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Atlanta Hawks: A look back at NBA Draft history before 2017

By Brendan Galella

Jun 26, 2014; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Adreian Payne (Michigan State) shakes hands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number fifteen overall pick to the Atlanta Hawks in the 2014 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 26, 2014; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Adreian Payne (Michigan State) shakes hands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number fifteen overall pick to the Atlanta Hawks in the 2014 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
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With 502 selections in the NBA Draft during their 68 years of NBA existence, the Atlanta Hawks have one of the most comprehensive draft histories in the league.

For the ninth consecutive season, the Atlanta Hawks will be selecting outside of the draft lottery. The franchise probably prefers it that way.

Not only does a pick outside of the draft lottery indicate a team made the postseason the same season, but the Hawks have struggled mightily when choosing near the top of the draft.

While the team has experienced some success historically, such as drafting Bob Pettit, Lou Hudson, Lenny Wilkens and Pete Maravich in the top 10, the team has failed to land impact players in the lottery since its inception in 1985.

Atlanta has made 11 lottery selections, and only two have gone on to become All-Stars. One of the future All-Stars, forward Pau Gasol, was traded before ever playing a game for the Hawks.

Rumeal Robinson, Adam Keefe, DerMarr Johnson and Shelden Williams were all chosen with a top-10 draft pick, but failed to play three seasons in Atlanta.

Josh Childress would up playing overseas after just four seasons, Jon Koncak was regrettably chosen before Chris Mullin, Detlef Schrempf, Charles Oakley and Karl Malone, and Marvin Williams has scored over 1,000 points just once since being chosen second overall by Atlanta in 2005.

Al Horford, the third overall pick of the 2007 NBA Draft, is the only lottery selection by the Hawks to actually make a long-term impact with the organization.

Late Lottery Selections

The Atlanta Hawks are selecting with the 19th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.

When choosing players outside of the draft lottery, the team has been much more successful, landing Jeff Teague, an eventual All-Star point guard, when choosing from the same position during the 2009 NBA Draft.

Since 1950, the Hawks have selected 19th overall three other times with uninspiring results. Two were traded away before every playing a single game for the team. Bill Willoughby was the only other player selected 19th overall to eventually play for Atlanta, as he averaged 4.8 points and 4.5 rebounds per game in two seasons.

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    • Aside from the choosing Teague outside of the draft lottery, Josh Smith, chosen 17th overall, was a staple in the Hawks’ lineup for nine seasons, posting the fifth-most minutes played in franchise history in the process.

    In 2013, Atlanta landed its replacement for Teague as the franchise point guard, selecting Dennis Schroder with the 17th overall pick.

    During the latest playoff run for the Hawks, Schroder emerged as a key contributor, averaging 24.7 points, 7.7 assists and shooting 42.5 percent from three-point range while playing against John Wall and the Wizards.

    The emergence of Schroder may make new general manager Travis Schlenk’s decision on Paul Millsap in free agency a bit easier.

    The increase of the salary cap for the 2017-18 season enables Atlanta to offer the four-time All-Star up to $205 million over five years, while other organizations could present him with a four-year, $152 million deal as an unrestricted free agent.

    Schlenk told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Millsap will probably fare better financially from another organization this summer, meaning Atlanta could target a potential power forward replacement with the 19th pick Thursday night.

    Second Round Selections

    The Atlanta Hawks will open and close the second round with draft selections. Atlanta will pick 31st and 60th, hoping to once again land vital pieces to the organization.

    Schlenk was hired to replace Mike Budenholzer, the former president of basketball operations and Wes Wilcox as general manager, in part because of his acumen for selecting talented players in the second round of the NBA draft.

    Budenholzer remains the head coach of Atlanta, while Wilcox has been reassigned as a special assistant within the organization, with Schlenk taking over as the primary decision maker.

    Golden State chose Draymond Green with the 35th overall pick while Schlenk served as assistant general manager to Bob Myers.

    Throughout the history of the franchise, second round picks have managed to become significant pieces to the team. Doc Rivers, the Hawks’ all-time leader in assists, was selected with the seventh pick in the second round back in 1983.

    Eddie Johnson, John Drew, Paul Silas and Wayne Embry all went on to score over 10,000 career points in the NBA after being selected after the first round by the Hawks.

    Next: Hawks - Top 10 NBA Draft picks in franchise history

    Schlenk will have three opportunities to deliver additional talent to a roster that has earned a postseason berth 10 consecutive times, while the Hawks are hoping to add more success stories to their franchise draft history.

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