The draft has always been a crapshoot. No one knows how players’ careers are going to unfold in the long term. Injuries, work ethic, chemistry, off court issues all have an impact on how a player is going to ultimately survive in the rough and tumble world of the NBA. Will the newly drafted players be great, good or a catastrophe?
There is a bit of luck involved here. The right team, the right coach, the style of play, maturity, selflessness, ability to handle criticism both publically and privately, the right organization, all play a part.
Jun 26, 2014; Brooklyn, NY, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver addresses the crowd before the start of the 2014 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
The hope of any draft is to find an All-Star. Or, to find a good player who can contribute to the team concept, and at the same time, outperform his rookie contract.
The Atlanta Hawks have been drafting players since 1968, when they moved from St. Louis to Atlanta. Here is a list of their best drafts.
2001: 3rd pick, Pau Gasol– arguably the best European player to enter the NBA. The Hawks traded him on draft night to the Memphis Grizzlies. He was Rookie of the Year. He has been an All-Star five times. The two-time NBA champion has scored 18,000 points, grabbed 9,000 rebounds. His career average in 983 games is 18 points, 9 rebounds.
1975: 1st pick, David Thompson– the hyper athletic, high flying, explosive dunker extraordinaire David Thompson was the #1 pick in the NBA draft and the ABA draft. Thompson rejected the NBA for the more athletic, thrills-a- minute ABA league. Thompson felt disregarded by the NBA in his meeting with the Hawks and it helped drive his decision towards the ABA even though they paid less money. Thompson was the finalist in the first ever Slam Dunk Contest which was an ABA creation. After the NBA and ABA merged, Thompson stayed with his ABA team, the Denver Nuggets. In his eight year, 509 game NBA career, he scored 11,000 points and pulled down nearly 2,000 rebounds. His career average in the NBA was 22 points and 4 rebounds.
1970: 3rd pick, Pete Maravich– the very flamboyant point guard entered the NBA in an age where it was considered unprofessional to play with flair and style. Maravich was an odd fit on the Hawks. They already had a scorer in Lou Hudson and their style of play was conservative. Maravich was paid $2 million dollars in his rookie deal which his veteran teammates resented. He wasn’t rookie of the year but he did average 23 points a game. He remained with the Hawks for 4 seasons. His last year was his best, averaging 27 points a game. In his decade of NBA basketball, 658 games, Maravich scored almost 16,000 points and dished out 3,500 assists. His career average in the NBA was 24 points and 5 assists.
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2007: 3rd pick, Al Horford– the unknown fact about Horford, what he has over LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Steph Curry, and Dwight Howard is that he has been in the playoffs every year of his career. The All-Star is the backbone of the Atlanta Hawks in this era, capping it off with a 60 win season in 2014-15. In his 8 year career, Horford, in 496 games, has scored 7,000 points and grabbed 4,500 rebounds. His career average is 14 points and 9 rebounds.
1999: 10th pick, Jason Terry– a shooter’s shooter, Terry launches shots from almost everywhere. He was with the Hawks for five years. His second and third year he averaged 19 points a game. His fourth year he averaged 17 points and his fifth year he averaged 16 points. He was traded to the Dallas Mavericks where he won an NBA title. In his 16 year career, 1,213 games, Terry has scored almost 18,000 points and dished out 5,000 assists. His career average is 15 points and 4 assists.
2009: 17th pick Jeff Teague– often overlooked in a league that is dominated by explosive point guards, Jeff Teague has grown into a playmaker and finisher. He is the engine that makes the Hawks go, and like Horford, does not know what it feels like to miss the playoffs. But he does know what it feels like to be an All-Star. In his 6 year career, 439 games, Teague has scored 5,000 points and dished out 2,200 assists. His career average is 12 points and 5 assists.
2004: 17th pick, Josh Smith– maligned, ridiculed and at the same time praised, Josh Smith can be two people at the same time. He can be an immature underachiever and he can also be an important piece on a team with talent. Smith was the example used when the NBA wanted to change the rule that allowed high school players entry into the league. Plagued by immaturity issues, Smith overcame some of his flaws as he was a valued member of the Hawks era with Joe Johnson as their best player. But, Smith’s inability to dominant players of his size (6-10) on the block and his questionable shot making decisions and his on court demeanor is why many consider Josh Smith a liability. But his talent is evident. In his 11 year career, 836 games, Smith scored 12,000 points and grabbed 6,000 rebounds. His career average is 15 points and 8 rebounds.