Name That Hawks Draft Pick

[Guest]

Hint: An easy one? OK! Just finished as MVP and League Champion in Venezuela a few weeks ago. Two years ago, he was cut in China to make room for Bonzi Wells, then headed to Australia in mideseason where he won a NBL championship and Finals MVP. Slam dunk champion in Bulgaria.

~lw3

Is that Donta? I never understood why some on this board were obsessed with him like he could actually contribute.

Oh and lw3 I just lost all respect I ever had for you after you put up a gamecock, just shameful.

[lethalweapon3]

Is that Donta? I never understood why some on this board were obsessed with him like he could actually contribute.

Oh and lw3 I just lost all respect I ever had for you after you put up a gamecock, just shameful.

Can't beat those... oh, never mind! :-)

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

Here was Donta in last year's finals, hitting a buzzer beater to keep the series alive for the Marinos (I guess that means Mariners).

And here was the Finals this year:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kp3xVyCF_M

~lw3

Edited July 23, 2011 by lethalweapon3

[atlbraves93]

^^ nope, not Tom McMillen! (did we draft him?) Good guess, either way!

~lw3

Carl Gerlach?

[atlbraves93]

The Hawks drafted this guy while he was playing overseas. He played 2 NBA seasons before heading back overseas where he still plays. He is a Bulgarian citizen.

Edited July 23, 2011 by atlbraves93

[lethalweapon3]

Carl Gerlach?

You got it!

Here is his bio.

http://www.opkansas.org/City-Government/Mayor-Carl-Gerlach

~lw3

The Hawks drafted this guy while he was playing overseas. He played 2 NBA seasons before heading back overseas where he still plays. He is a Bulgarian citizen.

Won't give his name away, but can he get any more huge? My goodness!

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

I did some detective work backtracking from the link in the photo, finding that that's his team name in the link not actually his but then checking their roster, knowing that Euro teams can only have two American's which helped narrow it down (that and he's the only one on his team with a wiki page) and finally came to the conclusion......

Who is "Darryl Middleton", Alex.

Wow, there isn't even a 3rd round anymore, you sure do find the obscure ones with your annual gameshow, Lethal.

More on Darryl:

http://www.ballineurope.com/european-basketball/euroleague/darryl-middleton-to-valencia-atlanta-hawks-girona-4427/

When Darryl Middleton was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks, the NBA was ruled over by the likes of Larry, Magic and MJ, Sir Charles and Hakeem the Dream. Rookie of the year was Mark Jackson and the Detroit Pistons were ascending into dominance. Andrew Bynum was about nine months old; Blake Griffin and Brandon Jennings weren’t even born. Hell, Svetislav Pešić was coaching a youth team which included Toni Kukoc, Vlade Divac, Dino Radja and Saša Đorđević.

Yet the 44-year-old plays on … yesterday, Power Electronics Valencia announced the signing of Middleton to a two-month contract, enough to let him finish out the season with the Euroleague club and extend his ACB record for “oldest player to appear in a league game.”

A mix during those youthful 29-years-old days:

And now in his 40s, still getting it done in the paint:

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

Trevor Wilson.

Somebody took enough time to snap a picture of him while he was here. No feature items on him that I can find, but he's referenced in an LA Times article about his working partner:

http://www.policeone...st-in-red-tape/

http://articles.latimes.com/1993-10-28/sports/sp-50681_1_trevor-wilson

His stint with the Hawks was short and somewhat sour. Wilson averaged only 2.2 points and 4.0 minutes in 25 games before being placed on injured reserve because of a back problem.

He was subsequently told of an opening in the Italian League by General Manager Pete Babcock. According to Wilson, there was miscommunication between Babcock and Coach Bob Weiss, who did not know Wilson had left.

"I've had guys not show up for practice, I've had guys forget assignments . . . but I've never had one in the wrong country," said Weiss, now coach of the Clippers.

Wilson was put on waivers and did not put on an NBA uniform again until this fall.

~lw3

Edited July 23, 2011 by lethalweapon3

[lethalweapon3]

Currently the "Director of Student-Athlete Development" (or, SAD?) and recruiter for a D-I hoops program, playing under the guy who coached him in high school. Scott Burrell, Chris Mills, and college teammate Sam Cassell were still on the board when the Hawks picked him. Hawks got 55 games and 322 minutes out of him over his first two seasons. Next to last player taken in the Vancouver Grizzlies' expansion draft (after the great Benoit Benjamin). Played less than half a season there and stayed hurt ("shin splints," they said) for three more.

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

Hint: A compensatory pick that the Hawks took ahead of Michael Adams, Arvydas Sabonis, and Spud Webb. Got waived but eventually came back for two very brief stints with the Hawks, the latter journey ending as part of the trade that brought "The Jet" to Atlanta (the first one, not JET). His NBA player-preparatory agency trained Norris Cole this year, and in 2009 co-hosted a celebrity all-star golf tournament in Arizona that featured (among others) Dominique Wilkins, Spud Webb, and Omarosa.

