Forward Al Harrington was part of a hopeful trio consisting of he, Josh Smith and Josh Childress that never really lived up to the hype. Harrington arrived in the 2004 offseason, joining rookies Childress and Smith with the hopes to leading them to the promised land.
By the time he arrived to the Hawks’ franchise, Harrington was entering his sixth year in the NBA and the prime of his career.
Things didn’t go quite as planned from a record point-of-view, but Harrington still did his best to contribute. Harrington averaged 17.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.3 steals per contest in his first season with the Hawks. He was third on the team in dunks with 81 behind the athletic freaks of Childress and Smith.
Harrington didn’t lead the team in dunks, but his ability to get to the rim and finish among the trees didn’t go unnoticed. During the 2005-06 season, Harrington averaged 18.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.1 steals per game through 76 appearances. He finished third on the team once again in dunks, finishing with just 47 jams.
The problem with the Hawks’ team wasn’t Harrington’s lack of scoring ability, but instead it was their inability to generate victories. They won just three games after the All-Star Break during Harrington’s first season.
Things improved slightly in his second season, as the team won 10 games after the All-Star Break in the following season. Before Harrington to could really get going, he was traded to the Indiana Pacers in the 2006 offseason. He still made his mark as one of the well-known rim rockers in his time in Atlanta.