Atlanta Hawks: 20 best players of all-time

Best Atlanta Hawks of all-time – Jamal Crawford (2009-2011)

Jamal Crawford has made an NBA career for himself providing value wherever he’s landed over the past 20 years. Originally drafted out of Rainer Beach High School in Seattle, Washington in 2000, Jamal Crawford was taken with the eighth overall pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers. One of the most prolific scorers the league has seen, Crawford has the natural ability to put the ball in the basket and can do so at the rim, in the midrange, or from deep.

Crawford spent two years with the Atlanta Hawks after being traded to the team by the Golden State Warriors in 2009.

In his time with the Hawks, Crawford averaged 16.1 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 3.1 assists. Off of the bench in his first season in Atlanta, Crawford averaged 18 points per game on .449/.382/.857 shooting splits, a luxury for any coach when they look down the bench for a sixth man.

Crawford would win the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award three times in his career, the first of which came in his first year with the Atlanta Hawks. While in the Peach State, Crawford perfected his infamous 4-point play, shooting in the top seven in 3-point field goals four times.

He played with other Atlanta Hawks players on this list, including Josh Smith, Al Horford, and Joe Johnson. That Hawks roster made the playoffs in both of Crawford’s seasons with the team. He would leave the Hawks during free agency in 2011 when he signed with the Portland Trail Blazers.

Best Atlanta Hawks of all-time – Jason Terry (1999-2004)

Jason “The Jet” Terry was drafted 10th overall out of Arizona by the Atlanta Hawks in 1999 and would spend 5 seasons with the team. An NCAA Champion at Arizona, Terry came into the league earning NBA All-Rookie Second Team Honors in 2000. He played his first two seasons with Dikembe Mutumbo before Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Boris Diaw and Stephen Jackson made their way to Atlanta.

At 6-2, Terry was often the smallest guy on the court but made up for it with great energy and effort. In his 5 seasons with the Atlanta Hawks, Jason Terry averaged 16.1 points per game on .427/.367/.845 shooting splits. He also managed 3.3 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game for the Hawks in those years.

Terry was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in 2009, with whom he would win an NBA Championship and Sixth Man of the Year award. Jason Terry shot the ball really well as an Atlanta Hawks player, finishing in the top 20 in 3-point field goals in 4 of his 5 seasons in ATL.

Known for his active defense in Atlanta, he’s 33rd on the all-time NBA steals leader list. He would play for the Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, and Houston Rockets before retiring with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2019, ending his 19-year career. He transitioned into coaching, going first to the NBA G League before accepting an assistant role at his alma mater Arizona.