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Atlanta Hawks: Top 10 NBA Draft picks in franchise history

By Brendan Galella

Apr 22, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Atlanta Hawks center Al Horford (15) and forward Paul Millsap (4) defend against Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas (4) during the second quarter in game three of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 22, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Atlanta Hawks center Al Horford (15) and forward Paul Millsap (4) defend against Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas (4) during the second quarter in game three of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports /
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1. Bob Pettit (PF) — No. 2 pick in 1954 NBA Draft

Career stats (with the Hawks):  792 GP, 26.4 PPG, 16.2 RPG, 3.0 APG, 43.6 FG%, 76.1 FT%

Following a stellar career at LSU, the Hawks selected Bob Pettit with the second overall pick in 1954 as the franchise was moving from Milwaukee to St. Louis.

During his first professional training camp, Hawks coach Red Holzman shifted Pettit from center, where he excelled with the Tigers in college, to power forward. The move immediately paid off, as Pettit captured the NBA Rookie of the Year award as he posted 20.4 points and 13.8 rebounds a night.

The next season, Pettit led the NBA in scoring and rebounding, then led the franchise to its only championship in his third year as he averaged 24.7 points and 14.6 rebounds per game. In 1956, Pettit was the recipient of the league’s first Most Valuable Player award and became the first player to win MVP multiple times, as he claimed the honor in 1959.

Pettit was an All-Star during each of his 11 seasons, all with the Hawks, and he wound up winning MVP honors at the contest four times during his career.

The 16.2 rebounds per game he averaged ranks as the third-most in league history, trailing only Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell. He is also the only retired player with more than three years of experience to average more than 20 points per game during each of his seasons in the NBA.

For reference, Michael Jordan nearly duplicated the feat, but averaged exactly 20 points a night during his final season with Washington.

Pettit scored 2,429 points during the 1961-62 season, placing him as one of just 21 players ever to score over 2,400 points in a single season. That mark still stands as the most any player in Hawks franchise history has ever scored.

Next: Boston Celtics - Top 10 NBA Draft picks in franchise history

In 1996, Pettit was appointed as one of the 50 best players in NBA history, while No. 9 hangs in the rafters at Phillips Arena, signaling his place as the greatest player ever drafted by the Hawks franchise.

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