25 Years of Hawks Hoops: Building Atlanta’s Modern-Era Dream Starting Lineup (2000-2025)

Shooting Guard: Joe Johnson 2005-2012

During Johnson's tenure with the Hawks, he was recognized for his all-around offensive abilities, particularly his scoring prowess. In many NBA circles, Johnson is known as "Iso Joe" based on his ability to score in Isolation. When you think of his time in Atlanta, many still recall the iconic seven-game series he had against the Celtics in 2008, where the Hawks took the eventual champions to a game seven as the eighth seed, with neither team losing a home game in that series. As a Hawk, Johnson was a six-time All-Star, an All-NBA Third Team player, and won three playoff series in his five trips to the playoffs. He concluded his seven-season tenure in Atlanta, averaging 20.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 5.2 assists in 508 games with the Hawks, for which fans and players most fondly remember him.

Small Forward: Kyle Korver 2012-2017

A beloved fan favorite and NBA All-Star, Kyle Korver has been remembered as one of the best three-point shooters in NBA history, as well as his All-Star season in 2015 with the Atlanta Hawks. In his time with the Hawks, Korver broke the record for consecutive games with at least one three-pointer made with 127 games in a row from November 4, 2012, to March 5, 2014. In 2015, Korver was one of the driving forces for Atlanta when the Hawks went on a historic 17-0 streak in January, where they went 9-0 at home and 8-0 On the road, and this was the first time in NBA history that this had happened. The Hawks would then go on to finish as the number one seed in the Eastern Conference, with a 60-22 record. Korver led the way, setting the Hawks' all-time three-point percentage record at 49.2%, and helped the team reach the Eastern Conference Finals that season. In his five seasons with the Hawks, Korver averaged 10.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.4 assists on 46/45/88% shooting splits. After retiring, Korver rejoined the Hawks in a front office role where he became the Director of Player Affairs & Development, and then acted as the assistant General Manager.

Power Forward: Paul Millsap 2013-2017

In his four seasons with Atlanta, Millsap was an All-Star in all four seasons and was often regarded as the best or second-best player on the team, particularly when Al Horford was with the team. Millsap is remembered as a two-way player and a hard worker, as he consistently led the team in many seasons. He finished in the top five for Defensive Player of the Year and made the All-Defensive second team in 2015-16 with the Hawks, where he played over 70 games per season on average. In his four seasons with the Hawks, he recorded two playoff series wins and averaged 17.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.2 blocks across 297 games. Many fans still recognize Millsap for his role in helping lead the Hawks to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2015 and for being one of the four All-Stars named from that historic 60-win squad. Off the court, Millsap was known as a leader and was known to help within the Atlanta community and set a positive influence.

Center: Al Horford 2007-2016

Horford is one of the best players to ever be on a Hawks roster, as he was an All-Star four times with the Hawks and was debatably an underrated defender in his years with the Hawks as he had a career defensive rating of 103.4 with the Hawks while averaging one block a game with no All-Defensive team honors with Atlanta but somehow with the Celtics had a worse defensive rating and made a All-Defensive team. In his nine seasons with the Hawks, Atlanta never missed the playoffs with Horford, and he was named to the All-NBA third team in the 2010-11 season. Hawks fans mostly remember him for his contributions to the success of the historic 2014-15 60-win Hawks team, where he was one of the four All-Stars named, and his game-winner against the Washington Wizards that helped the Hawks reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 1970. After nine seasons, Horford averaged 14.3 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in 578 games for the Hawks and is still, by many Hawks fans, respected for his time in Atlanta, even though some members of the fan base harbor harsh feelings about him leaving for Boston in free agency in 2016.

Honorable Mentions:

Point Guard: Jeff Teague 2009-2016-2020

Teague played a total of eight seasons with the Hawks, where he was a dependable third option for most of his tenure with the team, behind All-Star teammates Al Horford, Joe Johnson, and Paul Millsap. He rose to prominence in the 2011 NBA Playoffs when Kirk Hinrich injured his right hamstring in the first round against the Orlando Magic, and Teague began starting against a prime MVP, Derrick Rose, who had three games of 21 points or more in that series. From that point on, Teague was named a starter for the Hawks and helped the team stay in the playoff hunt for the remainder of his first tenure with the team. He was also named one of the four All-Stars in 2015 for Atlanta during their historic 60-win season. In the Eastern Conference Finals against Cleveland, he averaged 21.5 points, 4.5 assists, and 3.3 rebounds, where he scored 27 in game one and 30 in game three of that series. Unfortunately, as the story goes for some of his teammates on this list, he was often swept in the playoffs by Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Many Hawks fans still believe that if it wasn't for Lebron, some of the Hawks teams with Teague on the roster could've possibly gone farther, and there was a good chance for that, but following a 2020 return to Atlanta, the team was in a rebuild phase, so he wasn't asked to contribute much but is still remembered as a quiet leader for the Hawks.

Shooting Guard: Jamal Crawford 2009-2011

Some call him by his name or "J Crossover"; either way, he was an electrifying Sixth Man of the Year for the Hawks during his time with Atlanta. He primarily backed up both Joe Johnson and Mike Bibby in the backcourt for two seasons after being traded to the Hawks from the Golden State Warriors. In his first season with Atlanta, he won Sixth Man of the Year after averaging 18 points on very efficient shooting splits of 44/38/85%. In his two seasons with the Hawks, Crawford played a significant role in helping them reach the playoffs. During those two runs, he averaged 16.3 points and 15.4 points, which contributed to their victories in two first-round series. He is still remembered for his miraculous shot off the backboard that he hit against the Orlando Magic in the 2011 playoffs, but was later traded that summer, a move that some look back on as a mistake by the Hawks after this season, as they wanted him to play more of a point guard role, where he struggled. After this, Crawford would be traded to Portland and then signed with the Clippers, where he won two Sixth Man of the Year awards and spent all five years with the Clippers in the running for the award, which makes you wonder, what could the Hawks have been if they kept him in his correct role? He finished his Hawks career averaging 16.1 points, 3.1 assists, and 2.1 rebounds in 155 games.

Power Forward: Josh Smith 2004-2013

Smith is one of the most underrated players ever, as he was able to do everything on the court and was one of the first floor spacing big men to play consistent minutes in the star role in the NBA. During his time with the Hawks, Smith was known more for being a stat stuffer and high flyer, which led to him winning the NBA Dunk Contest during his rookie year. He was also a skilled defender, becoming the youngest player in NBA history to record 500 career blocks and earning a spot on the All-Defensive NBA team in the 2009-10 season. In his nine years with the Hawks, Smith helped them make the playoffs five times, and they advanced to the second round three consecutive years in a row. His most memorable performance came in 2008, when he scored 28 points and had seven blocks in an upset victory against the Boston Celtics. While some Hawks fans had a somewhat love-hate relationship with Smith due to his questionable shot selection and inconsistency, he is still respected by Hawks fans for the highlights and energetic play style he displayed. In Smith's time with the Hawks, he averaged 15.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in 676 games. He remains active in the Atlanta community, engaging in charitable work for the city.

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