Name That Hawks Draft Pick

[lethalweapon3]

Hint: Guy on the left, participating in the Kalamazoo's Finest Softball game along with former Falcon T.J. Duckett, had a bit of a baseball career, too. Pitched in the minor leagues for the Gulf Coast Astros (along with current Yankee Freddy Garcia) and the Auburn Doubledays. "Injury-riddled" was an understatement, but when he did grace the hardwood, he started in 92 regular season and 5 playoff games for the Hawks, spread out over 7 seasons. His career concluded after a failed tryout with the Nets in 2005, but not before a garbage-time breakout at the end of the 2004 season, where he surpassed 18 points in 18 of his final 25 games. Taken a few picks before Mark Blount.

[Guest]

Hint: Guy on the left, participating in the Kalamazoo's Finest Softball game along with former Falcon T.J. Duckett, had a bit of a baseball career, too. Pitched in the minor leagues for the Gulf Coast Astros (along with current Yankee Freddy Garcia) and the Auburn Doubledays. "Injury-riddled" was an understatement, but when he did grace the hardwood, he started in 92 regular season and 5 playoff games for the Hawks, spread out over 7 seasons. His career concluded after a failed tryout with the Nets in 2005, but not before a garbage-time breakout at the end of the 2004 season, where he surpassed 18 points in 18 of his final 25 games. Taken a few picks before Mark Blount.

What is old Chris Crawford doing these days? He sure did make a lot of money off of one good playoff series.

[lethalweapon3]

(No picture available, but at bottom of Page 39 here: http://www.manhattan.edu/publications/Manhattan/ManhattanSpring2008.pdf)

Hint: Currently a chief prosecutor for the Organized Crime/Gangs Strike Force Unit at the U.S. Attorney's Office in Newark, New Jersey. The 6'5" forward actually played in 24 games for the Hawks despite being the 214th player taken in his year of the draft. Since then, he's prosecuted pretty much everything, from mob bosses, to loan sharks, to cyber-theives, to union embezzlers, to a corporate swindler who later tried to steal and sell Coca-Cola's secret formula.

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

Hint: Long before the "Microwave" the Pistons had "Instant Heat". And before he was traded to his hometown team, the Hawks had him, drafting him one spot ahead of Downtown Freddie Brown. He averaged 9.2 PPG over two seasons in Atlanta. After getting traded his shooting improved vastly and he became a fan favorite in Motown coming off the bench. Hired and fired by Dave Bing at his steel company. Died in Detroit after complications from a stabbing during an altercation with a drunken accomplice in 2002.

~lw3

Edited July 25, 2011 by lethalweapon3

[AUhawksfan]

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.

That would be Priest Lauderdale and man that guy has really filled out!

[DJlaysitup]

A bit O.T. (since he wasn't a Hawk). This man played both professional baseball and professional basketball. He played 1/2 year in pro baseball - batting .321 with 23 homers in the minors. As a basketball player he is attributed with being the first player to break a backboard with a dunk. He gave up on professional sports and due to his persanality, 6'5" 200lb frame, and square jaw he fit in very well in the entertainment industry. He starred in a long running western TV show where he preferred a long gun over a standard six-shooter.

P.S. - Great Thread :bowdown:

Edited July 26, 2011 by DJlaysitup

[Swatguy]

A bit O.T. (since he wasn't a Hawk). This man played both professional baseball and professional basketball. He played 1/2 year in pro baseball - batting .321 with 23 homers in the minors. As a basketball player he is attributed with being the first player to break a backboard with a dunk. He gave up on professional sports and due to his persanality, 6'5" 200lb frame, and square jaw he fit in very well in the entertainment industry. He starred in a long running western TV show where he preferred a long gun over a standard six-shooter.

P.S. - Great Thread :bowdown:

"The Rifleman" and dodger first baseman Chuck Conner.

[DJlaysitup]

Yep :good: ....I didn't realize he made it to the bigs...

Edited July 26, 2011 by DJlaysitup

[lethalweapon3]

Hint: Currently First Vice President at SunTrust, which recently acquired the wealth management firm he's worked for and partially-owned, dubbed "America's leading family office for the professional athlete." His rookie year was his finest as a Hawk at 6.6 PPG and 5.3 RPG, including one 30-point scorefest against the Bucks at the end of the regular season. After 2 seasons, he would eventually get traded for two future head coaches. Taken one pick before the Rockets settled on Robert Horry, he was the last Top 10 pick the Hawks would get for the next seven seasons.

~lw3

[DJlaysitup]

Gugliotta?

Edited July 26, 2011 by DJlaysitup

[lethalweapon3]

^^^ Nope! We had him cited already (not a draft pick, too).

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

Hint: Currently pastors an eponymous Christian ministry in Southwest Atlanta, serving alongside his wife, a fellow Scarlet Knight and 5-time Grammy nominee. The second of two 4th round picks (would have been nice to have signed the first one, too), he would become a mainstay off the bench during the "Atlanta's Air Force" era. His sixth year was his finest season offensively (13.6 PPG; 2.7 APG as a reserve), but he would not be resigned as a free agent by the Hawks the following summer.

~lw3

[DJlaysitup]

^^^ Nope! We had him cited already (not a draft pick, too).

~lw3

Has to be Adam Keefe then...from the days when the Hawks were trying to be "Celtics South" (get any white guy who can play to keep the suburbs money in the seats).

[lethalweapon3]

Has to be Adam Keefe then...from the days when the Hawks were trying to be "Celtics South" (get any white guy who can play to keep the suburbs money in the seats).

