10 Best NBA Draft Picks In Atlanta Hawks History

10 Best NBA Draft Picks In Atlanta Hawks History

10. Eddie Johnson (49th overall, 1977)

Eddie Johnson‘s off-the-court issues are well-documented. Looking strictly at his play on the court, he made the All-Star team and All-Defensive Second Team twice apiece with the Hawks in his eight full seasons for them. He averaged 15.6 points, 5.2 assists, and 1.2 steals while playing for the Hawks.

9. Doc Rivers (31st overall, 1983)

During much of his eight-year Hawks tenure, Doc Rivers was the team’s starting point guard despite being a second round pick. He was named an All-Star in 1987-88 and averaged 10 assists per contest the previous year. The 6-foot-4 guard is second all-time in Hawks history with 3,866 assists and third with 1,166 steals.

8. Pete Maravich (3rd overall, 1970)

‘Pistol’ Pete Maravich played for the Hawks for just four seasons, but he was an elite scorer just as he was in college. He put together averages of 24.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 5.6 assists. Maravich was named to the All-NBA Second Team in his third year.

7. Kevin Willis (11th overall, 1984)

An excellent rebounder and rugged defender, Kevin Willis is fourth in team history with 753 regular season appearances. He averaged at least 12 rebounds from 1991-92 until 1993-94, with the first of those also earning him an All-Star nod and All-NBA Third Team appearance. He could score as well as evidenced by four seasons averaging more than 16 points.

6. John Drew (25th overall, 1974)

The runner-up for Rookie of the Year in 1974-75, John Drew was a member of the Hawks for his first eight seasons. He was named to two All-Star teams with the franchise and averaged more than 20 points for five different years. He is fifth in team history with 12,621 points.

5. Zelmo Beaty (3rd overall, 1962)

Enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016, Zelmo Beaty was an All-Star twice with the Hawks. He averaged more than 20 points six times and double figures in rebounds six times in his seven years with the team. The Hawks were a playoff team every year with Beaty on board.

4. Lenny Wilkens (6th overall, 1960)

A 6-foot-1 point guard, Lenny Wilkens was runner-up for MVP in 1967-68. He averaged at least 18 points in three of his eight seasons with the Hawks. He is fifth on the all-time Hawks leaderboard with 3,049 assists.

3. Al Horford (3rd overall, 2007)

Al Horford averaged double figures in scoring all nine years with Atlanta while shooting over 50% the last eight (49.9% as a rookie). A three-time All-Star with the team, he is sixth in team history in blocks (697) and eighth in rebounds (5,144). Horford was named to the All-NBA Third Team in 2010-11.

2. Lou Hudson (4th overall, 1966)

It took a long while, but Lou Hudson was finally inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2022. The 6-foot-5 guard/forward earned an All-Star trip every year from 1969 to 1974. He averaged 22.0 points per contest in his 11 seasons with the Hawks.

1. Bob Pettit (2nd overall, 1954)

One of the early superstars, Bob Pettit played his whole 11-year career with the Hawks. Not only did he win two MVPs, but he finished top-six in voting for nine straight seasons. A two-time scoring champ, Pettit helped win the franchise’s only title in 1958.