. Hagen led the league in playoffs scoring twice. In the 1958 playoffs Hagen averaged 27.7 ppg and followed that up with a 28.5 the next season. Hagen was a key to the Hawks only championship in 1958. Hagen was a five time all star for the Hawks. He was also in the top 10 in offensive efficiency five times. 

6: Pete Maravich Pistol Pete was probably the flashiest player in Hawks history. He was a good one, too. I suspect he would have scored even more if the NBA had the three point line when Pete was in Atlanta. As it was, Pete averaged 24.2 and topped out during his last year with the Hawks, scoring at a 27.7 ppg clip. He also averaged 5.6 assists and 4.3 rebounds. Win or lose, Hawks fans got their money's worth when they saw Pete play.

5: Dikembe Mutombo When I think of Dikembe, I think of a shot block followed by a finger wag. During his 5 seasons with the Hawks, Mutombo averaged 3.2 blocks. During the 1999-2000 season he led the NBA in rebounding with 14.1 per game. He was also led the league the next season when he spent time with the Hawks and the Philadelphia 76ers. Dikembe also averaged 11.9 ppg and 12.6 rebounds during his stay with the Hawks. Dikembe was also perennially in the top 10 in defensive metrics. He comes it at number five.

4: Lou Hudson Lou was an outstanding outside shooter. Lou played 11 seasons with the Hawks, averaging 22 points ppg. Four times Lou averaged more than 25 ppg. Hudson was also efficient for a shooting guard, hitting 48.7% from the field and 79.5 from the line. Lou was also strong in the playoffs, scoring 23.6 ppg. He led the NBA in playoff scoring average in 1973 with a 29.7 average. The six time all star was at his best season during the 1972-72 season, averaging 27.1 ppg, 6.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists. Lou wasn't the flashiest scorer the Hawks have had, just one of the best.

3: Mookie Blaylock Mookie spent 7 years with the Hawks and while he was good on offense, he was better on defense, twice leading the NBA in steals and being a perennial member of the top 10 in that department. Mookie averaged 14.9 ppg and 7.3 assists. Three times Mookie was in the top 10 in steals. Four times Blaylock was in the top 10 in defensive wins shares. Mookie comes in at number three.

2: Bob Pettit I came really close to putting Big Blue number one on this list. In 11 seasons with the Hawks, Pettit never scored less than 20 ppg. Twice Pettit led the NBA in scoring, peaking at 29.2 in the 1958-59. For his career he averaged 26.4 ppg. He was also strong in the playoffs, averaging 25.5. Bob was also instrumental in the Hawks only championship. He was also a force on the boards, picking off 16.2 rebounds per game. Bob was an all star in all 11 of his NBA seasons.

1: Dominique Wilkins Dominique's nickname, “The Human Highlight Film”, says it all. It's not just the 26.4 ppg he averaged during his 12 years with the Hawks, it's the spectacular way he scored. Wilkins was one of the most stylish dunkers the NBA has ever seen, but his athleticism helped in other parts of his game. Wilkins took a lot of shots, twice leading the NBA in field goal attempts and nine times finishing in the top 10. Despite the volume of shots he took, Wilkins was in the top 10 in efficiency 7 times. Dominique tops the list of greatest Hawks.

There's my list.  What's yours?


You might also enjoy my baseball project.