Noted without comment! LOL

His company profile:

http://csicapital.com/keefe.php

The "two future head coaches" he was traded for? Ty Corbin... and a draft pick that would become Good Ol' Rocky Top's Cuonzo Martin.

~lw3

[Diesel]

Hint: Currently pastors an eponymous Christian ministry in Southwest Atlanta, serving alongside his wife, a fellow Scarlet Knight and 5-time Grammy nominee. The second of two 4th round picks (would have been nice to have signed the first one, too), he would become a mainstay off the bench during the "Atlanta's Air Force" era. His sixth year was his finest season offensively (13.6 PPG; 2.7 APG as a reserve), but he would not be resigned as a free agent by the Hawks the following summer.

~lw3

Would that be John Battle?

Who did he marry, one of the Pace sisters?

Edited July 26, 2011 by Diesel

[lethalweapon3]

Would that be John Battle?

Who did he marry, one of the Pace sisters?

Ding-ding-ding! The second of two 4th Round picks in 1985. The one the Hawks couldn't sign? Arvydas Sabonis.

Here is the person who opened up a "Whole New World" (sorry) for Pastor Battle...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzdNcUARXhM

As John smiles you're left to wonder if he's been playing Dikembe in the paint lately.

~lw3

Edited July 26, 2011 by lethalweapon3

[lethalweapon3]

Hint: This 5th Rounder never signed with the Hawks, but he would become famous as a pro for his play peaking EVERY year around May. Which, in the NBA, would be a good thing...

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

Hint: Currently, an investor in biotech companies and a happy resident of Charleston. A bit "cocky." Once celebrated a victory against UNC by tossing Donnie Walsh into the shower.

~lw3

hawksfanatic knows this one already. Here's an excerpt of ACC glory days from the Charleston Post-Courier's interview with Skip Harlicka... the very first No. 1 draft pick of the "Atlanta" Hawks era:

http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2009/may/17/harlicka_on82621/

"The day we beat North Carolina at North Carolina, we started talking about throwing Coach (Frank McGuire) in the shower. It was such a huge win. But no, we threw Donnie Walsh in the shower. He (McGuire) was just a great man. We won because he was our coach, and he won because we were his players. It was a magical time. Coaches like him are so incredibly rare, because they care."

~lw3

[Swatguy]

Hint: This 5th Rounder never signed with the Hawks, but he would become famous as a pro for his play peaking EVERY year around May. Which, in the NBA, would be a good thing...

~lw3

Drafted in three pro sports Dave Winfield.

[lethalweapon3]

This one I know.

Donnie Boyce.

That was back in the era where you could just flush the Hawks' picks down the toilet and not change much about the team.

More on Donnie Boyce's new job (and the answer to the clue about the other Amigo taken five picks after Alan Henderson) here and here.

According to a source close to the situation, former Proviso East star Donnie Boyce has been tabbed as the new head coach at the school.

Boyce is an Illinois high school legend, who along with Michael Finley and Sherrell Ford were collectively known as the "Three Amigos", and won the 1991 state title with a team considered by many to be the best ever in Illinois.

Boyce played his college basketball at Colorado, and finished his career as the all-time leading scorer at the school. He was selected in the 2nd round of the 1995 NBA draft by the Atlanta Hawks. Had it not been for a broken leg, he would likely have joined Finley and Ford in the 1st round of the 1995 draft.

Boyce has remained on the basketball scene in Illinois, and has had a terrific run this season coaching Michael Finley's Bumble Bee's, one of the top 16-U teams in the state of Illinois.

Former Proviso East star Donnie Boyce is returning to his alma mater to be its boys basketball coach.

Proviso East vacated all of its coaching positions following the school year and opened up its search to all applicants. Boyce replaces David Chatman, who has been the Pirates coach since the 2003-2004 season.

Boyce along Michael Finley and Sherell Ford led the Pirates to a state championship in 1991. All three later played in the NBA.

"It's a dream come true to come back to where it all started for me in this basketball world," Boyce said on Monday. "This is a dream job. This is only the high school coaching job I would take. I bleed blue. This is somewhere I definitely want to be for a long time and hopefully bring a lot of winning seasons."

Boyce was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in 1995 after starring at Colorado. He played two seasons for the Hawks and bounced around other professional leagues for the rest of his career. He retired in 2006.

Boyce has been coaching since the end of his playing career. He spent time as a coach with the NBA D-League's Reno Bighorns, the ABL's Chicago Throwbacks and was an assistant at Triton College last season.

Boyce was partly attracted to the Proviso East position because of the way he saw another former Pirates star give back to the area.

"I grew up on the same block as Doc Rivers," Boyce said. "Watching someone like Doc, a mentor, I've seen some of the things he's done since his playing days to come back and give to the community. I thought this would give me an opportunity to do the same and share my basketball knowledge to the young players."

Boyce was also interested in the position to get Proviso East back to where it once was in the state's basketball community. The Pirates last won a state championship in 1992, a year after Boyce graduated, and haven't been to the state tournament since 1993.

"In my opinion, Proviso East is the Duke of high schools," Boyce said. "It's one of the schools on that level. We have a wealth of talent that comes through the school. I think some of the things that were lacking and some of the reasons we haven't been as successful is because of sacrifice, teamwork and discipline. During those lean years, we were lacking those qualities that made us great.

"Proviso East when I was here helped me so much in my college and pro career. We all learned the true meaning of sacrifice. We all sacrificed our individual games for the team. We had six or seven playing end up playing Division I basketball."

~lw3