NBA: Ranking every team based off draft success over the last 20 years

NBA New Orleans Pelicans Zion Williamson (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
NBA New Orleans Pelicans Zion Williamson (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
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NBA Atlanta Hawks Trae Young (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)

22. Atlanta Hawks: 11.5 points 

  • 2003: Boris Diaw: 0.5
  • 2004: Josh Smith: 0.5
  • 2005: Marvin Williams: 0.5
  • 2007: Al Horford: 7 (5x all-star, 1x 3rd team)
  • 2009: Jeff Teague: 1.5 (1x all-star,1.5x for pick outside of lottery)
  • 2017: John Collins: 0.5
  • 2018: Trae Young: 1 (1x all-star)

Whether they knew it or not, the Atlanta Hawks may have been the first team to adopt “the process,” from 2000-07. They started the 2000’s with a lot of top picks and just kept rinsing and repeating until they finally got it right with Al Horford in 2007.

The picks up until 2007 are hard to look at though: Demarr Johnson (6th overall in 2000), traded the rights to Pau Gasol in 2001 (ouch), Josh Childress (6th overall in 2004), Marvin Williams (2nd overall in 2005), and Shelden Williams (5th overall in 2006).

After 10 straight playoff appearances from 2008-2017, including one trip to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2015, the Hawks have once again attempted to rebuild. They’re off to a good start over the last three drafts, and if their younger players pan out they should be starting a new playoff streak within the next couple years.