Ranking 2014-15 Atlanta Hawks Among Best Teams in Franchise History
This season has been a campaign of franchise records for the 58-19 Atlanta Hawks.
The team established its longest winning streak (19 games) in December and January, earned its most All-Star nods (four) in February and most recently, set a new mark for most wins in a season (58) after defeating the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday.
With all of these records, is this the best Hawks team the franchise has ever had?
We can't know for sure until the conclusion of the playoffs, when Atlanta can seriously improve or diminish its stock, but it's not too early to compare this Hawks team with its earlier iterations.
A mixture of regular-season record, net rating (the difference between offensive and defensive ratings) and playoff results (or a reasonable conjecture for playoff results, in the case of this year's squad) will be taken into account. The teams will also be judged on how successful they were in their particular year, not how successful they would be in today's NBA.
Every team since the franchise's inception in 1949 will be considered.
Nos. 10-6
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10. 1988-89 (52-30, Lost 3-2 to Milwaukee Bucks in Eastern Conference First Round)
We start off the list with the first of several Dominique Wilkins-led teams. "The Human Highlight Film" was his usual self in 1988-89 (26.2 points and 6.9 rebounds), but what set this squad apart was the presence of Moses Malone. The 33-year-old big man supplied Atlanta with 20.2 points and 11.8 boards per contest in the first of three campaigns with the Hawks.
A disappointing first-round loss to the Bucks in five games for the No. 4-seeded Hawks taints an otherwise solid season.
9. 2009-10 (53-29, Lost 4-0 to Orlando Magic in Eastern Conference Semifinals)
The 2009-10 team looked like it was on its way to becoming an Eastern Conference juggernaut. Improving its win total from 37 to 47 to 53 in a span of three seasons, the squad had a strong young nucleus of Joe Johnson, Josh Smith and Al Horford.
Atlanta used all seven games to down the scrappy "Fear the Deer"-era Bucks in the postseason's opening round, but the team was absolutely throttled in four straight games by Dwight Howard's Orlando Magic in Round 2. Howard averaged 21.0 points and 13.3 rebounds in the series, shooting a ridiculous 84.4 percent. His intimidating post presence prevented the Hawks from establishing their interior scoring attack.
8. 1958-59 St. Louis Hawks (49-23, Lost 4-2 to Minneapolis Lakers in Western Division Finals)
One year after coming away with an NBA championship, the 1958-59 St. Louis Hawks were a dominant regular-season team led by star forwards Bob Pettit and Cliff Hagan. Both Pettit and Hagan averaged at least 20 points and 10 rebounds.
Interestingly enough, the defending champs fell in the first of two playoff rounds (called the "Western Division Finals") to the Elgin Baylor-led Minneapolis Lakers in six games. The fact that Minneapolis' record that year was just 33-39 puts a damper on what St. Louis accomplished in 1958-59.
7. 1979-80 (50-32, Lost 4-1 to Philadelphia 76ers in Eastern Conference Semifinals)
An often-overlooked era of Hawks history is the late 1970s, which featured Eddie Johnson, John Drew and Dan Roundfield as its main players. Each member of the trio was extremely adept scoring the ball, and they combined for 54.5 points per game in 1979-80.
Like so many other teams in Hawks history, however, this one couldn't get over the playoff hump. A prime Julius Erving and an immensely talented cast of role players on the 76ers ended Atlanta's season in 1980 on their way to an NBA Finals berth.
6. 1987-88 (50-32, Lost 4-3 to Boston Celtics in Eastern Conference Semifinals)
It's sometimes referred to as "The Duel," and it's a moment most NBA fans from the 1980s remember vividly.
On May 22, 1988, the Celtics' Larry Bird and Wilkins squared off at the Boston Garden during Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals in one of the best head-to-head individual battles in basketball history. Wilkins' 47 points topped Bird's 34, but the Celtics edged out the Hawks 118-116.
This was nearly an Eastern Conference finals berth for the Hawks, which would have been a pleasant surprise. Atlanta was just a No. 4 seed but nearly knocked off the top-seeded, battle-tested Celtics.
5. 1993-94
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Regular-Season Record (Franchise Rank in Parentheses): 57-25 (T-2)
Net Rating (Franchise Rank in Parentheses): +5.5 (4)
Postseason Result: Lost Eastern Conference semifinals (4-2) to Indiana Pacers
Key Players (Win Shares in Parentheses): Mookie Blaylock (10.2), Kevin Willis (10.2), Stacey Augmon (9.7), Craig Ehlo (5.9)
I don't know how big a fan I am of those uniforms, but the 1993-94 Hawks could sure play basketball.
The interesting thing about this squad is the fact it traded its best player, a 34-year-old Wilkins, to the Los Angeles Clippers at the trade deadline, despite being 36-16 at the time. Atlanta also sent a conditional first-round pick to Los Angeles and received Danny Manning in return, according to The Los Angeles Times.
As the newspaper's Chris Baker reported, Wilkins wasn't expecting the swap:
"I'm surprised that it went down," he said. "But I think it's probably the best move for me even though I felt we had a chance to compete for a championship this year. It's a little disappointing in the way they handled it, but, at the same time, I've always wanted to be in L.A., and I'm happy to come to the Clippers."
But head coach Lenny Wilkens' Hawks didn't miss a beat, closing the regular season 21-9 with Manning in Wilkins' starting spot.
However, Atlanta seemed to really miss its superstar in the playoffs. The squad had trouble keeping up with Reggie Miller's 15-of-34 three-point shooting in the Eastern Conference semifinals and lost in six games.
Manning, Mookie Blaylock, Kevin Willis and Stacey Augmon formed a nice foundation for this team, but that group didn't have quite the star power needed to advance deep in the playoffs. Keeping Wilkins may have changed that.
