Atlanta Hawks: 5 worst NBA Draft lottery picks in team history

Atlanta Hawks worst lottery pick No. 2: Rumeal Robinson contributed mostly in his departure

While we move from one 10th overall pick to another, the Hawks actually selected Rumeal Robinson two years before Keefe, in the 1990 NBA Draft. This after a three-year run at the University of Michigan that saw him win a National Championship as a sophomore after he hit the game-clinching free throws with seconds on the clock.

In many ways, he was even better as a senior. Robinson saw his scoring average go from 9.7 points per game as a freshman to 14.9 to 19.2 as a senior.

He finished with career averages of 14.5 points and 5.6 assists.

The Hawks team Robison was drafted to was loaded with big names, including at the guard spots with Spud Webb and Doc Rivers still in town. This was during a very successful time for the Hawks.

For Robinson, that meant scant playing time early on as he averaged just 5.6 points, 2.8 assists, and 1.5 rebounds as a rookie.

In his second season, Robinson’s numbers saw a significant increase in opportunity with the departure of both Webb and Rivers. The former Wolverine averaged 13.0 points, 5.5 assists, and 1.3 steals on a Hawks team that would miss the postseason for just the fourth time in 22 years.

That would also be the personal peak for Robinson’s playing career.

Robinson spent parts of four more seasons in the NBA between the New Jersey Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, and Portland Trailblazers with a stint in Spain in the middle.

His personal life would also spiral as he found himself in legal trouble over bank fraud that landed him in prison.

In the end, Robinson’s greatest contribution was being the piece to bring Mookie Blaylock to Atlanta after the 1992 season.