1991–92 Atlanta Hawks season

The 1991–92 Atlanta Hawks season was the 43rd season for the Atlanta Hawks in the National Basketball Association, and their 24th season in Atlanta, Georgia.^[1] The Hawks received the ninth overall pick in the 1991 NBA draft from the Los Angeles Clippers via trade, and selected small forward Stacey Augmon from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.^[2][3][4] During the off-season, the team acquired former All-Star guard Maurice Cheeks from the New York Knicks,^[5][6][7] acquired second-year guard Travis Mays from the Sacramento Kings,^[8][9] and acquired Blair Rasmussen from the Denver Nuggets.^[10] However, Mays only played in two games due to two ruptured tendons in his right ankle.^[11]

With the addition of Augmon, Rasmussen and Cheeks, the Hawks got off to a 10–8 start to the regular season, posted a six-game winning streak between December and January, and later on held a 24–23 record at the All-Star break.^[12] However, with a 22–20 record as of January 28, 1992, Dominique Wilkins suffered an Achilles tendon injury, and was out for the remainder of the season after 42 games.^[13][14][15] Without Wilkins, the Hawks struggled and fell below .500 in winning percentage, losing 24 of their final 40 games of the season, including a seven-game losing streak in March. The Hawks finished in fifth place in the Central Division with a 38–44 record,^[16] missing the NBA playoffs, and losing a tie-breaker for the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference to the Miami Heat.

Wilkins averaged 28.1 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game, while Kevin Willis averaged 18.3 points and 15.5 rebounds per game, and was named to the All-NBA Third Team, and Augmon provided the team with 13.3 points and 1.5 steals per game, and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. In addition, second-year guard Rumeal Robinson showed improvement becoming the team's starting point guard, averaging 13.0 points, 5.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game, while Rasmussen provided with 9.0 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. Off the bench, Duane Ferrell contributed 12.7 points per game, while rookie shooting guard Paul Graham contributed 10.1 points and 1.2 steals per game, second-year forward Alexander Volkov became the team's starting small forward in Wilkins' absence, averaging 8.6 points and 3.2 assists per game, Cheeks contributed 4.6 points, 3.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game, and Jon Koncak provided with 3.1 points and 3.4 rebounds per game.^[17]

During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Orlando Arena in Orlando, Florida, Wilkins and Willis were both selected for the 1992 NBA All-Star Game, as members of the Eastern Conference All-Star team, although Wilkins did not participate due to injury; it was Willis's first and only All-Star appearance.^[18][19][20] Meanwhile, Augmon participated in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest.^[21][22] Willis also finished in third place in Most Improved Player voting.^[23][24]

The Hawks finished 25th in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 511,803 at the Omni Coliseum during the regular season, which was the third-lowest in the league.^[17][25] Following the season, Robinson was traded to the New Jersey Nets,^[26][27][28] and Cheeks and Volkov were both released to free agency.