Atlanta Hawks News

Home

Quizzes

Watch

Newsletter

Jan 20, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) reacts during the first half against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

NBA Mt. Rushmore: Did Analysts Get The Atlanta Hawks Four Players Right?

Originally posted on Atlanta Hawks on SI
By Jackson Caudell | Last updated Aug 26, 2025 12:00 PM ET

We are a quarter of the way through this century and the century did not start off well for the Atlanta Hawks, they have been one of the most consistent winners of the last 25 years in the NBA. Whether it was the Joe Johnson era, the Al Horford/Paul Millsap era, or the Trae Young era, Atlanta has won a lot of games and the only two conference finals appearances in franchise history have come this history.

Who makes the Hawks Mt. Rushmore?

With the century a quarter of the way over, it is a good time to look back at this era of basketball and decide who the best players were or a "Mt. Rushmore" if you will. In a recent article, Bleacher Report's Dan Favale did this and the picks won't surprise Hawks fans:

C Al Horford
PG Trae Young
SG Joe Johnson
PF Paul Millsap

"Al Horford was the face for some of the most menacing Atlanta Hawks squads in recent memory. Trae Young is as talented as he is divisive. He’s already first all-time for the franchise in assists and made threes and inside the top five of total points.

Meanwhile, Bob Pettit (11) and Dominique Wilkins (nine) are the lone players with more All-Star selections in a Hawks uniform than Joe Johnson (six).

Room for debates creeps in with the final spot. Josh Smith shows up across more statistical benchmarks, including pacing the franchise in games played during this window. However, Paul Millsap did more to impact winning, and he earned as many All-Star nods as Horford and Young (four)."

Did they get it right?

I would argue that this is a perfect Mt. Rushmore for the Hawks.

As Favale said, I think there is a debate about Josh Smith, but Smith did not impact winning in the same way that Millsap did in his brief time with the Hawks. Millsap and Horford were elite defenders for a 60 win team, Johnson was one of the NBA's best players when in Atlanta, and Young is arguably the second greatest Hawk of all-time behind Dominique Wilkins.

Ever since he was drafted to Atlanta with the 3rd pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, Horford made an impact on the court. He finished second in the rookie of the year voting, losing only to future superstar Kevin Durant. During Horford's rookie year in Atlanta, he averaged 10.1 PPG and 9.7 RPG and was a part of a Hawks team that made the playoffs and pushed the No. 1 seed Boston Celtics to seven games in the first round.

Horford was arguably the best player in one of the most consistent eras in Hawks history. During all nine seasons that Horford played with the Hawks, Atlanta made the playoffs in every season and in the 2014-2015 season, Horford helped get the Hawks to 60 wins and their first ever Eastern Conference Finals Appearance. He was a four-time All-Star with the Hawks, and he made the All-NBA Third team in the 2010-2011 season.

His signature highlight during his time in Atlanta might be his game-winning shot to beat the Washington Wizards in game five of the 2015 Eastern Conference Semifinals.

One of the biggest mistakes that the Hawks made was letting Horford walk in the summer of 2016 and opting to sign Dwight Howard instead. The Hawks did make the playoffs that season, but Horford has still been a reliable NBA player since leaving Atlanta. The Hawks have not enjoyed the same consistency that they had while Horford was on the team, and they are currently looking to get that back.