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

Hint: Currently directs the Governor's physical fitness council for a state that can probably use the help. In his Hawks debut, the 3rd round pick outscored reigning league MVP Julius Erving with 25 points, and would "geaux" on to start over 50 games with limited minutes in two seasons. Would eventually get traded for "The Garbage Man," and muscle cramps limited his career to just 8 more NBA games after the trade. His jersey hangs next to Pete Maravich's at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

Hint: Before this year, he was the highest Wazzu Cougar ever drafted. The Hawks just missed out on Mike Woodson and Larry Drew and took him instead, ahead of future Hawks assistant Bill Hanzlik and future All-Star Jeff Ruland. Scored over 12.5 PPG for the Hawks in his rookie year, but got traded (for a current NBA player's dad) and never achieved that level of scoring again. Eventually went on to the CBA and won three straight league championships. Lives in Ohio now.

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

Hint: Two months before the draft, SI's cover had this guy, with the headline "The Goose Was Golden," following a 41-point championship performance against Duke. The Hawks took him after Atlanta native and future All-Star Mike Mitchell came off the board. Averaged 6.7 PPG over two seasons. Got picked up by the Mavs for their expansion draft but never played in the NBA again. Went on to work as a commentator for TBS and SunSports, becoming the color analyst at Orlando Magic games for over a decade. Bad publicity from an underage sexual assault allegation (he would be acquitted) derailed his broadcasting career. He coaches a championship-level U-16 AAU girls basketball squad in Orlando.

~lw3

[Diesel]

Currently the "Director of Student-Athlete Development" (or, SAD?) and recruiter for a D-I hoops program, playing under the guy who coached him in high school. Scott Burrell, Chris Mills, and college teammate Sam Cassell were still on the board when the Hawks picked him. Hawks got 55 games and 322 minutes out of him over his first two seasons. Next to last player taken in the Vancouver Grizzlies' expansion draft (after the great Benoit Benjamin). Played less than half a season there and stayed hurt ("shin splints," they said) for three more.

~lw3

What about the accident?

Doug Edwards.

[Diesel]

Hint: Before this year, he was the highest Wazzu Cougar ever drafted. The Hawks just missed out on Mike Woodson and Larry Drew and took him instead, ahead of future Hawks assistant Bill Hanzlik and future All-Star Jeff Ruland. Scored over 12.5 PPG for the Hawks in his rookie year, but got traded (for a current NBA player's dad) and never achieved that level of scoring again. Eventually went on to the CBA and won three straight league championships. Lives in Ohio now.

~lw3

Was this before Nique or After Nique.

I remember his face and Nique but I can't quite call his name. Did Nique replace him? Is this Freeman Williams?? It's not John Drew.. Then again, he kinda favors Isiah.

He was either here and replaced by Nique or.... Never played because of Nique.

[atlbraves93]

Hint: Two months before the draft, SI's cover had this guy, with the headline "The Goose Was Golden," following a 41-point championship performance against Duke. The Hawks took him after Atlanta native and future All-Star Mike Mitchell came off the board. Averaged 6.7 PPG over two seasons. Got picked up by the Mavs for their expansion draft but never played in the NBA again. Went on to work as a commentator for TBS and SunSports, becoming the color analyst at Orlando Magic games for over a decade. Bad publicity from an underage sexual assault allegation (he would be acquitted) derailed his broadcasting career. He coaches a championship-level U-16 AAU girls basketball squad in Orlando.

~lw3

Would that be Jack Givens?

[lethalweapon3]

Was this before Nique or After Nique.

I remember his face and Nique but I can't quite call his name. Did Nique replace him? Is this Freeman Williams?? It's not John Drew.. Then again, he kinda favors Isiah.

He was either here and replaced by Nique or.... Never played because of Nique.

He was B.N. (before Nique era), but I can't say that they knew they would have a shot at Nique in a future draft when they traded him. Not Freeman Williams, and they were not teammates.

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

What about the accident?

Doug Edwards.

Yep, but remind us about the accident!

Edwards is on K-State's basketball staff working under Coach Frank Martin, who coached him at Miami Senior High:

http://www.kstatesports.com/staffdir/coaches-directory.html

Edwards' only noteworthy playoff participation was leaving the bench for a three-minute brawl in the Omni against the Heat (featuring Grant Long choking Duane Ferrell and Alvin Gentry breaking his hand after getting tossed on the floor by Long). He and his dance partner Keith Askins got thrown out of the game. The three minutes of brawling was equivalent to Edwards' total career playing experience in the playoffs.

http://archives.savannahnow.com/sav_pdf_archive/text/fr325/D_2359215.pdf

(aside, Danny Manning got two flagrant fouls but wasn't required to be DQ'd from the game... is that why there's still "flagrant 1" and "flagrant 2"?)

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

Would that be Jack Givens?

Indeed it would!

Here is "Goose" as president and coach of the Orlando Comets, Florida's first girls AAU National Champions:

http://www.orlandocomets.org/newsite/index.html

He also worked for NBC and ESPN doing NBA games.

Givens was acquitted in 2005 of molestation charges one year after privately IM'ing an teenage girl (a participant in a summer hoops league) then visiting her house to offer coaching tips. Her mother argued they were playing too close in the pool after basketball practice. The pair proceeded to the girl's bedroom and the mother filed charges a few days later.

http://www.clickorlando.com/news/4950599/detail.html

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

Whereabouts unknown! Selected by the Hawks one pick before Bobby Jackson. The troubled player and component of an infamous Hawks trade eventually won a CBA championship with the Dakota Wizards and had a momentary run with the Harlem Globetrotters.