Hoops Habit
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NBA: Who is the best duo from each franchise’s history

By Christopher Jeter

CHICAGO, IL - MAY 6: Scottie Pippen #33 of the Chicago Bulls is seen talking to Michael Jordan #23 of the Chicago Bulls during the game against the Atlanta Hawks on May 6, 1997 at the United Center in Chicago, IL. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1997 NBAE (Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - MAY 6: Scottie Pippen #33 of the Chicago Bulls is seen talking to Michael Jordan #23 of the Chicago Bulls during the game against the Atlanta Hawks on May 6, 1997 at the United Center in Chicago, IL. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1997 NBAE (Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Steve Lipofsky/The LIFE Images Collection via Getty Images/Getty Images)
(Photo by Steve Lipofsky/The LIFE Images Collection via Getty Images/Getty Images) /

Best duo from Atlanta Hawks history: Dominique Wilkins and Kevin Willis

When you google the word “mediocre” here’s the definition the popular search engine gives you: only of moderate quality; not very good.

Does that not sum up the Atlanta Hawks‘ entire existence?

Even when the team puts together a great season, the fans don’t view them as a legitimate championship contender.

Not only has this team spent the last seven decades underwhelming their fans with early playoff exits, but they have also bored them with an equally long list of mundane, second-tier stars. Guys like Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Steve Smith, Christian Laettner, Mookie Blaylock, and Al Horford.

To find the last true Hawks superstar, you have to go back to the mid-1980s. There you’ll find some of the best Hawks teams in franchise history — their Atlanta history, at least — headlined by scoring machine Dominique Wilkins.

Aptly nicknamed “The Human Highlight Film”, Wilkins kept Hawks fans glued to either their seats in the arena or their television screens at home as no one wanted to miss what he did on the court.

Of course, the Hawks never found an adequate co-star to pair with Wilkins to get them over the semi-finals hump. The best they could do — outside of bringing in an aging Moses Malone for three seasons — was Kevin Willis.

Willis played alongside Wilkins for nine seasons (1984-85 to1993-94) and in that time, he became a solid fringe All-Star player. Collectively, Wilkins and Willis compiled 16.5 win shares (WS) per season. Not bad, but not enough to get past the likes of the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers.