Top 5 Point Guards in Atlanta Hawks History

2. Lenny Wilkens

Years Spent with Team: 1960-1968

Statistics (per game with Atlanta/St. Louis): 15.5 points, 5.5 assists, 4.9 rebounds (steals were not recorded until later in his career)

Shooting Percentages with St. Louis (Pre-Atlanta Era): .421/no 3-point line/.757

Silky. Smooth.

Those are the two words that are frequently tied to Lenny Wilkens and his play style. A lefty, Wilkens is one of the best off-the-dribble creators of all-time.

Blessed with an incredible handle, Wilkens was an elite-level floor general that could get to the rim at will.  Wilkens’ court vision was unmatched, and it showed in the paint. Whether it was scoring, or finding the open man. His finishing ability inside seemed effortless. Even now, players still study Wilken’s tape to study his great body control in traffic. By the way, he had some good practice in the paint going head-to-head with Bill Russell.

Defensively, Wilkens was considered a solid defender, but it is difficult to gauge now because steals and blocks were not tracked in that era of the NBA. But, Wilkens was, and still is, one of the most intelligent players to ever play and that made him a great all-around player. When one watches Wilkens, like Rivers, it is easy to see how he became such a great coach.

Wilkens is often overlooked in conversations when it comes to all-time players. Mainly due to him playing so long ago in an era dominated by Bill Russell’s Celtics. But, Wilkens  was a hall-of-fame player in his own right. He was a revolutionary offensive player and paved the way for many point guards behind him to succeed.

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