4. 1957-58 St. Louis Hawks
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Regular-Season Record: 41-31 (22)
Net Rating: +1.1 (T-25)
Postseason Result: Won NBA Finals (4-2) versus Boston Celtics
Key Players: Bob Pettit (11.0), Cliff Hagan (10.0), Ed Macauley (6.3), Chuck Share (4.2)
I know; I'm crazy for putting the Hawks' only championship-winning team in franchise history all the way down at No. 4.
But these St. Louis Hawks were basically average in the regular season. For reference, their plus-1.1 net rating in the regular season puts them nearly on par with this year's New Orleans Pelicans. And in contrast to nowadays, when teams need to wade through four rounds of playoff basketball before earning a title, St. Louis only had to play two series to win it all.
Even more, the Hawks' finals opponent's best player, Bill Russell, suffered an ankle injury in Game 3 of the series, leaving him out or limited for the remaining three contests, per NBA.com.
That isn't to say head coach Alex Hannum's squad wasn't good—it was. Pettit and Hagan were beasts inside. Pettit was a master of layups while Hagan was one of the earliest proponents of the hook shot. Slater Martin held down the backcourt with his 12.0 points and 3.6 assists per game.
The Hawks' lone championship in 1958 is undoubtedly a crowning moment for the franchise, but winning a title in today's 30-team NBA would be a much bigger accomplishment than doing the same in the eight-team league of the 1950s.
3. 1996-97
4 of 6
Regular-Season Record: 56-26 (T-4)
Net Rating: +6.2 (2)
Postseason Result: Lost in Eastern Conference semifinals (4-1) to Chicago Bulls
Key Players: Mookie Blaylock (12.5), Christian Laettner (11.6), Dikembe Mutombo (11.3), Steve Smith (9.1)
What a four-man nucleus the 1996-97 Hawks team had.
Blaylock was Gary Payton-like with his elite defense and solid playmaking from the point guard position. Laettner was a sweet-shooting big who just happened to have his only All-Star season in 1996-97. Dikembe Mutombo was the league's best defensive player. And Steve Smith could fill it up from anywhere on the court.
All four of those players accumulated at least 9.0 win shares in 1996-97. In 2014-15, no team even has three guys with at least that many.
Unfortunately, despite winning 56 games, Wilkens' Hawks were stuck as the East's No. 4 seed. And although the team's strength was defense (its 102.3 defensive rating was No. 3 in the NBA), it couldn't stop Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen in the Eastern Conference semifinals. The duo combined for 48.8 points per game, pushing the Bulls to a 4-1 series win over Atlanta.
Well, it's not like anyone was really going to stop Jordan and Pippen in 1997 anyway.
2. 1986-87
5 of 6
Regular-Season Record: 57-25 (T-2)
Net Rating: +7.4 (1)
Postseason Result: Lost in Eastern Conference semifinals (4-1) versus Detroit Pistons
Key Players: Dominique Wilkins (12.2), Doc Rivers (10.3), Kevin Willis (8.6), Cliff Levingston (6.1)
This is a team that had the superstar (Wilkins) and the depth on paper to realistically contend for a title. Doc Rivers averaged 10.0 assists per game, Kevin Willis was a double-double machine, Tree Rollins protected the rim and Randy Wittman (yes, the Wizards' current head coach) shot accurately from mid-range.
The squad's 57-25 record was second in the East to the Celtics, while its plus-7.4 net rating was second in the entire league to the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers.
During the second round of the playoffs, Atlanta met the third-seeded Detroit Pistons, who were just beginning to embrace their trademark "Bad Boys" persona. Detroit mucked the games up with its physical defense while the play of super subs Vinnie Johnson, Dennis Rodman and John Salley overwhelmed most of the Hawks reserves. For the series, the Pistons held Wilkins to just 38.2 percent shooting as they won in five games over Atlanta.
Losing to an eventual dynasty is nothing to be ashamed of, and that's partially why this Hawks team, led by head coach Mike Fratello, is one of the best in franchise history.
But it isn't the best.
1. 2014-15
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Regular-Season Record: 58-19 (1)
Net Rating: +5.8 (3)
Postseason Result: ?
Key Players: Paul Millsap (8.3), Al Horford (8.0), Jeff Teague (7.3), Kyle Korver (6.8)
The Atlanta team we all have the pleasure of watching this year is the best Hawks squad ever.
Head coach Mike Budenholzer has star power with Paul Millsap, Al Horford and Jeff Teague providing varying skill sets but taking turns as "the man," depending on the game.
There's also fantastic depth. Kyle Korver is the NBA's most accurate three-point shooter, while DeMarre Carroll's touch from downtown is getting better by the game to complement his defensive capabilities. Dennis Schroder and Thabo Sefolosha could start for several teams and Kent Bazemore, Mike Scott and Pero Antic have their moments as role players.
Most importantly, the members of the squad like playing together and enjoy seeing each other succeed.
The team's net rating is only third in franchise history, but there's little doubt the number would be better if the Hawks didn't start resting players so early in the season because of their big lead in the Eastern Conference.
Now, if the franchise had a rich history of titles and deep playoff runs, this pick would be a bit harder to justify. Even so, it is hard to put a team that hasn't even started its postseason slate of games this high. But Atlanta, as the No. 1 seed in a weak conference, should have a relatively easy path to reach the Eastern Conference finals. The Hawks haven't been one of the final four teams remaining since 1970.
Should Atlanta qualify for the conference finals, I'm not making any guarantees. They would likely face LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and the No. 2-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in a battle of teamwork versus talent, and it would be a great series.
Who knows, maybe the Hawks will win that series and the next one, too.
All statistics are from Basketball-Reference.com and updated through April 7 unless otherwise indicated.
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