More Atlanta Hawks Information

In 1999, the Atlanta Hawks moved into the brand new Philips Arena. The state of the art facility increased ticket sales significantly upon its opening. In 2002, Terry Slots took over the Hawks coaching job. The Atlanta Hawks struggled in the Eastern Conference for the early part of the new millennium. Forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim remains one of the league's best averaging over 20 points per game throughout his career. Rahim was selected to the 2002 Eastern Conference All-Star team as a reserve. Point guard Jason Terry is a good ball handler with the ability to beat players off of the dribble as well as dish the ball to an open teammate.

The Eastern Conference is known throughout basketball as the weaker of the two NBA conferences. Known for its lower scoring games with fewer teams electing to run up and down the court, the conference has not produced an NBA champion since Michael Jordan left the Chicago Bulls in 1998. The Hawks are in the Eastern Conference's Central Division. The division is also home to the likes of the Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks, and Detroit Pistons. The Pacers' boast one of basketball's best big men Jermaine O'Neal who averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds per game in 2003. The Pistons' Ben Wallace is another great big man in the Eastern Conference. Not a potent scorer, Wallace averages double digits in rebounding and is among the league's best shot blockers.