At 5'7”, Spud Webb was not supposed to make the NBA, let alone make a significant mark in it.  Webb was picked off waivers after being drafted in the 4th Round (by Detroit) out of a State Wolfpack, and with his size and energy, the North Carol was an instant favorite amongst the Hawks fans.  He was mainly used off the bench until his final year in Atlanta (in his first run) when he became a starter and averaged 13.4 Points per Game. 

A lot of people were concerned when the Atlanta Hawks drafted 2nd overall in 2005, as though he had high potential, but he was only the sixth man on the NCAA Champion North Carolina Tar Heels.  As it turned out, Williams had a good career in the NBA (not 2nd Pick overall worthy) and played for the Hawks for 7 years, predominantly at Small Forward.  Except for his rookie season, Williams would always finish a season over ten Points per Game.

Josh Childress spent his first four seasons in the NBA with the Atlanta Hawks, often serving as the team’s sixth man, a role in which he performed very well.  Despite being used predominantly off the bench, Childress would still average over 30 Minutes per Game as a Hawk and never had a season with fewer than Points per Game. Childress would shock Atlanta — and, really, the entire NBA — when he left the team for Olympiacos in the Greek League.

Mel Hutchins was with the Hawks for only two seasons, but those first two campaigns in the National Basketball Association were incredible.

Starting a little over 40 percent of his games in Atlanta, Alan Henderson would have four seasons where he eclipsed over 10 Points per Game.  Henderson may not have been a superstar, but he almost played 500 Games for the Hawks and was highly regarded in the locker room.  Had Henderson not played in an era with a glut of very good Power Forwards (his VORP is relatively low), he would probably be ranked higher.

Inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame mostly for what he did with the New York Knicks, Richie Guerin was with the St. Louis/Atlanta Hawks for six seasons, five of which he served as a Player/Coach.  Guerin was not the player he was when he was a Knick, but he was there to help in a dual role.  Guerin would still average 13.0 Points per Game.  Interestingly enough, he had been drafted by the expansion Seattle SuperSonics prior to the 1967-68 season and retired rather than play for the new team so he could coach Atlanta full-time.  Incidentally, that year he would be named Coach of the Year.  The Sonics would eventually trade his rights back to Atlanta, allowing him to be a Player/Coach a little longer.

His Hall of Fame call came in 2013.

Did Jon Koncak live up to what you want from a 5th overall pick?  He didn’t, but you can’t leave off a player with 717 career games for a franchise, half of them as a starting Center.  The man called “Jon Contract” because he received a hefty contract for a player who was not a full-time starter, did, however, put up a solid defensive presence.  Still, we wouldn’t be surprised to hear some people upset that he is on this list at all.

There is no doubt that Moses Malone is a legend in the world of basketball, but when you think of Malone, it is not the Atlanta Hawks that you think of.  While that is not necessarily the wrong thought process, Malone did have three decent seasons in Atlanta, the first of which was an All-Star one.  Two of his three years in Atlanta were double-double campaigns, both with PERs over 20. 

A member of the Atlanta Hawks for six and a half seasons, Steve Hawes would average an even 10 Points per Game during his tenure in the ATL.  Hawes may not have put up the blocking numbers you want from a big man, but he did have efficient shooting and rebounding, which did not earn him the respect he probably should have received.

Spending the first third of his fifteen-year NBA career with the Atlanta Hawks, Stacey Augmon’s five years in the “ATL” were by far his best.  Augmon was the ninth overall Draft Pick in 1991 and the man they dubbed “The Plastic Man” would have five consecutive seasons where he eclipsed 12 points per Game.

While the highlight of Cliff Levingston arguably was the two championships he would win late in his career with the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls, there is no question that the prime of his career was the six seasons he spent in Atlanta. 

“Jumping” Joe Caldwell would spend the majority of his professional career with the Hawks, both in St. Louis and in Atlanta.  Always a good scorer, Caldwell had a solid defensive presence and was named to two All-Star Games following the team’s relocation to Atlanta, along with a Second Team Defensive Selection.  Caldwell would leave Atlanta for the ABA after posting a 21.2 PPG season for the Hawks.

A member of the Atlanta Hawks for 332 Games, Kyle Korver was a bit of a surprising All Star choice in 2015, but he was so respected for his long range shooting for years that it was not that strange of a selection.  The Shooting Guard would lead the NBA in Three Point Fielding Percentage twice as a Hawk (and once in the season he was traded to Cleveland) and he was also a two time leader in True Shooting Percentage.  He would average 10.9 Points per Game with Atlanta.

Kevin Willis played in the NBA for a long time.  I mean, a really long time!  A veteran of the National Basketball Association for over twenty seasons, Willis played the first half (and his best half) with the Atlanta Hawks.  An All-Star in 1992, Wilis had four seasons where he averaged a double-double and was named a co-captain of the team.  Willis would be known for his incredible rebounding skills. 

Shareef Abdur-Rahim was a better player than he really got credit for, but when you always play for bad teams, it is easy to forget you.  Abdur-Rahim actually holds the distinction of playing the most games in his career (Vancouver, Atlanta, Portland, and Sacramento) before finally participating in the playoffs. 

Jeff Teague was a member of the Atlanta Hawks for the first seven years of his NBA career, and in the 2014-15 season, he was named to his first All-Star Game.  Teague was drafted in the middle of the 2009 First Round draft from Wake Forest, and the crafty Point Guard would score over 14 Points per Game four times.

Jason Terry would later win the NBA Sixth Man of the Year (2009) and a Championship with the Dallas Mavericks, but it was with the Atlanta Hawks where he first cut his teeth in professional basketball.  Terry was drafted 10th overall in 1999 and quickly became a feared shooter in the league.  While he would receive more accolades in Dallas, Terry’s best scoring season was with Atlanta (19.7 PPG), and aside from his rookie season, he would never fall below 16 Points per Game as a Hawk.

While “Pistol” Pete Maravich is best known for what he did in the State of Louisiana, both with the New Orleans Jazz and LSU, it should be remembered that the first four seasons prossionnally were spent professio with the Atlanta Hawks. 

The answer to the trivia question (who was the first overall draft pick in the 1950s), Chuck Share, would be traded from Fort Wayne to the Milwaukee Hawks, which would later be moved to St. Louis.  Share, a rough player who was adept at collecting Personal Fouls, would have three seasons where he scored 15 Points per Game, but most notably was the captain for the Hawks' Championship win in 1958.

There were few players more exciting to watch in Atlanta than Eddie Johnson.  Johnson worked his way from a low draft pick to a two-time All-Star, and his slashing style made him a fan favorite not only in Atlanta but also throughout the NBA fan base.  Not only was he a good shooter, but he also used his speed on the defensive side of the ball, as shown by his two selections to the Second Team All Defensive squad.