Atlanta Hawks: 20 best players of all-time

Here’s a look at the top 20 players to ever play for the Atlanta Hawks.

Going into the 2020-21 season, the Atlanta Hawks will look to make it back into the NBA Playoffs for the first time in three years with an updated roster and an expectation to win now. With new guys like Rajon Rondo and Danilo Gallinari in Hawks uniforms this year, we got to thinking about who the best players to ever play for the franchise have been.

That thinking resulted in this, a list of the top 20 players in Atlanta Hawks team history. Since moving to Atlanta in 1968, the Hawks have had some legends suit up to play in the Highlight Factory.

Before you dive headfirst into this list though, keep a few things in mind.

• This list won’t include franchise legends like Cliff Hagan, who played for the St. Louis Hawks before their relocation to Atlanta. We considered Atlanta history specifically for this list.
• Each player on this list has played at least 2 seasons for the Atlanta Hawks.
• Each positioning on this list is also not by the player’s overall career, but by their performance in an Atlanta Hawks uniform. For example, Vince Carter is a first-ballot Hall of Famer who played for the Hawks from 2018-2020. While we’re all aware of his greatness, it’s no secret that Carter was wrapping up his career in Atlanta, and thus shouldn’t be expected to be seen on this list as his numbers with the Hawks were career lows.
• Taken into account for this list were the players’ statistics, their effect on the game, team performance, and All-Star appearances.

Now that we’ve got our guidelines, let’s begin.

Best Atlanta Hawks of all-time – No. 20 – Josh Smith (2004-2013)

The Atlanta Hawks drafted Georgia-native and McDonald’s All-American Josh Smith 17th overall in 2004 out of Oak Hill Academy, most noted for its production Carmelo Anthony the year before. Smith joined a roster that included Tyronn Lue, Boris Diaw, and Antoine Walker. He had a better NBA career than Josh Childress, who was taken above Smith at number six in the same draft.

The “J-Smoove and J-Chill” era in Atlanta Hawks history was entertaining, to say the least. Smith made the 2nd NBA All-Rookie Team for the 2004-2005 season.

During his nine seasons in Atlanta, Smith was known for his electrifying dunks and showcased his ability to the basketball world winning the Slam Dunk Contest in 2005. His incredible defensive timing landed him top-20 in the league 11 out of his 15 years in the NBA. Smith made the 2nd NBA All-Defensive Team in 2010 after averaging 8.6 rebounds, 1.6 steals, and 2.1 blocks per game on the season.

After leaving Atlanta as a free agent in 2013, Josh Smith played for the Pistons, Rockets, and Clippers before ending his career with the Pelicans in 2018. Smith averaged 15.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.3 steals, and 2.1 blocks per game in his nine years in an Atlanta Hawks jersey, for one of the most well-rounded stat lines you’ll see on this list.