Atlanta Hawks
Point Guard — Lenny Wilkens
Shooting Guard — Lou Hudson
Small Forward — Dominique Wilkins
Power Forward — Bob Pettit
Center — Dikembe Mutombo
What better way to kick off than with a lineup featuring five Hall of Famers? Wilkens, Hudson and Pettit carried the then St. Louis Hawks through the 1960s, collecting 26 All-Star nods between them. Though, the most popular Hawk of all-time is perhaps Slam Dunk Champion and seven-time All-NBA selection Dominique Wilkins — who leads the franchise in both games played (882) and points scored (23,292). Rounding out this group is big man Dikembe Mutombo. The shot-blocking savant only played four and a half seasons in Atlanta, but earned three Defensive Player of the Year honors (’97, ’98, ’01) during that stretch.
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Charlotte Hornets
Point Guard — Kemba Walker
Shooting Guard — Glen Rice
Small Forward — Gerald Wallace
Power Forward — Larry Johnson
Center — Alonzo Mourning
The Hornets aren’t exactly pulling from a deep pool of historically great talents. It’s been a franchise in constant rebuild ever since it reentered the league in 2004. Before that, Charlotte appeared to be a team on the rise following a span of seven postseason appearances in 10 years. In that span, the three players which defined Hornets basketball were the rim protecting, two-time Defensive Player of the Year Alonzo Mourning, the sharp-shooting three-point champion Glen Rice, and the bruising forward Larry Johnson. Though the team has struggled mightily over the past two decades, two bright spots include Gerald Wallace — who led the team to its only postseason appearance during the Bobcats era — and four-time All-Star Kemba Walker.
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